Farrier F-22 Trailerable Trimaran

The F-22 is a brand new design that is being developed in New Zealand by Farrier Marine (NZ) Ltd, who will be building both F-22 and F-32 kit components, and then possibly complete boats. The low cost 'Down Under' building environment will help keep costs low, while all parts can be shipped economically anywhere in the world. In the meantime, the F-22 is available in plan form for those who wish to build their own, and start now.

Menno van der Zijp's F-22 in Holland...

A low cost entry level trailerable trimaran was first thought about in the late nineties, with details of the initial concept boat being published in 2001, but other projects such as the F-32/F-33 already in process had priority, which delayed development for some time. However, the F-22 was always intended to be a completely new breakthrough boat, and such boats do take considerable thought and time to develop well. The 'Hall of Fame' F-27 initial concept drawings were originally done in 1978, but it took another 7 years before it became a reality. The F-22 is taking just as long, with the first launchings in 2008, but it will be worth waiting for.

Corsair Marine had a shot at such a boat in 2005 with its Sprint model, which uses the 1991 Farrier F-24 design as a base, coupled with the earlier Tramp cockpit style, but it has too little room and too much sail area to make a good cruiser, plus the high price puts it out of reach for many

On the trailer

and the Interior

Folding trimarans are more complex craft and difficult to build at low cost, particularly when combined with the desired low weight. Corsair's 24/Sprint currently sells for over $50,000, which is a considerable amount for most to purchase a small entry level small trimaran. Other trailerables are available for around $30,000, but can often be no more than two or three very narrow fiberglass hulls, with little or no room, all tied together with a couple of basic aluminum or fiberglass beams.

Value is hard to find with many such boats, and the quality or configuration frequently does not justify the expense to buy, or the time required to build. In some cases it is surprising that they can cost so much when one gets so little. The F-22™ is intended to solve this problem, as a brand new entry level design, and intended to be a light weight, roomy, low cost trailerable trimaran, which is available initially in plan or kit boat form, and then as a full production sail-away boat.

Lloyd and Jabin Crisps F-22R STICK SHIFT in Australia. STICK SHIFT is the cuddy cabin version,
and has already achieved some excellent Race Results
Photo by Julie Geldard of Jules Marine Art

The F-22 comes in two basic models, the full cabin cruising version as shown above, and a large cockpit cuddy cabin version as shown below.

The cuddy cabin version is the perfect day sailer, and racer, and it will be possible to convert the cuddy cabin into the full cabin cruiser should this be required later, and for maximum resale value. A very interesting option for the cuddy cabin version is adding the optional aft cabin. One then has a huge central cockpit, that can be fully enclosed and weatherproofed for a large living area, along with two below deck double bunks, one in the bow and one in the stern, plus the bow bunk can easily be split into two singles. The potential of this version, with its overnight capabilities and room, coupled with a huge central cockpit for day sailing, looks very impressive.

Overall, the main design object with all versions was to achieve just the right balance between room, performance, and safety. Like all Farrier designs, the F-22 is a true and practical cruiser, but one that also happens to perform very well. The other main requirement was to keep both cost and building time low, and, to help achieve this, many aspects of the F-22 from design and building to marketing are being done quite differently.

Marcus Tomblin's F-22R "Kermit, the little green racing machine", as built by Melvest Marine,
in the Philippines. More Photos

Oliver Doms' F-22 in Germany - the first F-22 built and launched!

The production F-27 then followed, this being the first 'second generation' design and represented a major leap forward in hull shapes with its low rocker, and planing center hull, while retaining the same basic well proven beam structure and folding system. Construction also advanced significantly with round bilge hulls and foam core becoming standard. It was also one of the first production boats in America to use extensive aerospace vacuum bagging techniques for most parts, along with significant use of carbon fiber.

The F-22 features an even more integrated and further improved third generation beam and folding system, as developed for the F-33 and new F-32. It retains the current and well proven hull lines, with evolutionary improvements, coupled with many detail upgrades.

