The floats (amas) are key structural components of the trimaran, providing buoyancy, stability, and load transfer into the folding system and crossbeams. This build log documents the construction of the port and starboard floats for Fram, an Ian Farrier F-39 trimaran, with an emphasis on composite boatbuilding techniques and controlled vacuum infusion.

Floats – Build Log

The preparations for this boatbuilding adventure were both enjoyable and inspiring. Designer Ian Farrier put me in touch with a fellow builder here in the Netherlands, who was in the process of building an F-36 trimaran, named Noreen, just an hour’s drive from my hometown. The builder kindly invited me to assist him and his wife during the lamination of the fiberglass layers on the exterior of the F-36 main hull, giving me the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience.