Trimaran and Tricycle

In the design of high speed marine vehicle, we know that there are ship types such as Catamaran, Trimaran, or Jet Foil. Fast ship needs twin boat and trimaran to stabilize the ship when moving fast on sea surface. Trimaran especially is further improvement or development of traditional outrigger boat used by Pacific islanders when catching fish around the coastal region near their villages.

On land there is also a term called tricycle or triseda. This is a popular vehicle in Indonesia which is used by kiosk or shop owners to deliver goods to their customers. My father just bought a new one. On the picture above, one of our workers was riding it. I see from the design, it looks like a small truck but with only three tires. If at sea a trimaran-hull increases the stability of the boat at high speed, I am doubtful if tricycle or triseda has similar properties in terms of stability. Four wheels will be more stable on the road than three wheels vehicle. From the fuel consumption point of view, the tricycle is lighter and the trimaran has finer body. So they are more efficient during operation.