tiki catamaran 21

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

a better tiki 21

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by guzzis3 , May 7, 2019 .

guzzis3 Senior Member

I was wondering if anyone had had a go at designing a better tiki 21 style boat. I know about the RW acorn 21. Really nice boat. Look cheap and easy to build and from the youtube vids looks like a great performer. But I was wondering if anyone had had a go at a more Polynesian style small cabined cat ? Something with a bit of style.. From what I can see of the T21: The plans are really expensive. For what should be a simple cheap boat it looks harder than it should be. More freeboard would be nice. You aren't going to get standing headroom but 4'6" full sitting would be nice. Some asymmetry for and aft might help the hobbyhorsing, even on a V hull. The looks could be improved. Any thoughts ?  

Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

You've probably seen it, Wharram now also has the Mana 24 , but only available as kits, no plans, and shipping kits around the world adds to the costs, plus you can't customise much to your ideas and preferences.  

For more elbow room in a small Tiki, place the hull sides panel edge stringers on the outside of the hull side bottom panels, and the hull side top panels on the outside of the stringers. Below applied on a Tiki 26, which also has raised cabin tops. Dutch links : Tiki 26 - Castor & Pollux — Building — Preparation — Videos ( click the pics ) Below 3 pics from the preparation link : ↓ original ​ ↓ adapted ​ ↓ bulkhead, the red dash line is original, yellow is adapted .  

No I was thinking another designer might have had a go and done some serious improvements. T21 plans are 505 POUNDS! plus vat where applicable. Acorn plans are 175 pounds after Mr Woods recent price rise. The wharrams make very little information on their boats available for free and charge you like a wounded bull for everything. Tiki 21 design is 38 years old now. I would have thought someone somewhere might have taken the general idea and improved on it. The boat needs about another 6" of freeboard at least imo... Anyway thank you for the links. The mana looks like it's had some improvements over the Tiki21, but you really have to wonder at ketch rig on a 23' catamaran. And the prices! 8k pounds!! Anyway I was just musing.  

The hull length of the Mana 24 and her ketch rig is inspired on James' first Atlantic crossing in 1955 - 1956 in James' first built, a 23' 6" Wharram Tangaroa, which was a flat bottomed double canoe ... . . . . MANA’s 23’6” hull length has a special significance for James Wharram. In 1956 he made the first successful catamaran voyage across the Atlantic in his first catamaran, the ‘Tangaroa’, also 23’6” long. . . . . . . . . MANA uses the well proven Wharram Wingsail rig in a new Catrig configuration. The Wingsail rig is a modern version of a high aspect Dutch style gaff rig, sleeved round the mast for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. In this new Catrig configuration the mainsail gives the drive with a very clean leading edge. The small mizzen aids with balance, steering and tacking. Having no jib, there is no need for a very tight forestay. The standing rigging uses the latest dyneema rope, which is light and easily set up. The mizzenmast can be used as sheer pole for single-handed assembly. . . . . Click to expand...

guzzis3 said: ↑ No I was thinking another designer might have had a go and done some serious improvements. Click to expand...

BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

Recently, I've had opportunity to sail on a Malcolm Tenant Streaker 23. With an over height mast of 38' it went great, it has a ton of freeboard. It's an old design but what a great little cat!  

There's one for sale in the Netherlands ... P . S . - a later ad has a lower asking price and shows 8 pics .... — Malcolm Tennant Streaker 23 — DIY built in 1994 — L 7.2 m × B 4,0 ( 2,5 ) m × D 1,2 ( 0,3 ) m —  

rwatson Senior Member

Derek Kelsalls Plywood Cats were always a lot better than Wharram, but a similar price. Catamarans - Kelsall Catamarans - KSS 27 http://www.kelsall.com/Designs/KSS27.htm Many of his designs are now gone full Foam and Glass. They are all amatuer buildable, and a lot more comfortable than Wharram while being just as easy to construct. .  

