Design Brief and Intent
Llewellyn designed the Tradewind 28 to serve as a fast coastal cruiser and pocket passagemaker capable of navigating shallow estuaries and open coastal waters alike. At the time of its introduction, the multihull market was highly fragmented, with most sailors building Piver or Jim Brown designs from plans in their backyards. The Tradewind 28 was conceived as a production alternative that offered the low-maintenance benefits of fiberglass while preserving the lightweight, high-performance characteristics of the trimaran platform.
Unlike comparable monohulls of the era, which relied on heavy ballasted keels to stay upright, the Tradewind 28 utilized its 16-foot beam and outrigger hulls (amas) for form stability. This layout allowed for a completely different approach to the interior. While the narrow main hull (vaka) limited maximum cabin width compared to beamy monohulls, the interior layout was surprisingly functional for a boat of its length. Early models featured a cozy cabin with V-berths forward, a compact galley, and a convertible dinette. The joinery was simple and utilitarian, emphasizing weight savings over heavy teak paneling, which aligned perfectly with the boat’s performance-driven design brief.
Innovations in Construction and Configuration
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Tradewind 28 was its construction. In the 1960s, building fiberglass hulls typically required massive, highly expensive female molds that were only economically viable for high-volume builders. To overcome this limitation, Lasco Marine pioneered a unique "folded fiberglass" technique. Flat fiberglass sheets were laminated on large tables and allowed to cure to a flexible, semi-hardened state. These panels were then bent and folded over a framework of plywood bulkheads and longitudinal stringers, similar to the way plywood sheets are used in stitch-and-glue construction. Once the three-dimensional hull shape was formed, the seams were taped with fiberglass, and the entire structure was wrapped in a final exterior laminate. This brilliant hybrid method resulted in an exceptionally fair, lightweight, and robust composite hull without the massive overhead of traditional tooling.
The rig was a simple and robust masthead sloop, chosen to keep the center of effort low and minimize the heeling forces transmitted to the crossbeams (akas). To enable the boat to navigate shallow coastal waters and enter pocket marinas, Llewellyn equipped the Tradewind 28 with a pivoting centerboard. With the board raised, the draft is reduced to less than three feet, allowing the trimaran to be beachable or sailed into thin water. Dropping the board increases the draft to four and a half feet, providing the necessary lateral resistance for efficient windward sailing.
Sailing Performance and Handling
On the water, the Tradewind 28 is a revelation compared to the heavy displacement cruisers of its era. With a displacement of just 4,200 pounds and a generous sail plan, the trimaran has a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 19.67. This high ratio guarantees sparkling performance in light air, allowing the boat to glide effortlessly while contemporary monohulls are forced to turn on their engines. The displacement-to-length ratio of 95.26 places the boat firmly in the ultra-light displacement category, meaning it does not plow through the water but rather skims over it, easily surfing downwind in a breeze.
The motion in a seaway is highly distinct. The boat’s comfort ratio of 5.91 is extremely low, reflecting its light weight and lack of physical ballast. In a choppy sea, the Tradewind 28 exhibits a quick, active motion as it closely tracks the surface of the waves. While this can feel nervous to sailors accustomed to the slow, rolling motion of heavy keelboats, the lack of heeling forces—typically under ten degrees—dramatically reduces crew fatigue. The capsize screening ratio of 3.97 underscores the boat's ultimate stability characteristics. For a trimaran, this number reminds the skipper that initial stability is massive due to the wide beam, but because there is no ballasted keel, safe operation relies on active seamanship. The boat will not self-right if pushed past its limits, meaning that timely reefing and quick mainsheet management are essential when sailing in gusty conditions.
Known Issues and Structural Triage
Because these boats were built during the infancy of fiberglass boatbuilding, they are subject to specific age-related issues that prospective buyers must address. The most critical area of inspection is the aka-to-vaka (crossbeam-to-hull) connections. The torsional stresses generated by the outriggers traveling over waves are immense. Over decades of use, the fiberglass tabbing around the structural bulkheads that support the crossbeams can fatigue, crack, or delaminate. Triage involves grinding away the degraded laminate and applying several layers of new biaxial fiberglass cloth encapsulated in high-quality epoxy resin to restore structural integrity.
Additionally, the flat wing decks that bridge the main hull to the outriggers are typically constructed with a plywood core encapsulated in fiberglass. If deck hardware, such as stanchions, cleats, or chainplates, was not regularly re-bedded, water intrusion will have rotted the underlying plywood. Testing these areas with a phenolic hammer for a dull thud or using a moisture meter is mandatory. Remedying soft decks requires cutting away the top skin, excavating the rotted wood, replacing it with marine-grade plywood or a closed-cell foam core, and re-glassing the area. Finally, the centerboard trunk and pivot pin are common failure points. The original bronze pivot pins wear down over time, which can cause the board to jam or leak. Restoring this system requires dropping the board, replacing the bushings, and reinforcing the fiberglass around the pivot pin housing.
Modernization and Upgrades
The lightweight nature of the Tradewind 28 makes it a perfect candidate for modern upgrades that enhance both safety and performance. Many owners have removed unreliable, heavy vintage inboard gasoline engines or early outboards in favor of modern propulsion systems. Installing a transom bracket for a lightweight four-stroke outboard engine is a popular option. Alternatively, the boat is an ideal platform for electric conversion. Retrofitting the boat with a lightweight electric outboard paired with a modern lithium iron phosphate battery bank housed low in the center of the main hull improves weight distribution and provides silent, reliable auxiliary power.
Another highly effective modernization is upgrading the standing rigging. Replacing the heavy stainless steel wire and chrome-plated bronze turnbuckles with modern synthetic standing rigging, such as Dyneema Dux, saves significant weight aloft. This reduction in mast weight directly improves the boat's motion in a seaway and increases its ultimate stability. Upgrading the deck layout with modern roller-furling headsails and a mainsail stack pack with lazy jacks also transforms the boat into an easily managed, short-handed pocket cruiser.
The Verdict
The Tradewind 28 remains a fascinating and highly capable relic of the golden age of multihull pioneering. While it lacks the interior volume and standard folding mechanisms of modern trimarans, it offers an incredibly pure, fast, and level sailing experience at an accessible price point. For the multihull enthusiast who appreciates classic maritime history and is willing to invest the time in structural triage, this George Llewellyn masterpiece represents an affordable entry into high-performance, thin-water cruising.
Pros:
- Outstanding light-air performance and high-speed downwind surfing capability
- Shallow-draft versatility with a pivoting centerboard, allowing beaching and thin-water exploration
- Highly stable, level sailing platform with minimal heel, reducing crew fatigue
- Innovative and durable fiberglass construction that is easier to maintain than contemporary wood designs
Cons:
- Limited interior volume and headroom compared to contemporary monohulls of similar length
- Extremely active motion in a seaway, which can feel jarring to those used to heavy keelboats
- Demands active seamanship and conservative reefing, as the unballasted design will not self-right if capsized
- Structural aka-to-hull joints and cored wing decks require rigorous inspection and potential heavy refitting
