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by John Wayshner
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In the Spring of 1993, I purchased a ten year old Tramp
trimaran. At the time I wouldn't have believed I would keep it for
another ten years. The plan was to teach my wife and son to sail and
gradually move up to a larger boat. Well, the family really didn't take
to sailing and the boat fit my needs well so I just hung on to her. Of
the four sailboats and one powerboat I've owned, I can say that my Tramp
was the only one I had mixed feeling about parting with. Driving away,
after delivering her to the new owner, I turned and gave her another
look just as I did each time I walked away from dock. She wasn't
necessarily an attractive boat, but she was simple, well designed, well
constructed, forgiving, and fun to sail.
The Tramp was Ian Farrier's first design to go into production.
Haines-Hunter, Australia's largest powerboat manufacturer began
producing the Tramp in 1980. In 1981, it was named Australia's boat of
the year. Two models were produced, the Tramp and the Super-Tramp. The
Super-Tramp had larger rig with running back stays, a genoa and a winch.
In the early 80s an American company began manufacturing the Super-Tramp
in the U.S. renamed the Eagle. Later, the Australian company, OSTAC,
also began producing the Tramp. Using updated production methods and
materials OSTAC reduced the Tramp's overall weight by almost a third. If
I were looking for another Tramp, the OSTAC version is one I would try
and find.
The Tramp is 19'6'' in overall length. The length on the water is at
least 2' shorter as the bow is tapered inward much more than the
F-boats. The beam is 14' wide extended and 8' when folded for trailering.
Setup time from trailer to water is about 30 minutes. The mast is light
enough to be raised by one. An extra person is always helpful in the
event a shroud gets caught on something. The base of the mast sits in
the cockpit on a pivot pin. Once raised the mast is locked into place.
Secure the forestay to the bow, slide the boom on the gooseneck, connect
the mainsheet and it's ready for launching.
The center cockpit design is similar to the F27. Four adults can sail
comfortably in the large cockpit. The optional bimini will provide shade
for most of the cockpit. Another option, a vinyl cabin enclosure, can
expand the Tramp for camping. I explored the upper 1/3 of the Bay with
mine, camping from the Little Choptank to Havre De Grace. A large
storage area is located between the cockpit and the self-draining anchor
locker. This area could collect an inch or so of water after a hard day
of beating into the Chesapeake chop. This is where I would store things
I didn't mind getting wet, extra lines, fenders, porti-potti, and extra
sails and gas when cruising. The OSTAC version had a passageway into
this area from the cockpit. Some of the older Tramp/Eagle owner's have
also cut through the bulkhead to convert this area into a cuddy cabin.
An engine well and another storage area are located aft of the cockpit.
On some occasions the inside of the aft storage area was the only dry
spot on the boat. A traveler for the main sail is mounted out of the way
on top of the aft storage area.
Mine was the original Tramp imported from Australia. Boat and trailer
cost $17K in 1983. The previous owner had added a genoa, which is needed
in the predominately light summer winds on the Chesapeake. I added a
square-top main. This is something I should have done many years
earlier. In addition to the light wind performance improvement, the
square-top enabled her to sail and tack under main alone. This wasn't
possible with the pinhead main, without the jib she would quickly stall
and go into irons. The Tramp's draft is 14 inches. This is actually 2''
deeper than the F-24 or F-27 with all boards up. It's superb for
exploring the Bay's rivers and creeks. There were no electronics aboard,
but the centerboard on a bungee cord makes an acceptable depth finder.
In the light winds encountered way up a creek, the centerboard could
even be raised completely. The rudder must be completely down for
sailing, so it must have at least 18 inches of water to sail. The F-24 I
now sail can get me to the same anchorages that I saw in the Tramp, but
not under sail.
Sometimes crossing the bay getting to those creeks could be a little
daunting on a nineteen-foot boat. The sales literature claims she
wouldn't capsize with full sail in 30 knot of winds. I didn't test that,
but with two reefs in the main she would sail with fingertip control in
those conditions on the West River. After 20 knots the waves in the Bay
would make for a very uncomfortable ride. Sailing to the windward in a
3-foot chop the bow could bury under a wave throwing buckets of water
back into the cockpit. The cockpit drains wouldn't keep up. Being cold
and wet on a small boat doesn't get better with age. This is one of the
primary reasons I decided to trade up to a larger boat.
The Tramp isn't a speedster by today's standards. The fastest I ever
registered was 12 knots (by GPS). She would hit nine or ten regularly
and pass most monohulls when the wind was above 10 knots. When she got
going the rear end would seem to dig in a bit and keep her from
accelerating further. I would use the genoa until white caps began
forming. I don't know if it's true for the Super-Tramps/Eagles but I
would lose at least 10 degrees to windward with the genoa. With only cam
cleats, the genoa would become a struggle when the wind started to blow.
With 13 knots of wind little performance was lost with a smaller
headsail change, but a lot of control was gained. I had a spinnaker, but
only used it a few times. The spinnakers guys ran through blocks on the
forward end of each ama. The ama bows were narrow so the spinnaker lines
needed to be rigged at the dock. The additional sail area provided with
the Square-top main made a significant downwind difference. I found she
would surf the waves in about 17 knots of wind. A fun ride downwind, but
wet and bumpy upwind.
A 4-hp can push the Tramp along at 6 knots in flat water. There's no
built-in storage for an external gas tank, so unless your willing to
share the cockpit with gas-can your choices and sizes of engines are
limited to those with internal tanks.
Overall I liked the boat, but it is just a little small for the Bay. I
would like to see Farrier update it with a 22 to 25 foot model. I was
disappointed with his announcement to scrap development of the F-22,
although the F-22 would probably resemble the F-24 more than the Tramp.
I certainly found the simplicity of the Tramp attractive. It reminded me
more of a Catboat than a performance multihull. In fact I was looking at
Catboats when I decided on the Tramp. Every time I found myself on the
same tack as a Catboat I told myself I had made the right decision.
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Bow View |
Bimini Top |
Camper Top |
Cockpit |
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