West coast trimaran docs from '66, '68 and '70. Brown pamphlets and study plans, Trimaran design Center 1970 catalogue, Cross stuff

Fasterdamnit!

Anarchist
617
34
Charlotte NC
I was going thru my father's files and found  two manila envelopes postmarked 1966 and 1968. I was born in '65. Both envelopes were from Jim Brown Trimarans, Santa Cruz CA. At the time we lived on Lake Murray in SC and he sailed primarily E-scows on the lake in races all over the southeast. He was interested in a cruising tri that he could take the family cruising, go fast sailing and trailer. I will work on photographing the pamphlets, correspondence, catalogues and study guides. He did not build any of Mr. Browns designs (or a Cross- there was a single pamphlet from them in one envelope) but eventually he put together a tri from a 30' cruising hull plug (maybe Helms 30) and a set of orange, Hobie 18 hulls that had been returned to Valk Sailboat Center under warranty for soft spots in the decks. It sailed, but that center hull was a displacement tugboat and pretty much dragged half the lake behind us once the breeze was up. The stern wave was a sight to be seen- taller than the deck.

I really like the Brown aesthetics.  First, me and James Sr. on the Stiletto 27 he picked up after being flipped on the trailer by Hurricane Hugo. 

IMG_E1902.JPG

 

Rasputin22

Rasputin22
14,371
3,911
Thanks for sharing dammit!

     My parents had gotten a divorce when I was about 12 and my Dad got transferred to Treasure Island in SF Bay. He happened to meet Jim Brown at some event at the Sausalito Yacht Club and soon began sending me the study plans for that SeaRunner 25. I loved poring over the beautiful perspective drawing and details and dreamed of joining my Dad in California and us building one to go cruising Baja. Seeing you and your dad and the plans you have posted here is a real blast from the past!

 

Fasterdamnit!

Anarchist
617
34
Charlotte NC
Thanks for sharing dammit!

     My parents had gotten a divorce when I was about 12 and my Dad got transferred to Treasure Island in SF Bay. He happened to meet Jim Brown at some event at the Sausalito Yacht Club and soon began sending me the study plans for that SeaRunner 25. I loved poring over the beautiful perspective drawing and details and dreamed of joining my Dad in California and us building one to go cruising Baja. Seeing you and your dad and the plans you have posted here is a real blast from the past!
You bet!!

A LOT! more to come

 

Rasputin22

Rasputin22
14,371
3,911
I think that my Dad met a young Navy pilot who was building a SeaRunner 25 with the A-frames while they were both in some sort of training on Treasure Island. The Navy bases usually have pretty good woodworking shops as part of Special Services but a 25 foot trimaran is a good bit bigger that the sort of projects that usually get undertaken in those shops. I guess the tech training was not so intensive that the flyboy was able to devote a lot of time to his build. I do know my Dad had plenty of time on his hands while there and he took SCUBA lessons and chased California girls and I was desperate to join him.

     He shipped off to Sasebo, Japan after SF and as things turned out the commanding officer of the MSTS base he was relieving was just finishing up building a 40' trimaran of his own design. It was being built on the Navy base too but a Japanese joiner of the highest skill had been hired to do most of the work. Most of the materials that went into it probably 'fell off the truck' but he was retiring after that command and probably never got called on that. When an officer leaves active duty, the military usually will ship him (or her) and their family and goods anywhere or one can take a cash equivalent. The trimaran builder was going to take his moving allotment in cash and put in the cruising kitty and sail back to the states on his new beautiful trimaran. That really seemed to resonate with my Dad and he felt pretty guilty for having built up my hopes and dreams with the Baja SeaRunner 25 scheme but now upgraded the fantasy and started sending me Brown's study plans in ever increasing sizes. We eventually ended up with the 37' SeaRunner design that you so kindly posted above. 

 
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