Why Small Timarans are Safe Day Boats
Small trimarans are safer than other types of small sailboats. Their unique design offers safety in both sailing features and in the design itself.
First, it’s a fact that small trimarans (and all trimarans in general) do not carry around a lead ballast in order to balance the boat. This means that this particular weight doesn’t reside in the bottom of any hull. Should any of the boat’s three hulls ever become damaged, they won’t have that ballast weight drag the entire craft underwater … where it would begin serving as a new home for a variety of fish species.
As a matter of fact, most small trimarans contain a number of air-tight compartments within each of their 3 hulls. In addition to offering interior storage space, the amas and main hull often have air spaces tucked away in certain sections. They would work to “lift” the sailboat and keep it from ever being completely swamped, even if the main hull was openly damaged.
Small trimarans also offer safety in their wide beam. Their outriggers produce a more stable ride than most other types of sailboats. The boats don’t typically don’t “heel over” when sailing. But this also means there is less chance the boat is going to capsize or pitch pole. But if a trimaran ever does overturn, it’s safety features are usually demonstrated even further.
How so?
There are pictures of trimarans scattered here and there on the Internet that show them floating upside down, while their sailors sit on the overturned vessels, waiting to be rescued. After seeing these kinds of pictures, how many people ask why they don’t see similar kinds of photos that feature monohulls? The reason is simple. There are far fewer pictures of monohulls in distress because those boats usually sink, and there is no opportunity for picture taking.
Small trimarans are also lighter than monohulls of similar length. They’re easier to tack and jibe. This allows them to be much faster sailboats. This higher performance means if a storm comes up while sailing offshore, then a small trimaran will be able to get into shore, while other boats are still fighting big waves further out.
I recently read about a trimaran that had been sailing offshore, and hit an unknown object in the water. The main hull filled up with water to a point, but the boat stayed stable and drifted until the Coast Guard was able to come and rescue the distressed boat and its sailors.
If that boat had been a monohull, it almost surely would have filled with water and sunk … and rather quickly at that. The crew might not have even been able to call for help by sending off the distress signal. And even if they had, they probably would have had to float in the water on a raft, or in life vests, until help arrived.
Given that scenario, wouldn’t you rather be in a trimaran? I would … every time.
About the Author
Joe Farinaccio blogs about small trimarans. He recently posted pictures of a famous small trimaran named Magic Hempel, which was actually the forerunner to the modern Dragonfly trimarans at http://www.smalltrimarans.com/Magic-Hempel-Small-Trimaran.html For more information, and sometimes free downloads, visit SmallTrimarans.com.
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