The F-22 has been designed as a very versatile boat, from a simple open cuddy cabin day sailer to a full cabin overnight cruiser, depending on builder/owners preference. It has much more usable room than the TT680, and almost as much as the F-24/F-25 due to the many design refinements. Being a light and very simple boat, it is also towable by a 4 cylinder car, a very important factor with rising fuel prices.

Hulls: Main hull lines have been optimized further with a higher displacement being achieved, but with a lower wetted surface area, while it has a slightly flatter bottom with less rocker so it will plane earlier. More interior room has also been created by optimizing main hull 'underwing' shape to exactly match the folded float sides.

Floats are also flangeless as with the F-32 and F-33, for a cleaner, smoother look, along with less drag. Flangeless floats have significant structural advantages with the join seam being loaded under compression, rather than shear or peel, which means that water pressure will actually supplement the join seam glue, holding it together, rather than trying to break it apart as is shown by the following comparison:

Deck: The cockpit is very long and a little wider than earlier designs, for a more spacious feel. The usual cockpit bridge is to be eliminated by some careful engineering, and replaced by a removable compression strut for when needed (such as racing). This will leave the aft mounted traveler as the only obstacle across the cockpit, but one that is well out of the way.

The cabin roof camber and edge rounding have both been reduced to make cabin top more user friendly, safer to walk on, and easier to build. For lower weight and cost, only one winch will be required on most models, and this will be able to control all sheets and halyards.

Beams: The new F-33 style third generation beams and folding system are probably the biggest difference over earlier designs, with slimmer, more curved beams, that are set significantly higher. Beam tops are wide and relatively flat, for convenient and safe walking areas, while the wide overlapping flanges deflect any spray down, and cover lashing gap along wingnet edges, eliminating any chance of feet going through this area.

Folding struts are anchored directly to the beams (no metal brackets), but using an even simpler system to keep costs low. The shorter beams are mounted externally to the cabin, for more interior room, and give a significantly lower trailering height with less windage when towing (less fuel required).

Compared to the F-24/C24/Sprint750, still the best benchmark for this size boat, the F-22 beams have 18% less frontal area, are higher off the water (see drawing further below), and are significantly lighter at only 10kg or 22lbs each! This, coupled with the F-22's larger floats, all add up to a faster, and much drier boat.

Rig: This is very simple, with rotating mast, all synthetic shrouds, and carbon fiber chainplates - turnbuckles and all metal parts have been eliminated wherever possible.

Sails: Three sails are standard, for simplicity and ease of use, these being main, jib, and a larger screacher. Mainsail is boomless, to save both weight and cost (and sore heads), while the longer luff of the boomless main is more efficient, and gives a lower center of effort. However, a roller furling boom is also optional if desired. Jib tack and/or furler (if used) is mounted below foredeck, for a deck sweeping jib for maximum efficiency, while also keeping sail area low where it should be. Screacher mounts to the end of the aluminum bow pole, which can be removed/retracted onto foredeck by simply pulling one pin at deck level. No need to undo bobstay, or have a complicated release system.

A retractable pole as used by the F-33 was considered but ruled out due to the extra complexity and cost. The prime object of the F-22 is low cost and ease of construction, so everything is being kept as simple as possible, plus the below setup does have some definite advantages of its own.

Other performance options for open races (not for class racing) are a spinnaker, and a tall roller furling genoa. To make headsail changing quick and easy, the F-22 has a new 'forestay rack', which is a carbon fiber web in the bow with three separate built in mounting points for headsails or forestay. These are intended for the jib (below deck), the opt. roller furling genoa (just in front of bow), and an extra 'backup' synthetic forestay should this be desired. Such a setup means the stainless steel forestay or luff wires can be safely replaced by synthetics. With this setup, the genoa can be hoisted and unfurled while jib is in position and working until genoa is set. Jib is then dropped.