Thank you for the replies. I am aware of those other designs but they aren't what I am talking about. Boats like the coral sea 25 Ray Kendricks fish and chips and Richard Woods wizzer, eagle etc are VASTLY bigger boats. They weigh at least twice as much as a tiki 21. But the other issue is they are some of the others mentioned are conventional "modern" catamarans. Some have plumb bows, they all have flat transoms. Even the waller isn't a true V hull. I was thinking specifically about the tiki 21 and to a lesser extent the Tiki and Pahi 26. The boats are all straight stitch and glue. The 26's have extra panels to raise the freeboard, but they are all REALLY basic boats. V hulls, no boards. The tiki 21 should be a quick cheap boat to build but at just 18'6" on the water and 360 kg it's far too fussy. Acorn is the practical boat in that size. It's a beautiful design, weighs nothing, cheap plans, 1 single in each hull with adequate freeboard and headroom. It's a tiny boat but so is the tiki. What acorn lacks is the rakish looks. And with the tiki 21 being such a successful design I am quite surprised no one has had a hard look at it and devised a quicker cheaper way of making one and selling plans for same at half Wharram's price. Given the total build cost of a Tiki 21 paying 500 pounds for plans before you get started is ridiculous. And surely that cabin can be improved. As for the mana, just because JW did something 50 years ago doesn't make it a good idea then let alone now. 2 masts on a 23' boat is mad. And as I recall that origional tangaroa fell apart and they stopped and built rongo to continue sailing. I have no problem with a foam build but Derek Kelsall's plans are very expensive and his boats have modern lines. Personally I do not find all of them attractive but some are. Designing a flat panel canoe stern cat in stitch and glue or taping together some foam glass flat panels should in theory make a quick build and inherently include those "piratical lines" for a bit of fun. Build in enough freeboard, enough cabin, rake the cabin 5 degrees inboard so you can put your back against it comfortably, rather than dead vertical. Lay out the panels carefully so you can nest it with minimal waste. Make the bridgedeck maximum 8' wide to give it a tad more beam and use as much of a full ply sheet as possible. Eliminate parts and fiddly details. Push maximum beam aft a tad to combat hobbyhorsing. Mind I have not seen tiki 21 plans. I had a set of tiki 30 plans and was properly appalled at the wasted material and labour. I also had taneui foam plans and again the method was crude, but those were drawn a long time ago. Maybe the t21 is better but from what I've seen I think there is a lot of room for improvement. Anyway...  

Rumars Senior Member

I don't think you can find a better 21 cat that also looks like a tiki. The tiki's looks come from the deep V, symetrical, S&G build. That's about the maximum boat you can achieve with that technique. Moving beam aft and increasing freeboard will prove difficult if not impossible. Most designers don't bother with that form anymore. It's simpler to add a chine or two and enjoy the resulting design freedom. For the builder an extra chine is just an extra cut and fillet, and the panels become more easy to handle. I think if you want a "better" tiki 21 you need a custom design. Either as a deep V or as a multichine boat with the desired look.  

guzzis3 said: ↑ I was thinking specifically about the tiki 21 and to a lesser extent the Tiki and Pahi 26. The boats are all straight stitch and glue. The 26's have extra panels to raise the freeboard, but they are all REALLY basic boats. V hulls, no boards. Click to expand...

guzzis3 said: ↑ As for the mana, just because JW did something 50 years ago doesn't make it a good idea then let alone now. 2 masts on a 23' boat is mad. And as I recall that origional tangaroa fell apart and they stopped and built rongo to continue sailing. Click to expand...

redreuben redreuben

I've also looked at the idea of updating the Tiki but really it's a bit like competing with Guinness, they both totally own their segment. Working with the original plans I would go with squaring the transom and deepening the forefoot first. And then maybe more beam, more freeboard, a slightly taller rig, daggerboards, bigger fixed mast beam like Woods to define and protect the cockpit. So then its not really a Tiki anymore. Richard Woods Surfsong and Windsong are the obvious step up in this direction. When you look at this boat by Selway Fisher the Cat 254 you can see the potential for creating more curve in the sides by torturing the ply a bit, lol, or a lot ! Large Catamarans http://www.selway-fisher.com/YachtCats.htm One boat that caught my eye with an equally "salty" traditional look is the Evergreen, at 19ft it wouldn't take much to stretch it to 21. I'd lose the biplane rig though and the Tiki's Wingsail would probably suit it well. Unfortunately like most of Michael Schact's design work it never made it past vapourware. I contacted Laurie McGowan several years ago and it isn't going to be drawn up. https://proafile.com/multihull-boats/article/evergreen-a-fast-expedition-catamaran . Woods uses this hull shape on Meander, Rhea and Ondina which are much bigger boats. Just a comment on Kelsall, he had a great portfolio of designs (especially the Tonga 24 ?) but when he went to his KSS infusion builds most of them fell by the wayside and they are beyond expensive the pricing could only be described as ridiculous given that you can buy a Kendrick design for A$150 or even $100 with the monthly special. Jones boats are also worth a look although not sure of the availability since his passing. He started with Wharram type hulls and his boats did some serious offshore miles. Jones Boats Homepage http://jonesboatstuckahoe.com His books are a great read. My 2c worth.  

