Hello from far south coast NSW, Australia. I have just finished building a Triad, and took it sailing for the first time last week. This is the third boat I have built, and am already planning the next one! I often find answers to questions I have on forums, however have never signed up as I have never had anything to add, but finally decided to sign up here. I am currently considering a few modifications to my Triad, so hopefully I may be able to share ideas and (more importantly!) ask for advice as I proceed.
Regards,
Steve.
Welcome! You've come to the right place. Lots of helpful folks around here. Congrats on finishing your Triad. You should post some pics in the Builders Bulletin Board if you can. We love build pics!Â
Aye welcome aboard. I also built a Triad. I stuck to the plans for the most part except I raised the cockpit stiffening boards up and inch to provide a small coming. It prevents most of the splash from draining into the cockpit and made for a nice accent line as I painted it the trim color instead of the deck color. I also added a metal strip to the keel, (aluminum), starting about a foot up the bow stem running the entire length of the keel. There are a lot of rocky bottoms and beaches in Montana. If I knew then what I knew now I would have asked one of the forum people to design a center board instaed of the dagger board but only because I prefer storing such appendages as part of the hull. If you haven't upload a few pictures of your Triad and other boats. We all like to look at boat pictures.
Hi again all,
Sorry for the delay replying...but, as requested, I have (hopefully) attached a few pictures of my triad...wasn't sure how else to post them...
Cheers,
Steve
and here's a few more sailing shots...
Looks great! I've been thinking of building a Triad (after my Vac is done!) to use as a fishing boat, doubling as a fun day sailer.
Dave
Nice looking boat! You used a nonskid pattern very similar to what I had originally intended, but I cut back to just two patches of nonskid, about 3 feet long, on each side in the areas where you sit while manning the tiller. I have been tempted to add to more, one on each side, like those you have sans the nose areas. Have you found you use the areas on the nose enough to warrant them being nonskid? I think your pattern looks great with them but still lean towards utility, that and the nonskid areas seem to hold dirt and stains more then straight paint.
Hi Dave, I would say to go for it. It's a stable little boat, and while I haven't used it for fishing, without the sail and rigging it has a lot of space. I have been sitting on a set of vacationer plans for a while now, but where I currently live there are not enough protected waters to really make it worthwhile, and our weather has a way of turning nasty very quickly...but who knows what the future will bring...
Steve
Hi Terry, The non-skid patches on the nose are of absolutely no use. In fact the forward patches on the side decks are of no use either. I have not used them at all. I realised before I painted them that they would be of no use, but after painting the decks in gloss white marine paint (because I had lots of it), I realised I had a big problem with glare... That was when I decided to paint the non-skid patches, mostly just to cut the glare. Having returned to being a full-time student at the moment, cost is a determining factor, so I just got the cheapest can of exterior low sheen paint that money could buy, and mixed in some non-skid grit, masked off the areas and went to town...at first I wasn't very happy with the result - particularly at the nose, but I don't really notice it anymore and it certainly saves my eyes out in the sun! Also, due to my "try first, read instructions later" approach to the deck paint, it actually isn't very non-skid, that combined with the coffee-brown colour means that the dirt doesn't show up too bad, and when it does, it's not too difficult to clean. I would certainly say that the non-skid is not needed, and most of my sailing (especially in calmer weather) is done sitting on the floor of the boat...I made a set of drop-in floor boards to keep me up out of the water.
Steve
Steve, Thanks for the advice. I have been tossing the idea of adding a small cushioned seat thing at the back that could be folded up and held against the rear bulkhead if not needed but the drop in floor thing sounds quite workable also. I look for small projects to do on the boat each winter and either would fit. I have also been thinking of adding either wood grate type doors or rope fish net type things for the two front bulkhead holes to hold stuff in when it gets bumpy. I store an anchor line, extra life vests, a first aid kit, a small hand pump and a few other things in the nose. If it is rough or I am using the electric motor, which pushes the boat along briskly, it can get pretty bouncy with the flat bottom and things have been known to bounce out at times.Â