CROWTHER BUCCANEER TRIMARAN – MACUSHLA

Resting at her mooring in Yachtclub of Rio

At her mooring in ICRJ early morning

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

. designer: Lock Crowther, Australia
. builder: Alexandre Levi, engineer
. LOA: 12.00 m (40′)

. LWL: 10.97 m (36′)
. draft w/board: 0.61 m (2′)

. beam: 8.23 m (27′)
. draft w/out: 1.83 m (6′)

. fuel: Diesel
. displacement: 4.5 tons

. date built: 1985

PROPULSION

YANMAR model 3jH2E diesel with 38.7 hp 2.14 gear equipped with 2-blade feathering Maxi-Prop propeller

Magazine cover Mar Vela e Motor

Construction: Professionally built in cold molded cedar wood in WEST (Wood Epoxy Saturation Technique) system all covered outside w/ fiberglass/epoxy and KEVLAR/CARBON reinforcements w/ epoxy. All exterior finish in two-component (aliphatic) linear polyurethane paint.

Heavy maintenance over private craddle

Internal Layout
Main hull
Three separate cabin areas
• Main cabin w/ galley, three wing berths and one convertible dinette for six seated people or a double (very intimate couple) berth
• Forward cabin w/ fixed berth and bathroom (toilet, sink and storage space)
• Aft space w/ berth under cockpit

Side hulls
• Access through deck hatches to large storage space now filled with lightweight gear, such as dock lines, fenders, buckets, plastic hoses, etc.

Internal layout

Main cabin w/ half and full table of dinette


Deck layout
• Main hull with double self-bailing cockpit,
• Aft compartment for helmsman and sheet handling
• Fore compartment for halyards and passengers
• The main hull is entirely surrounded by double lifelines and pulpit and pushpit
• Additionally there are nettings between the three hulls, limited by the beams, adequate for lounging under the sun or carrying windsurfers, dinghies, etc
• Stainless steel ladder for swimmers, pivoting from the transom extension
• All halyard, sheets, guys etc are controlled from the cockpit
• Due to the extreme beam it is not necessary to have spinnaker poles but instead each spinnaker tack has two lines
• Self-bailing anchor well at the main hull bow
• Four BOMAR aluminum hatches for ventilation / access to the cabins
• Aft ventilation through two separate molded hatches at the aft lazarette
• Three NICRO FICO flexible PVC ventilators with respective water traps, located on deck, provide more ventilation inside

SAILS & RIGGING
Mast
• SPARCRAFT (California) aluminum extrusion with internal halyards with GUEST mast top light
• WINDEX wind indicator and SHAKESPEARE VHF antenna
• Boom by SPARCRAFT aluminum boom with all internal control lines for outhaul
• Boom halyard
• Two reefing lines with deck stoppers.

Sailing along Ipanema beach...

Sails by MCKIBBIN SAILS (California)
The Small, the Storm Jib and the Storm Trysail were never used, others are used but still in good cruising shape:

• 290 sq. ft. mainsail with Cunningham and three reefing lines, delivery sail
• 528 sq. ft. no. 1 Genoa
• 500 sq. ft. no. 2 Genoa
• 360 sq. ft. no. 3 Working Jib by Quantum
• 163 sq. ft. no. 4 Small Jib, no use
• 82 sq. ft. Storm Jib, triple stitches, no use
• 102 sq ft Storm Trysail, triple stitches, no use
Besides, there are also a fully-battened mainsail by ELVSTROEM and a 110% jib (n. 3 above) by Quantum


Main sail and G # 1 light, also used as downwind reacher

Head foil/Furling: Head foil / Furling made by Facnor, France model R300 w/ control lines from the cockpit

Halyards/Running Rigging: Samson polyester lines and wire rope 7 x 19 stainless steel

Standing Rigging: American made stainless steel 1 x 19 wire rope from 6 to 10 mm diameter with NORSEMAN & STA LOCK terminals and SCHAEFFER stainless steel screw turnbuckles

Sheets: All SAMSOM (U.S.) PARALAY Dacron lines

Winches: All ARCO (U.S.) two speed chrome bronze winches – 2 no. 48, 3 no. 16 and 1 no. 10 plus an extra with aluminum drum for the furling jib halyard at the mast
Stoppers: All by SCHAEFFER, 2 triple and 2 singles for all halyards, centerboard control, reefing and furling lines