• Advertisement:

Lets really get into the barebones spirit of small multihulls. "The fabulous and unique first Atlantic crossing , 3000 nautical miles WITH NO NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS on a 600 pds wooden outrigger ! a lot better than hokulea, No compass, no watch, no GPS or Sextant, no log, no radio, no receiver, no chart and not one book..."  

Shape of a chainplate that might spread load better?

Tacking Proa (for lack of a better term)

What’s formula for estimating catamaran speed? Speed from length better than from design?

How Junk Rigs Work, and why they are BETTER than RM

Phaedo team to attempt to better Transpac WSSRC record on Phaedo 3

Francois gabart to attempt to better solo trans atlantic, francis joyon to attempt to better crewed jules verne record onboard the former g3, mod70 oman sail attempting to better round ireland record.

Better boat

Tiki 26 Plans

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Article Tag: tiki 21

J ames Wharram’s Polynesian catamaran designs have inspired countless backyard boatbuilders with dreams of ocean voyaging to exotic tropical destinations. Starting with the simple 23’ TANGAROA, aboard which he completed the first catamaran crossing of the Atlantic in 1955–56, the cruising-sized vessels in his range of plans have an impressive safety record due to their conservative design parameters. Seaworthiness is the number-one priority in his designs.

While ocean-voyaging catamarans have been the main focus of Wharram’s design work, his plans catalog includes a few smaller boats suitable beach cruising. The Tiki 21  that was recently profiled here in Small Boats Monthly crosses the line between the two pursuits but is still a bigger boat than many people want to build or trailer. The Hitia 17 and the Hitia 14 are based on the same hull shape and design concepts as the Tiki 21 and her larger sisters, but the Hitias are open boats. They are lighter, simpler, and less expensive to build, while retaining the sailing characteristics and performance of the cruisers. While the smaller Hitia 14 is strictly a daysailer, the Hitia 17, with its dry-storage holds and kayak-style cockpits, features real camp-cruising capability for sailors who don’t mind roughing it a bit.

Taken apart for transport, the pieces of the Hitia 17 are light enough to be carried to the beach.

In 1997, I chose the Hitia 17 as my first sailboat build. After many years of sea kayaking and building various kayaks and canoes, I wanted to sail to the same kinds of places I could paddle craft, but I wanted to carry more stuff, and make occasional open-water crossings at faster speeds. The Hitia 17 fit the bill, and the double-canoe design appealed to my prior experiences with seaworthy small boats. It draws only 12″, is easily beachable, and could accommodate a companion or two. It offers the possibility of camping aboard if necessary—a real plus in places like Florida’s mangrove swamps where there are no campsites.

Like all Wharram catamarans, the Hitia 17 is designed for plywood construction, and the assembly method is straightforward stitch-and-glue with epoxy-fillets, taped joints, and fiberglass sheathing. The project calls for eight sheets of 1/4″ plywood and one sheet of 5/8″, as well as some straight-grained fir or spruce lumber for stringers, crossbeam parts, and mast laminates.

The two hulls and three crossbeams are assembled with lashings instead of hardware. With experience, the assembly time can be cut down to under an hour.

Building the Hitia 17 doesn’t require an large shop, because each hull is only 2′ wide and weighs about 90 lbs. They can be built one at a time under a minimal shelter, on one side of a garage, or, as some builders have done, even inside an apartment or house, as the hulls are slim enough to fit through standard doors, and everything can be moved outdoors and assembled in the back yard. The design book states that the build will take about 250 hours, but most builders take a bit longer if they’re shy on experience and tools or if they simply want better-than-average craftsmanship and finish. I built my Hitia 17 over the course of about seven months of spare-time work, and the result was everything I’d hoped for.

As with the larger Wharram cats, the components and rig of the Hitia 17 are designed to eliminate the need to purchase a lot of expensive marine hardware. The hulls are connected to the three crossbeams with low-stretch rope lashings, and the rudders are laced to the sterns with rope hinges that are both elegant and effective. The tillers lock onto the rudderposts with no metal hardware, and the mast is secured into its step with a wooden key built onto middle crossbeam Even chainplates and mast tangs are unnecessary, as the shrouds and stays are tensioned with lanyards anchored to flat wooden cleats at the sheer at one end and looped over hounds at the masthead on the other.