The standard F-22 performance level is quite high due to the light weight, but not scaringly so due to the efficient low profile rig. This rig is designed to be very suitable for the average cruiser, and not over powering as can be the case with some more extreme designs. However, for experienced sailors who like to sail on the edge, the F-22R with its taller racing rig is optional, and this is even faster than the F-24, and competitive with the much longer F-82 (26' 10").

The F-22 has more beam and more buoyancy further forward than any other Farrier design, and while this makes the F-22 very safe, it should be noted that the 35.1' (10.7m) F-22R mast is very tall, and with a very powerful sail plan, so the F-22R is definitely NOT a suitable choice for cruisers.

Foils: Daggerboard or centerboard options are available. The daggerboard is the simplest and most efficient and its case helps to support the mast. The centerboard can be more convenient, its offset case taking up less room in the cabin, plus it will kick back should it hit bottom. Tapered foils are being used, as these can be longer with less wetted surface area - or more efficient. Daggerboards are never used in the floats as these have major drawbacks, including being twice as complex, and heavier. They also do not save any interior space compared to an offset centerboard, which is much more practical and simpler.

Directional control is via the latest transom mounted retractable daggerboard rudder system, for maximum efficiency and simplicity.

Auxiliary: An outboard of 4 to 8 HP is recommended, and this is mounted on an offset bracket, forward of the stern, to minimize cavitation.

The basic interior layout is very similar to the F-24, with a double forward and two single berths on each side, which will also extend down the cockpit sides as quarter berths, considerably so in the case of cuddy cabin versions.

Galley can be fixed (at the cost of berth space), or removable. Head can be located as shown and a full width curtain across cabin center can give basic privacy when needed. An additional aft berth is also be possible under the cockpit for those who don't mind limited headroom (plenty of width). The available aft cabin option will however make the aft berth very comfortable.

Cabin sides have been moved outboard to be more parallel to centerline than earlier designs, which creates more interior room, and also allow the use of wing berths, which can greatly increase accommodation options. The early Trailertri designs had wing berths, which work well, except there was no storage underneath. Thus, when one loaded up the boat, gear tended to be thrown on the wing berths, and this then ended up on the floor or settees when sleeping, creating a very messy boat. To overcome this on later designs, the wing berth areas were turned into dedicated storage areas while the settees were used for berths, and this worked out much better.

However, on a smaller boat like the F-22, it is very important to use every possible space, so wing berths are back, as well as settee berths, so one has a choice. The big difference is that the F-22 wing berths have a storage area underneath, to overcome the storage problem.

The cuddy cabin's accommodation can be increased even further by setting up an optional Bimini top, which can then be fully closed in around the cockpit coamings to give a large sheltered living area that can easily seat 6 - 8, with even enough room left over for a picnic table. A good example of this can be seen in the original Tramp Brochure while the F-22 Bimini is shown below

The new externally mounted beams increase the interior room significantly, and a good example of this can be seen with the forward beam bulkhead opening. This is now a min. 6" (150mm) wider than earlier models (at 4' 4" or 1.32m), giving a very spacious feeling to the cabin, and making the forward double berth area noticeably roomier.

Extensive and more detailed interior drawings covering all the possible options are now available on the Study Site

The F-22 uses the well proven Farrier Folding System™, easily the most popular folding system world wide, and now further improved with the new 'third generation' beams and folding system. Besides making building easier, the new configuration also eliminates the 'nuisance' beam recesses in the main hull deck of earlier designs, improving safety, while giving a much cleaner look.

Bob Trygg's Trailertri 680 in Duluth, Minnesota - note how these first generation
beams extend well inboard, to be about 6" apart at center.

Early designs, including the F-27, always had longer beams than necessary, with more hold down beam bolts than required structurally, in order to provide a 'fail safe' folding system. The beams actually ended near the center line, as with the Trailertri 680 above, and took up as much interior room as telescopic beams. Double or even triple beam bolts were also used which made the beams strong enough on their own, even if the primary structural member (the lower folding strut) failed. This 'fail safe' factor was very important to help reassure early buyers that this totally new type of craft would be strong enough, but this is no longer a factor.

