The 10ft Tryst trimaran is a variation of the Duo dinghy

Complete building plans cost GBP45.00 These come with a set of Duo plans, which you use to build the main hull, plus the outrigger and crossbeam drawings. So in effect you get two boats for the price of one!

Please click on the button below if you wish to buy plans. Note: You can pay using Paypal or with your normal credit card. 

Plans will be sent as a zip file of pdfs once payment has been received. This is no longer an automated system, so please allow 48 hours for your order to be processed and your plans emailed to you. If you have not received plans after that time please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The main hull is a sailing Duo and it is fitted with two Vee shaped outriggers that bolt onto the Duo wings. The wings are then lashed to the main hull gunwales, as they are on Duo, see below. The outriggers add masses of stability for little extra weight, especially as all the panels for the outriggers are made from one sheet of 3 or 4mm ply. So the whole boat is very light and cheap to build, basically made from just three sheets of plywood

The Tryst outriggers are long, narrow and deep. That is because they are not "training wheels" but hulls in their own right. If they were too short and fat they would generate a lot of drag, even if they had the same buoyancy as the longer ones.

The prototype was first sailed in August 2014 in Canada and has since sailed in the USA and Mexico and has travelled over 10,000 miles in the back of our pickup truck - which has a 6ft long bed. I have had a great time sailing it, very easy and fun and, despite the small mainsail, Tryst sails surprisingly well even in light winds. Tacks very easily, with absolutely no hesitation.

As a keen dinghy sailor I try to keep both outriggers out of the water, but when I'm feeling lazy I let them do the work and just sit back and relax, welcoming the extra security of the buoyancy "out there doing it". One reason for making the outriggers a Vee shape is to reduce slamming and spray. Another reason is that, when heeled, the outriggers give grip to the water. this allows easy sailing on or off a shallow beach.

Tryst would be an extremely difficult boat to capsize. But, if it did, then it is small and light enough to pull up again without help. Simply stand on one outrigger, which will sink and the boat then rotates round the main hull.

When sailing is over for the day the complete Tryst, including rig and outriggers can fit inside a pickup or van with a 6ft bed, (assuming a nesting Duo is built) as shown above. We have a three piece mast, the outriggers fit in diagonally.  In any event, once the three hulls are separated, it is easy to cartop - even singlehanded.

Even when loaded with clothing, food, spare gear, tools etc for 3 months on the road there is still room for a Tryst in there - somewhere!

Normally for travelling from home to the beach we remove the outriggers and wings and leave the boat un-nested, sticking out the back of the truck. It then only takes 10 minutes to assemble, rig and launch. I have sailed ashore and 15 minutes later I have been at home, it's a 4 minute drive to the beach.

Or it can go on a big boat in davits, un-nested and with outriggers removed, seen on our Skoota 28 powercat

See a video of the first sail here

or here if it does not load www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6T_l8aKP9M

6 weeks after receiving the building plans a builder in the Philippines reported: "Trific launched on Friday 13th in perfect weather conditions. At this location the sea is very shallow, 200+ meters out I attempted to use the dagger board & came to a full stop! No damage done.

Launching off the lee shore beach into the head wind without the daggerboard proved suprisingly easy, I'm guessing my 100kg weight immersed the floats sufficiently to provide adequate resistance to leeway!

RW notes: In the video of my second Tryst sail you can see me coming into a shallow beach to windward without the daggerboard. By heeling the boat to lee the deep V outrigger digs in enough to prevent excessive leeway (it is still more than a daggerboard though)

The little boat moved surprisingly quickly through the water, despite its heavy crew, and was extremely stable. The 63 sq ft balanced lug sail (by Hydes) seemed well suited to the boat. The loose foot sail was easy to adjust with the outhaul, downhaul & 'snotter' to give, to my eyes, a perfect shape. I seemed to be able to point to around 45deg.

A super little boat, I'm well pleased."

And here is another one, on a trailer so no need to fully dismantle the boat. The high outriggers mean it's easy to see the load in the rear view mirrors

and another one ready to launch

Surprisingly, despite its small size it will take two large adults

You can see a great video series on building a Tryst here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIxc1t09CmIyYivg_YHKxyiXXipI4YI3M

Dozens are now building worldwide.

See a provisional study sheet HERE

See the Duo page for more details and for sample sheets from the building plans

 

• Prev
• Next