This Hitia 17 carries Wharram’s gaff wingsail main, with a luff sleeve for better airflow around the mast.

When I built my Hitia 17, the sail plan differed from that of the Tiki designs in that it had a sprit rather than the short gaff rig of the standard Wharram wingsail. The sprit has the advantage of simplicity—one less halyard to bother with—and the sail can be brailed around the mast with the sprit in place, but in strong winds, the sprit has to be taken down. It tends to get in the way because it is as long as the boat. Now the Hitia 17 plans include the option for the gaff wingsail, and having sailed the larger Tikis with that rig, I would recommend it as it is easier to reef and offers more adjustment to the shape of the main.

There is no mention of an auxiliary outboard in the building plans, and it’s certainly not necessary, as the boat can be paddled, but I added a motor mount on the aft beam and fitted a 3-hp Evinrude that often came in handy during extended periods of calm on the Gulf of Mexico. The cost of building my own Hitia 17, including the sails, outboard, and a new trailer I modified for it, came in at just under $6,000, which seemed very reasonable for such a capable catamaran.

Unlike the larger Tiki 21 and Tiki 26, the Hitia 17 doesn’t require an elaborate folding trailer, but unlike many beach cats of similar length, it is too beamy at 10’11” to transport fully assembled. Wharram was uncompromising in keeping to the overall beam-to-length ratio of his proven ocean voyagers, and wouldn’t reduce the beam to 8’6”, the maximum width allowed for trailering. But since the hulls are light enough for two people to easily carry or one person to maneuver around with a two-wheeled cart, almost any trailer can carry separated hulls to the water. They could even be cartopped, although with the beams and mast to carry as well, it would require a large and quite substantial rack capable of handling a 300-lb load.

I went to a little more trouble than necessary when fitting out my trailer, because I wanted to be able to assemble and launch the boat fully loaded boat by myself in one go. To accomplish this, I made two removable beams fitted with cradles to hold the hulls at sailing width. Upon arrival at the boat ramp, I secure these in place and then lift the hulls, one end at a time, into the cradles and then lash on the crossbeams and step the mast. With practice, I got my launching time down to just over half an hour.

The mast rests on a crossbeam and is supported by a single shroud to each side.

T he Hitia 17 is a forgiving catamaran to sail compared to most beach cats of similar length. With its generous beam and just 160 sq ft of sail area, it is a stable platform that can handle a wide variety of conditions. That’s not to say that it won’t capsize with carelessness, but it is far less likely to than the typical, more racing-oriented catamarans in that size range. Even with its conservative sail plan and relatively low rig, the Hitia 17 is still quite capable of exciting performance in the right conditions. I often clock over 10 knots, even with the hulls weighed down with camping gear. Tacking and jibing are reliable and effortless, and windward ability is certainly acceptable for a multihull designed for cruising rather than racing.

The absence of daggerboards, centerboards, or leeboards somewhat limits the Hitia’s pointing ability, but is a great asset for exploring thin water that most sailboats can’t reach. Drawing only 12”, the deep-V hulls can be sailed right up onto the beach, then easily pushed back off again. On sandy beaches I could even sail in through a moderate surf break and land, just as I did in my kayaks. The rudders and the integral skegs are no deeper than the keels, making it safe to let the boat dry out at low tide. Owners who plan to beach the boat on a regular basis can easily add Kevlar strips or other reinforcements along the keels.

The area between the aft and middle crossbeam is large enough to accommodate a backpacking tent for overnights at anchor. On a trip to St. Vincent Island in Appalachicola Bay, the author camped on the deck and use the front trampoline for a porch, a galley, and storage.

I did several multi-day camp-cruising trips with the Hitia 17 to various barrier islands off the coasts of Florida and Mississippi. The little catamaran performed well whether I was sailing solo or with a companion. I frequently anchored out and pitched a small backpacking tent on the trampoline between the hulls, an arrangement that worked well in calm conditions. There is, however, little room to move about with the tent taking up most of the deck space, so I sometimes found it easier to camp ashore, especially when I had a companion with me.

The flaring deep-V hulls give all Wharram catamarans excellent load-carrying capability for their size, and the Hitia 17 is no exception. Each hull has watertight bulkheads that segment the hull into four dry-storage compartments. Forward of the mast crossbeam, each hull has a large hold accessed through waterproof deck hatches. The plans suggest to either make wooden hatches and coamings or to purchase rubber kayak hatches. I bought a pair of large oval VCP kayak hatches for my own boat, as the foredecks can take a lot of water and spray in rough conditions. In the ’midships section between the beams, each hull has a compartment, accessible through two large hatches, to sit in kayak-style, or to use as foot wells when seated on deck. Spaces beneath these compartments offer extra dry storage for smaller items that will fit through 6” deck plates. Even when loaded with equipment and supplies for a crew of two for several days, there is room to stow lightweight, compact gear securely belowdecks.

