Farrier Marine is well known among trimaran fans. They seem to set a standard for trimarans of all sizes, including as it turns out, smaller ones. The design for the “F-22 Sport Tri” came out not too long ago, and it seems to be quite a boat for its size.
I have to plead “guilty” to any charges made regarding a bias for the work of Ian Farrier. I know Ian Farrier’s designs have already created a historical legacy among trimaran designs. But the way he markets them to trimaran fans is also second-to-none.
Visit his site and take a peek. Read the stories there. Take in the generous amount of information, which is jam-packed with details. Drool over the trimaran pictures.
You get the idea.
What is unique about the F22 from most of his other design models is that it truly fits my definition for a “small trimaran.” It’s not much bigger than 202 in length. You can pull it on a trailer easily. And the price tag doesn’t stretch up into the stratosphere.
And perhaps the nicest thing for sailors who want to build their own small trimaran is … well, this is a real possibility. In other words, it’s affordable after all.
According to the F-22 webpage on the Farrier Marine site, the purpose of this model is to offer a “high-quality entry-level design” that justifies the expense to build it. This expense (if you’re careful about where you buy your building materials) can be under $25,000.
That isn’t too bad considering the fact that a straight-up commercial purchases of boats similar in size usually start in the $40,000 range and then go on up from there. And this could tempt many would-be sailors to take on the building project for a small trimaran all by itself.
Maybe a 22-foot small trimaran such as the F-22 is still larger, and a bit pricier, than what you want at this time? That’s understandable. Just keep in mind that there are a few trimaran owners out there who’ve paid nearly $20,000 in overall costs for boats similar in size that will never provide the amenities and overall comfort a boat like the Farrier 22 potentially offers.
That’s something to think about. The F22 should be compared with other small trimaran models to see if all of its features are truly desired. This is even more true if you are thinking about building a small trimaran yourself. And this is especially true if “re-sell value” is important to you. There are few trimarans that hold re-sale value like Farrier tris.