Cleats: SCHAEFFER, NICRO FICO and CAM CLEAT

Blocks: SCHAEFFER, HARKEN and NICRO FICO


DECK EQUIPAMENT
Anchors
• 1x 10kg BRUCE
• 1x 10 kg DANFORTH HI-TENSILE and 10 meters ¼ “ chain
• Some 100m of SAMSOM GOLD-BRAID ½” anchor line
• Good quantity of dock mooring lines
Deck Hatches - BOMAR aluminum/Lexan – 1 large, 2 medium sizes plus another small LEWMAR
Deck Ventilators - 3 flexible PVC 4” diameters NICRO FICO vents with respective NICRO FICO watertraps

Completely dismantled for heavy maintenance

Stove: LPG (Yanes) with two burners and oven. There is no need for gimbals

Sink Pump Taps: 2 WHALE WC6500
Bilge Pumps: 3 diaphragm manual operation pumps, HENDERSON MK-V and 1 submersible RULE 1750 12-volt automatic control

Thru-hull Fittings: All by R.C. MARINE / FORESPAR in ZYTEL plastic to avoid corrosion. Each and every hole has its own fast action ball valve also by same manufacturers

Mainsail Traveler: NICRO FICO 1 ¼” track with roller double cars

Foresails track: NICRO FICO with spring action cars
Steering: All system by EDSON with pedestal, wheel and engine controls plus compass CONSTELLATION by DANFORTH WHITE


ENGINE

• YANMAR model 3jH2E diesel with 38.7 hp 2.14 gear equipped with 2-blade feathering Maxi-Prop propeller
• Cruising speed at 7.5 knots under 3,000 rpm, using about 3 liters/hour
• 2 WEST diesel tanks with 70 liters each, gives autonomy superior to 36 hours or some 290 n. miles
• Fuel system have triple filtering and tanks are above engine level to avoid air bubbles
• Engine cooling fresh-water system with VETUS intake filter
• Engine control panel located at the cockpit coming with Yanmar tachometer, visual and sound alarm for
power charge, oil pressure and water temperature, as well as remote engine shut off cable

Electronic/Navigation:
• AUTOHELM 1000 PILOT
• SEAFARER SEAFIX 2000 RDF
• New AuroraWest Marine VHF radio
• MORIN (France) portable hand compass


Electrical distribution panel by Bristol (see system concept below)

Electrical System
• 12 volt DC with two batteries, 100 + 60 amp/hrs one for engine and another for utilities
• Power for batteries provided by YANMAR-powered hi output 90A alternator, charging the two batteries at the
same time, thru a GUEST diode. Solar panel for keeping both batteries charged
• 2 independent GUEST battery selector switches, 1 for the battery connected to the engine (alternator and
starter) and the other at the distribution panel to select which battery feeds all utilities
• Electrical distribution made by a BRISTOL PB-1100 panel with different circuits, all protected by circuit
breakers with voltage and amperage control indication for both AC and DC current, battery condition and
light indication switches, reverse polarity light alarm
• For the 12 volt DC equipment there are 3 separate polarised plugs (two inside the cabin and another in the cockpit)
• For the electronic equipment there is a separate distribution panel with each instrument protected by fast action fuses

External Lighting
• Triple level Navigation lights in the mast top by GUEST with navigation, anchor and strobe lights
• Portable hand held GUEST powerful light connected to the polarised plugs
• Separate light for the cockpit portable table

Internal Lighting:
• 12 volt DC all by GUEST in both fluorescent and incandescent lights (night vision red lights)

Water System:
• Five separate tanks with total capacity of 300 liters, (3 x 50 liters inflatable VETUS brand and 2 x 75 liters
fixed WEST made) all controlled by R.C. MARINE ball valves
• Fresh water taps in the galley and forward sink fed by WHALE foot pumps
• Fresh water shower in deck fed by manual diaphragm HENDERSON MK-V pumps, for safety reasons this
pump is standardized throughout the boat for the bilge of the main and side hulls
• PAR-ATWOOD marine toilet activated by manual seawater pump

Safety systems
In the building of MACUSHLA 5 all the recommendations of the American Boat and Yacht Council Safety Standards as well as the specifications and recommendations of the Australian Multihull Committee have been followed namely:

