.
Being on the water is one thing ; being on the water upright with a small multihull(F48 and esp. multiONE) in over 8mph of wind is entirely another.
Prospective multihullers should read “Small Multihull Considerations” posted under technology discusssions on this forum. They should ONLY build designs from scratch from a proven designer who knows the characteristics of his boat inside and out. The new multihuller must be aware that small multihulls in winds above 8mph are harder and harder to sail and should FOR SURE have a reefable rig or lower area rigs as the wind picks up. Capsize is only a question of when so you need to plan on having rescue capability when you sail in stronger winds. If you have expert building skills(even if you have never sailed a multihull model before) you should consider the addition of hydrofoils to your boat; some existing designs may be able to be adapted to a foil borne boat. This type of boat offers high speed with vitually no chance of capsize or pitchpole–and that is why the type is highly recommended by me to beginning multihull sailors.There is much information on the multiONE website about using hydrofoils.
Movable ballast is also a consideration and is covered in the article mentioned above.
A realistic understanding of these small boats can lead to lots of fun -and high speed sailing- but they have unique characteristics that should be understood before begining a project.
Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing/Racing
I’m sorry it seems as if I haven’t made myself clear: the hydrofoil technology is proven and is available NOW without cost to anyone that wants to use it.I t will require study on the part of the potential multihuller and an expert building skill level but a reliable ,fast, extremely stable hydrofoil can be built from scratch NOW. And the new X3 F-48 prototype is about to sail and orders can be reserved for it NOW.
But for experienced modelers wanting to tackle a somewhat complex and very rewarding project there is no reason to not go forward NOW. I am available to consult at no charge to anyone interested in such a project.
If you want to see the microSAIL! F3 flying on foils there is a video posted on :www.microsail.com
Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing/Racing
Doug,
I think you are right that an expert builder should consider some sort of stability enhancing system (movable ballast, reefable rigs and/or hydrofoils).
However, for someone who is home building and not an expert builder, Dick has laid out a very simple way to build some hulls at a very reasonable price.
I’m not sure if Dick has completed the build of a boat under this scheme, but I see no reason why it should not work.
Any time you build a boat yourself, multihull or otherwise, you should plan on extensive reworking of the boat to get the balance and trim right. The placement of the appendages, the movement range of the rudder, the location of heavy objects in the boat should all be considered design variables to be tweaked based on boat performance on the water.
The better plans out there will spell many of these things out. But those sorts of details can only be understood by the designer or builder after sea trials.
Anyone who has sailed a multihull (RC or otherwise) knows that it does not behave like a monohull. Some aspects (like heel stability) are enhanced while other aspects (pitchpoling) are unique. Anyone prepared to build their own boat needs to also be prepared to modify their boat to accomidate these aspects.
The other option for the F48 class is to purchase a proven design that has been fully developed. While the X3 is well on its way to being a proven design, it is my understanding that the development process is not yet done. The first prototype boat is about to sail, but has not done so yet, so the design could hardly be called fully developed. The Nightmare design seems to be proven as far as hull shape is concerned, but as a short kit, a lot of the final boat is left as a development exercise for the builder (rig placement and balance, sheeting systems etc.).
For the multiOne class, no such purchase option exists, although work is progressing. Until this option exists, home building is the only way to get on the water. Dick’s method allows a boat to be build cheaply by a relatively inexperienced builder to get on the water and start learning about the handling characteristics of these boats. An expert builder may choose another method and may also consider some higher tech enhancements that Doug has shown can work.
- Will
Will Gorgen
Dick,
Tell me about your jib sheeting system. I don’t see a traditional jib boom on your boat and I see some sort of bracket on the forward crossbeam that looks like the endplate for a jib traveler?
I’m intrigued…
- Will
Will Gorgen