Scott B. Williams began his small-boat adventures exploring the creeks and barrier islands by canoe and kayak in his home state of Mississippi. His fascination with the potential of these simple boats led him to longer solo journeys in the Caribbean and down the Mississippi River, which he first wrote about in the pages of Sea Kayaker magazine in the early 1990s. Combining a passion for woodworking with his interest in boats led him into wooden boatbuilding and yacht carpentry while he continued writing about his adventures. He has since written 22 books (and counting), many of them survival and adventure novels which draw on his paddling, boatbuilding, and sailing experiences. Scott can be contacted through his website .

Hitia 17 Particulars

Beam overall/10′11″

Weight total/295 lbs

Weight of single hull/90 lbs

Capacity/550 lbs

Rig/sprit or gaff wing-sail sloop

Sail area/160 sq ft

Plans for the Hitia 17 are available from James Wharram Designs for £306 (about $407USD).

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

J ames Wharram is a multihull pioneer who has been sailing and designing exceptionally seaworthy catamarans since the 1950s. For his first voyage, he built, TANGAROA, a 23’ catamaran and sailed her from the U.K. to the Caribbean with Jutta Schulze-Rhonhof and Ruth Merseburger, both from Germany. While in the Caribbean he became a father, and the boat mothered a growing colony of teredo worms. With a strong desire to sail home, Wharram built a 40-footer and did the first North Atlantic crossing by catamaran. His designs are based on firsthand experience, regularly updated and improved, and have a safety record that is hard to beat.

I built his Tiki 21, which is designed as an easily built, trailerable coastal cruiser for adventurous folks who don’t mind bearing a small amount of discomfort to be rewarded with a boat which is in harmony with the sea. The plans are highly detailed and provide illustrations for almost every step of the process. The plans include a materials list, down to the last fitting, and an epoxy technique manual depicting everything from laminating to fairing. The plans call for 18 sheets of 1/4″ marine plywood and one sheet of 3/4″. My Tiki 21, BETO, took around 10 or 12 gallons of epoxy and a good helping of mahogany and Douglas-fir.

While the Tiki’s main is designed to be sailed with a loose foot, the author finds an easily mounted, aluminum sprit boom provides improved performance in light air.

The hulls are built using the stitch-and-glue method, making it a fairly quick build, even for the first-time builder, though practicing with some scraps of plywood and epoxy is recommended for beginners.

Construction starts with forming the hull panels and stitching them together, then moves on to installing bulkheads and bunks and fitting the decks and cabintops. After the hulls are complete, just three beams, two tillers and rudders, and a wooden mast remain as the last major projects. For BETO, I chose an aluminum mast—a 22′ length of 4″ aluminum tubing with a 1/8″ wall thickness, as recommended in the plans. I chose aluminum over wood in hopes of a lighter mast that would require less maintenance and be easier to raise when rigging.

The Tiki 21’s most controversial feature is, perhaps, the use of lashings, rather than conventional marine hardware, to hold the amas and akas (hulls and cross beams) together. Wharram believes that the lashings allow for shock absorption and decrease shock loads at the joints. Each wrap of the five loops has a 2,800-lb breaking strength. The lashings are frapped so tightly that small movements between structural members are unnoticeable. The lashing system is proven by both Wharram cats and the well-traveled Polynesian voyaging canoes of the Pacific.

The Tiki 21 plans include a motor mount set within the perimeter of the deck. The pod added to this boat frees up deck space and includes a place for the gas tank. The cross beams, or akas, are stitch-and-glue I-beams.

The Tiki 21 was designed to be assembled on a beach at low tide and to float away when the sea returns. It has a 14″ draft, and each hull weighs in right under 200 lbs when completed. For our negligible tidal range and for freshwater sailing, I chose to build a trailer with telescoping sides that allow the hulls to be expanded outward for boat assembly before being backed down the ramp. We currently sail BETO on a small lake, so it rests on the trailer between outings.