Against Overboard Falling
• All the main hull decking is completely surrounded by stout double lifelines and pulpit plus pushpit
• Additionally, there are safety nettings between the 3 hulls limited by the beams
• On each tack there are strong deck eyes and 2 attached stainless steel wire ropes run from the cockpit as
far as the main hull bow, for the use of safety belts (on-board)
• As per safety regulations, there are 8 personal floating devices and a complete Man-Overboard kit (MOB
pole, 2 Horseshoe buoys and 1 GUEST MOB Strobe light)

Against Capsize
Prevention: the best cure against capsizing is prevention
• Therefore, not only is the sail area of low aspect ratio, but also concentrated around a powerful fore triangle with furling foresails and further, all sheets are held by spring action clam cleats NICO RICO and SCHAEFFER, after being taken-in by respective winches

Against Rudder/Steering Wheel failure
• Inside the aft lazarette hatch, you will find an emergency tiller arm that can be quickly connected to the rudder-post by means of a simple bolt/nut set

Against Accidental leakages
• All through-hull fittings are made of high resistant ZYTEL plastic material and are equipped with quick action ball valves also in ZYTEL, a high impact plastic developed by G.E. and absolutely corrosion proof, so there is no possibility of valve freezing so common with bronze ones.
• In the unlikely possibility of any leakage due to hull puncturing there are many parallel and independent pumping systems for all 3 hulls controlled from the main hull. 1 electrical pump automatically activated (RULE) and another manually activated (PAR-ATWOOD) for the main hull bilges. Additionally there are 2
other diaphragm manual pumps, HENDERSON MK-V, controlled from the helmsman station and inside the fore cabin. There is another HENDERSON MK-V in the fore cabin that can empty (through a valve selector R.C. MARINE), both outer hulls, one at a time
• The freshwater shower on deck is fed by means of the very same type of pump in the fore cabin so that it can easily be also used for emergency pumping.

Against LPG leakages
• As the stove burns LPG, all gas tanks are safely located outside the main hull cabin, in a separate watertight compartment, which is also self bailing to the sea (LPG is heavier than air)
• Furthermore, besides the normal gas valve at the tanks, there is also another emergency conical fast-action bronze valve for the LPG, located close to the stove

Against Electrical failures
• All electrical installation is over dimensioned in wire gauge, all circuits are protected with breakers and the installation is built as per US Standards
• Should one battery fail there is always the other to start the engine and thus have energy production on board

Owner’s comments
Professionally built for my own use, in the WEST system, using expert chosen cedar wood w/ 2.5 mm veneers laminated in three layers at 90 degrees, CIBA GEIGY epoxy resin and totally covered outside with 4-ounce BURLINGTON Fiberglass cloth. There are localized KEVLAR and CARBON FIBER reinforcements. All wooden parts have been fully impregnated with at least 4 coats of epoxy, all interior and exterior corners mechanically routed. The cedar used in the construction has been hand-chosen by German experts and has been naturally dried for at least 4 years.

All furniture, partitions, floorings and fixed parts are also used as structure for the boat. External leading edges and corners in general, have been laminated in hardwoods. There is no single piece in the boat with more than 3/4" thickness that has not been laminated, to both increase strength and avoid internal tensions. All exterior and interior finish professionally done with 2-component epoxy primer and 2-component linear polyurethane aliphatic enamel by INTERNATIONAL PAINTS. Anti slip surfaces on deck with microspheres and screened sand inside the paint.

As regards to performance, she is one of the fastest cruising boat in our area and I have successfully campaigned her, constantly showing her triple sterns to many of the monohull fleet. Macushla 5 can make up to90 degrees between tacks, doing up to 8 to 9 knots forward speed under ideal conditions and her full downwind potential has not yet been reached, but so far her maximum attained speed was close to 20 knots, lightly loaded...

In brief, she is a masterpiece and no expense or care has been avoided during her construction. She has been sailing since her launching in August 1985 and kept in absolute mint condition. Every now and then she is completely dismantled and every single item is checked and re-checked. For instance, her last heavy maintenance job was effected on Jan 2007. She has suffered a major check-up, including full dismantling of all equipment, gear, installations, rig, engine, etc in late 2008. After totally emptied, she underwent a full paint job (RENNER PAINTS, PU aliphatic). Each and every piece of gear has been checked and refitted. This has happened several times already and the interior upholstering has now been completely replaced. Today she is better than new.

Lock Crowther project

Transversal and longitudinal cuts