The Farrier Folding System has now proved itself beyond doubt, and there has never been a single failure of any lower folding strut, in over 30 years. Thus it was possible to begin eliminating beam bolts and shorten the beams, as with later designs such as the F-9A/F-31 and F-25. The F-22 goes even further, with beam length set at the minimal optimum, with no interior intrusion at all. The resulting short beams, braced by the lower folding struts, are the most efficient beams available for a trailerable trimaran.

The old and the new.

The F-22 third generation beams are shown above right. These are much cleaner, with a lower trailering height, plus they eliminate the nuisance recesses into the cabin as shown above left (F-24/Sprint 750). These early style beams also have the join flanges along the lower edge, and any spray from wave tops hitting the beam fronts is deflected upwards. The F-22 join flanges are instead on the top, where they can trap any such spray, and deflect it downwards, away from the crew, giving a much drier boat.

The wider deck of the F-22 can also be seen, with less rounded corners, which gives a safer walking area forward beside the mast, as well as more room inside. The rounded corners seemed a good idea for the F-24 at the time in 1991, but proved to be a mistake, as walking along the deck became more difficult and riskier, particularly when on the trailer. The F-27 was always right on the mark here, with its flatter roof with smaller radius corners, and thus it was decided to use this again for the F-22. Similarly, the F-22 beam tops are flatter making them significantly more comfortable to both sit and walk on.

The Construction From Plans Option

Buying a finished boat is the quickest way to get on the water, but it will still be a while before full production 'sailaway' F-22s are available. Kit hulls will be available sooner, but in the meantime the only solution is to build your own hulls, and assemble with the ready-made beams and folding system. Plus, for those who like to save by building everything, and don't mind the time, then building your own hulls can have advantages.

Method and Materials: Vertical foam stripping as used for all other modern Farrier designs is the recommended choice, though cedar stripping will still be an option for those who prefer wood, or cannot obtain foam. Cedar wood strips are very durable, but they will take much longer and be significantly heavier. Plywood is specifically not recommended as it is heavy, can now be as expensive as foam in many areas, and has been the source of a number of rot problems in the early Trailertri series.

Building Time: The building time required is hard to give as time will depend on the builder's skills, work rate, and degree of finish and fitout. However, the target time is from 4 to 6 months part time to assemble from kit hulls, and around 12 - 18 months if building your own hulls. One will need to remain focused on the building process to achieve these times, and if distractions are likely, then building could take up to two years, so be prepared for this. A general guide to building times is also available here

Quick and easy building is one of the main objects with the F-22, so it is a little more basic and simple in many areas, with fewer curved surfaces and rounded corners. One such example is float decks, which are flat (as on the Trailertris pictured above), and this eliminates the need to form recesses for float hatches, makes the beam/float join very simple, while joining the flangeless floats is far easier, the deck now being a simple 'drop on' flat panel. May not look quite as nice, but one will be on the water much earlier, and stand 10' back and it will be hard to tell the difference. Float deck edges also only have a small radius, to avoid having to heat bend foam around the large radius corners as on larger designs, eliminating another time consuming step.

But perhaps most importantly, the need for accurately aligned bulkheads for the folding system has been eliminated by the new third generation folding system. Thus it will now be feasible to have the basic hulls built anywhere, and without any special alignment requirements, the ready made beam mounts for the beams and folding system just being slotted in, and only needing to be centered, leveled, and spaced apart the correct distance before taping in place.

There have also been numerous structural improvements, making the boat simpler, plus both stiffer and lighter. One example is the cockpit floor panel, which now extends right through the boat to the bow, also forming the cabin settees and bow bunk. This makes a very stiff and strong box like backbone structure, saving both weight, and time.

While hulls can be self built, note that the beams and beam mounts, are only available ready made from Farrier Marine to speed up the building process, and to maintain the quality of these important items. No plans will be available for these components. Everything else such as the folding system, daggerboard, daggerboard case, rudder etc. can all be self built, but will also be available ready made, as required, to help speed up the building process.