When we want a taste of salt water, we unlash the beams and slide the hulls together for a package that is a little wider than my small Toyota truck. I can assemble the boat by myself in two hours and disassemble it in an hour. This is pretty fast to be on the water, and a helper could easily bring this time down as the lashings and frappings are the most time-consuming tasks. Some Tiki sailors have had good luck with ratchet straps and nylon webbing when trailering to daysail. I wouldn’t recommend ratchets in lieu of lashings for venturing offshore, however.

The Tiki 21 was designed with cruising accommodations for two, but there is room for more on deck. The catamaran has a carrying capacity of a half ton.

So how does the Tiki 21 sail? I’m a former racing catamaran sailor whose friends all sail go-fast boats, and I think it sails like a dream! The rig is a Wharram “Wing” sail that keeps the center of gravity low and the power high. The sail is modeled after a high-aspect Dutch gaff rig, using a short gaff at the peak and an elongated luff pocket that envelops the mast and minimizes turbulent airflow. This unique arrangement offers performance similar to modern rotating masts and square-top mainsails without all of the moving parts.

The mainsail is sewn with a luff sleeve for a smother flow of air around the mast. The jib and main halyards run along the mast inside the sleeve. This Tiki 21 was built by Rick Hueschen of North Carolina.

Unlike older Wharram designs, the Tiki 21 has a power-to-weight ratio that can get one in trouble if the wind pipes up. In light air, however, it is slightly undercanvased, and a drifter works wonders. The deep-V hulls have hardly any noticeable leeway if sails are trimmed correctly, and can tack in light and heavy air even sailing just the main.

The rudders are lashed to the sternposts and skegs and do not extend below beneath them, so the Tiki can’t turn on a dime in tight quarters. However, when sailing, it tracks like it is on rails. I sail upwind all the time in up to 20 knots with just a bungee crossed over the tiller. The Tiki is superbly well balanced and will sail along happily with proper trim. To windward we have seen 7 knots with the wind at 50 degrees true, falling down to around 5 knots at 40 degrees true. Off the wind, BETO has clocked 15 knots while power-reaching with no noticeable lifting of the windward hull (check my video ). For normal cruising, we reef the main and jib in 15 knots to keep dry on deck and fully in control while still making 8 to 10 knots on a reach. For sails, we carry a main with three reefs, a jib with one reef, a nylon drifter, an asymmetric spinnaker, and a storm jib. I have an outboard, but I learned to sail on a 22’ engineless racing sloop, so I have plenty of patience when the wind dies, preferring not to deal with a nasty outboard and volatile gasoline. Using a stand-up paddle, I can move the Tiki all day at 3 knots in flat water, and with a second paddler it’s even faster.

While each hull provides room for a narrow berth, the deck provides more spacious accommodations when equipped with a canopy or a free-standing tent.

For coastal cruising on a small catamaran, one can really not find a better-suited vessel than the Tiki 21. The accommodations inside each hull provide a 12′-long bunk that is 2′ wide; the hulls span 3-1/2′ at the sheer. Our sleeping accommodations are often a two-person tent set on deck, or my girlfriend and I can get cuddly and sleep in one hull if needed. All of the bunks are above the waterline, and under them are the bilges, which provide loads of storage. The load capacity is listed as 1,000 lbs. The bows and sterns all have watertight flotation chambers. The anchor locker doubles as another flotation chamber. The Tiki 21 has six bulkheads in each small hull, making it a strong little boat. Resting between the akas is a plywood deck measuring 6′ x 7′ that never moves far from level when under sail. For my own preference I built a slatted cedar deck instead of a solid plywood one, and it has since been approved by the Wharram Design team.

Rory McDougall sailed his modified Tiki 21, COOKING FAT, around the world in the early 1990s, and until just recently he held the record for sailing the smallest catamaran in a circumnavigation. He experienced gales pushing waves up to 30′, and his boat suffered little damage. In 2010, McDougall sailed in the Jester Challenge, a single-handed transatlantic race for boats between 20′ and 30′, and came in second after 34 days under way, just a few hours after a larger monohull. When in storms, McDougall goes on his sea anchor and reports that the Tiki rides very happily and calmly. In his first gale on sea anchor, he even felt so relaxed that he tied a jibsheet around himself and jumped overboard to swim the swells!

Brad Ingram lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and enjoys sailing, running ultramarathons, and climbing. He spent eight years in 20th Special Forces Group on a small Intelligence team, and he’s now going to nursing school as a civilian. He plans to travel while working as a nurse, making it easy to spend a significant amount of the year traveling in the mountains or at sea. Among all of his recreational pursuits, sailing occupies the lion’s share of his enthusiasm and interest. He mostly enjoys small boat cruises and small, raid-type multihulls. He has a passion for simple, traditional vessels and enjoys sailing sport boats as well. 

