You know what they say . . . Well, I tried a trimaran last weekend . . . or, was it a skiff with training wheels? The Weta is a fourteen foot by eleven foot three-sailed fun-machine. After a quick tutorial, Dave at WetaWest let me solo this tri on Potrero Reach--my first time on any sort of multihull on any water. Three first impressions: 1) It's weird to sail a small boat without any thought of tipping it over. 2) Forget ease/hike/trim. This boat doesn't load up. With any puff, it just squirts forward. Almost makes the boat feel slow and then you look down and realize you're rippin'. 3) This fourteen footer is three feet wider than my twenty-five foot keel boat. In close quarters, wouldn't want to forget that ama is out there, but the width allows a ridiculous amount of lounging space. I found a couple of positions on the tramps that felt just like sailing from a hammock. Nice.
For what you get--a stupid-fast, fully rigged on custom dolly, ready to sail right out of the box tri-skiff thing--the Weta seems reasonably priced. But, it's still about three times what my Megabyte would sell for. Do I bite? Hmmm.
About this blog
Well, this blog started out as a chronicle of the restoration, and adventures aboard, the O'Day Mariner, Mothra. But since then, and thanks to Mothra rekindling my love of sailing, it's often taken over with other sailing content. So be it. I'm having so much fun with the new Megabyte, I gotta share that, too.
9 comments:
A skiff with training wheels! heh heh. They look fun... my only thought would be... if you were out somewhere on your own with no-one else around, and you capsized... they'd me nearly impossible to right again!
But I'm sure you'd fit a whole lot more people in much more comfort in your trailer sailer boat all the same. Depends on what you want, i guess. Glad u enjoyed your experience :)
Man, that thing looks fun. Maybe my kids WILL sail with me again ...
Yeah, Mal, I think the only thing more stable than a trimaran is an upside down trimaran! But, they've thought about that and provide a way to flood and sink an ama. Say it takes about 2 or 3 minutes to get 'er turned over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6S7o5nHiKU&feature=player_embedded
I like the skiff w/ training wheels analogy. Maybe you'd get more racing participants than the Megabyte, but it still seems quite a bit less than mainstream - if you're looking at one-design racing. Maybe Tillerman has something going w/ that old-fashioned Laser.
Hi Guys,
The Weta is easy to upright even if it turns over ... which is rare. You can recover by yourself in the water with no problem. There should be a video at SmallTrimarans.com that links to a video demonstrating this feature of the Weta
So, have you taken the "bite" yet?
I'm looking at the Weta too ..... turning 50 and tired of ducking the boom on my laser [been sailing lasers for 35 years!!]
Just trying to figure out the best trailer option, I'd be launching off the local boat ramp single handed.
Nope. Just a nibble so far. Well into another season racing the Megabyte at this point. I'll think about it again after the North Americans in September. I'm hoping the Wetas will show up at Huntington Lake this weekend so that I can have another look, though.
I bought one (with a trailer). It's very easy to set up singlehanded. Fast on the water and I've sailed it with 2 adults and 2 kids without being crampled up. The only complaint I have is the wheels on the beach dolly are too thin for soft sand (I live in Florida) and it's hard to pull back out when the wheels sink into the sand. Excellent boat so far.
Congratulations on the new Weta! enjoy. As for beach launching, WetaWest sells a kit to upgrade the cart with big fat wheels. I haven't seen one in action, but I hear they work well.
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