The Marinervideo
Getting Underway - Portland to Boston
December 7, 2025 · 24 min · 6K views · Portland
Hand points to trimaran at dock, calm overcast water
What this video covers
A 38-foot trimaran, Spirit of England — a 1997 multihull where Brian Thompson developed his racing skills — makes a single-handed coastal delivery from Portland to Boston, roughly 100 miles, running downwind in 10–12 knots from the northeast with jib only and no mainsail.7:55 The autopilot is broken and missing from the boat entirely, requiring hand-steering the full passage.4:32 Chris explains the deliberate decision to skip the mainsail: the boat has sat in a boatyard for two years with incomplete refit work, the standing rigging is undertensioned, and the mast comes back out immediately on arrival in Boston.0:04 Under jib alone the trimaran reaches 8.5–9.3 knots, with 10 knots possible when surfing swells; Chris estimates the outboard can sustain 6 knots with at least 10 hours of fuel as backup.11:50 Fog is present but the boat carries radar.4:27 Chris discusses replacing the trampoline net — weighing professional hire against 40–50 hours of DIY work — and explains trimaran rig geometry, including wide deck spreaders, low cap-shroud loads, and the D0 shroud as an upwind constraint.21:57 A brief informal race develops with a larger monohull also sailing jib-only; the trimaran closes the gap quickly due to its 5,000-pound displacement.13:34 Loose leeward rigging on a lightly loaded downwind run is normal and not a structural concern.23:40
More from The Mariner
From The Mariner — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.