A Note On Performance

Like all Farrier designs, the F-22 is intended to be a comfortable, safe cruiser, and one that can also be fast, but the performance is only achieved by efficiency, not excessive power. However, many competitors over the years have put a great emphasis on performance and race results, with very tall rigs and minimal room. It would be easy to make the F-22 footer faster than the F-31 for instance - just eliminate most of the room, and put on a big rig. But what is usually not mentioned with such boats is the greater danger of capsize or pitch pole, with wind capsize speeds that can be lower than 25 knots.

Such boats have very little practicality, are scary to sail, their crews soon get tired of the lack of comfort, lack of room, and the need to rent a nearby motel when participating in race events away from home. They also get tired of the hours trying to assemble them, or the hassles in retracting the floats.

Others have found that if they really want to go fast with no comfort, a cat with a couple of slender 30' (10m) hulls with a tall mast is better value (eliminate the center hull altogether), and such a cat may be able to at least sleep two in each hull instead of just two in one. However, while such boats can be cheap, they are not good all round performers, and remain very impractical for cruising or safe family sailing. One currently available appears to have a wind capsize force of less than 15 knots, and capsized during a recent race in only 14 knots. This is not a good feature and any multihull that needs such a big rig to compete is not a very safe or efficient boat.

An old photo of an early Trailertri 680 (22'), with an open wingdeck style 23' racing cat in the background,
and a 22' monohull. It is very obvious that one gets much more with a trailerable trimaran.

All Farrier designs (except racing versions) use a minimum wind capsize speed of 30 knots or more, to ensure safety for crew and families, plus provide both room and performance. Even racing 'R' versions seldom use a wind capsize speed of below 25 knots. A few good race results are just not worth the extra risk and discomfort.

Availability

The F-22 has been initially available only in plan form, and will soon be available as a full kit or production boat. The kit will come as a 'boat in a box', that can be shipped anywhere around the world and can be assembled by anyone, or by a local boat builder for those without the time or inclination to do it themselves. Hulls may be built in several locations by licensed F-22 builders to minimize freight costs, and a number of professional boat builders in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada, USA and Europe have already expressed interest in assembling the complete boats.

Costs

For home builders from plans, current cost for the basic materials to build three hulls is around US$5000 to $6000 depending the type of resin, core, and glass. Then providing one is very careful with sourcing components, total cost could be under $25,000 for a basic boat. The only way to know for sure is to price out the materials list in your area, as prices will vary depending on country, local content and suppliers margins, which can frequently be high in the marine field. To give an idea, quotes for the F-22 mast and rig have varied from over US$10,000 to less than US$5000, while the same thing can be made by the builder from a bare extrusion for around US$3000.

Overall, it should be emphasized that there are no guarantees in regards to availability, or prices. Good design just takes time and cannot be rushed, while resin and foam prices are subject to oil prices, so there can be many variations. A general guide to building costs for plan built boats can also be seen here

The F-22 is will be marketed differently from earlier designs, with enthusiastic owners being sought, who are willing to build or buy their own boat, and then use it for demonstration sails, and/or local promotions, in return for a commission on sales. This could become a very enjoyable part time business for those interested, and may be eventually be setup as full time F-22 franchise opportunities.

Downloadable Drawings (PDFs)

Cruising Cabin..............................................Cuddy Cabin

Profile...........................................Profile
Interior..........................................Interior
Body View...................................With Bimini

More F-22 drawings, including more detailed interior layouts, construction drawings, deck layout, and Materials List
are available from the Farrier Marine Study Site

Basic Dimensions (may be subject to change):

The New F-22 Sport Tri

A Low Cost Trailerable Trimaran

CRUISING CABIN VERSION

CUDDY CABIN VERSION

AFT CABIN VERSION

F-22 to F-24 Comparison

Costs