Tiki 21 Particulars

Waterline length/18′6″

Weight/790 lbs

Load Capacity/1000 lbs

sail area/208 sq ft

Study plans (£19.00) and full sets of plans (£505.00) are available from James Wharram Designs .

Subscribe For Full Access

Flipbooks are available to paid subscribers only. Subscribe now or log in for access.

• ABOUT THIS SITE
• NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Monday, January 14, 2008

The wharram tiki 21 catamaran.

No comments:

Post a comment.

Popular Posts

All Posts by Topic

• wharram catamarans (35)
• boatbuilding (28)
• boat design (20)
• sailing (15)
• voyages (14)
• boat designers (13)
• boat for sale (11)
• kayaking (11)
• boating gear (7)
• book review (7)
• canoeing (6)
• seamanship (6)
• boat buying (5)
• cruising (5)
• launchings (5)
• online resources (5)
• boat camping (4)
• boat refit (4)
• boatbuilding materials (4)
• magazines (4)
• monohulls (4)
• my books (4)
• rivers and swamps (4)
• sailboats (4)
• survival (4)
• Gulf of Mexico (3)
• James Wharram (3)
• boat shows (3)
• sailing fiction (3)
• sharpies (3)
• Cape Dory 27 (2)
• Caribbean (2)
• Carl Alberg (2)
• Kruger Canoes (2)
• Kruger Sea Wind (2)
• Reuel Parker (2)
• boat maintenance (2)
• boat review (2)
• gear review (2)
• marine carpentry (2)
• multihulls (2)
• navigation (2)
• oil spill (2)
• other stuff (2)
• paddling (2)
• projects (2)
• Sailing the Apocalypse (1)
• beachcruising (1)
• book giveaway (1)
• circumnavigation (1)
• cruising destinations (1)
• environment (1)
• expeditions (1)
• great deals (1)
• living aboard (1)
• rowing craft (1)
• the sea (1)

Archive of All Posts by Month

• January (1)
• September (1)
• December (1)
• November (1)
• September (2)
• January (2)
• February (1)
• October (1)
• October (3)
• January (3)
• December (5)
• December (2)
• November (2)
• February (5)
• January (18)

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Wharram designs; tiki 21.

"The Tiki 21 was designed in 1981 as an easy to build Coastal Trek catamaran, using the [then] new epoxy/glass stitch & glue techniques. In 1982 the new and then quite radical Tiki 21 was given first prize by Cruising World magazine (USA) in their design competition for a ‘Trailable Gunkholer’. Since then, 925 Tiki 21 Plans have been sold (as of June 2010)." "In 1991-97 Rory McDougall sailed his self-built Tiki 21 Cooking Fat around the world, sometimes alone, sometimes with a companion. She was the smallest catamaran to have circumnavigated. In 2010 Rory entered Cooking Fat in the Jester Challenge (single handed 'race' across the Atlantic for small boats - under 30ft) and came into Newport, Rhode Island a close second after 34 days." "The Tiki 21 has stayed popular as a simple, easy to trailer Coastal Trekker all over the world."

12 comments:

You will have some fun with that! One of our sons has been slaving away for a couple of years in a shed up north building a Wharram. He loves them, and has done since he was a teen.

Which son is that Rob? And what size cat is he building? Does he post on-line about it? Now you have me curious. A friend of mine, Louie Brochetti, built constant camber hulls for Jim Brown back in the day. In recent years, since we've become gunkholing buddies, I've asked him about the possibilities for multihulls as Inside Passage cruisers. He has vehemently insisted they are not for close quarters, only open ocean sailing. But in the last two years, the Race to Alaska (R2AK) has proven my theory... multihulls can work well around here. Reports of windward performance in heavy seas are very discouraging, but in the summer months, we more typically see very light winds and avoid rough conditions when we can.

Congratulations! I've watched several small Tikis from the Salish Sea show up on craigslist and then disappear again. They're one foot too long for my boat club, otherwise I might very well own one myself.

Good to hear from you, Curtis. How's that proa coming along? I thought I'd make it to Montague this month, but it looks like a bust for me at this point. Is the club rating for waterline or LOA? As a designer and builder, these questions plague me. I can see how either issue can be circumvented, unless the rules say a Tiki 21 can never be a Tiki 20. As a reputable restorer, I can see the quandary - a person shopping for a Tiki 21 might be put off by a Tiki 20 with a truncated stem and stern. At any rate, the difference of a foot would be a marginal difference in performance, especially when dealing with two hulls. If it's a matter of LOA, the waterline could be retained and only aesthetics might suffer.

