Sailor Hans Schipper shares a bit more today about his small trimaran named Watermouse. Specifically, he shares some great shots of the custom trailer he designed for the boat, as well as an explanation of how he uses the seat board to get into the boat without getting his feet wet.
Hans has shared about this boat before. See here and here and here for previous posts.
Hans writes:
Hi Joe,
Summer has arrived here extremely early this week. It has never been so warm here in March!
I want to share some experiences using my smallest trimaran, the watermouse.
The new trailer is a significant improvement. I can even lay the boat on its side with it so that I can put the wind vane on it.
If I had mounted the large wheels a little forward, I could transport it with the boat behind the bike. But there is no need for it, so I will stick to sailing.
What I enjoy a lot when boarding from a jetty or a quay is the movable seat board. It gives me the opportunity to get on board without getting my feet wet. The seat board is made of 8 x 20 cm foam (styrodur) wrapped with 2 layers of fiberglass epoxy. It weighs about 3 kg and fits exactly between the beams when extended. Such a light construction with a span of 1.80 m proves to be able to bear my weight of 100 kg.
When I put the board too far off center, things change and I don’t stick to just wet feet, I noticed ; – (
When there is more wind I sit on the board instead of in the center hull. When tacking I take the board with me to the other side. That turns out to work well. The best sailing, however, remains with little wind when I’m in the boat. I can lower the seat and move me just above the water with the tiller over my shoulder. There is always room to use a paddle thanks to a plank on one side.
It has become a nice light weather boat that I can still enjoy for the time being. Still, I think it will be the first boat that I will have to get rid of with a less smooth moving body.
I wish you a good sailing season.
Sincerely,
Hans Schipper
Update – 03/27/22: I asked Hans how the “seat board” attaches on the boat. Hans replied with the following,“There is a rebate in both head sides of the seat board. There is a piece of EPDM (synthetic rubber) glued in to make it stiff and so the board fits tightly between the beams. The shelf is therefore loose on / between the beams. Until now I never lost it.”
Like many DIY builders shown on this site, Hans’ skillfulness as a DIY builder amazes me. Thanks again for sharing Hans!