Michael, great boat I've been interested in small multihulls for years but never got around to owning one (yet). It all started with this account back in the 1980's of a trip from UK to Russia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8mwQFaNsM8 These days I think a small cat or tri would make an excellent dayboat for getting around the Solent and Chichester harbour Look forward to hearing how you get on. Max

Max, it's interesting how closely our thoughts wander. Yes, I said wander, because, at least in my case ideas and dreams seem to come alive of their own volition. I did imagine that I might build a cat of similar size and often looked at Richard's designs because for a given size, he offers the most room. This Wharram is a minimalist vessel and I hope to never try and sleep in one of those coffins - I'll wrap myself in a tarp first. Since this boat showed up unexpectedly and was purchased impetuously, I had not planned to launch it this year. But already it calls to me.

Did you read about the NZ man in January who sailed his Tiki 21 from Oz to NZ with his 6 year old daughter? It got a lot of media attention as there was a custody dispute over the daughter. Cheers Drew

These little cats seem very versatile. People have done amazing things with them. That's why I'm so intrigued.

Wow, did your mom say you could keep it? Looks exciting. What is the cabin space like in size and layout?

Basically two coffins attached by three sticks. We'll see if that can be improved. I can't wrap my head around the possibility of sleeping in one of those hulls.

Aloha Doryman, I can see why you like the design: two skinny dories lashed together. I like the design too. There was a Tiki 21 in our anchorage at Mala Wharf. Named "Son Tiki,"" the couple who owned it sailed it a lot, usually with one or more guests. They would sail it on and off the mooring just fine. Anyway, good find. Have fun with it. Brandon

You got that right, mate. Ancient designs had a lot in common. This is a game balancer. Now I can keep up with my friends with much bigger boats.

Post a Comment

Comparison of two Wharram catamarans

Comparison of two Wharram catamarans – What is the difference between this two catamarans Tiki 21 and Tiki 26. Tiki 21 is the smallest catamaran that was sail around the world, and our Ariki? We try to answer that for you in this video.

In the canal, where Ariki’s home port is, we met a lot of interesting people. There was a colorful group of lovers of the sea and boats. The second year of Ariki’s “stay” in the canal, only 100 m away, another catamaran appeared from the same architect who made the plan for our Ariki.

The truth is that the 6.4 m long Tiki 21 catamaran was first built, and a few years later the architect designed a proportionally enlarged version, which he named the Tiki 26.

Many such catamarans sail around the world. There are only two in my homeland. And purely by chance, the other appeared so close.

It took a few more months for us to meet the owner of little Tiki 21. This is Joe.

Joe and his Tiki 21

Joe made a catamaran in the hills where he was the caretaker of the hut for some time. He brought him to the valley on foot, in a wheelchair. Each hull separately. He assembled it himself on the shore and after a short wandering came into the canal.

Tiki 26 is exactly the same as Tiki 21. It is only a proportionally enlarged version. Its volume is as much as 60% larger.

The cabin in the hull of the Tiki 21 is small. I could easily compare it to a coffin. Joe is a thin and tall man. It can only lie in the hull if it is stretched. But he can’t turn with his knees bent. If the cab cover is closed, it can only lie down. He can sit with the hood open, but his upper body is looking out of the cab.

The Tiki 26 already has such a large cabin that it is very comfortable to sit in and lie down in.

Another big difference is the cockpit. Tiki 21 has a flat board instead. The Tiki 26 has a large and comfortable cockpit with benches.

The difference between these two boats is therefore quite large. The small Tiki 21 is supposed to be a boat for short coastal trips, and the larger Tiki 26 is a real small cruiser for which there are almost no obstacles in the warm summer months. Such catamarans sail across the Atlantic and beyond.

The smallest catamaran to sail around the world

Even little Tiki 21 isn’t just something. It is the smallest catamaran to has sailed around the Earth. Half that way even without an engine on board.

No, no, it wasn’t Joe!  But Joe has just the same catamaran as the one that sailed around the world.

Same speed with engines

Joe is an interesting man. He grew up on the river in a canoe with a paddle in his hand. He started making boats at a very young age. Not for sale. Just for himself. He makes one every year. He has certainly made more than 20 of them. So we never know what his dinghy will be like on the next sail.

Many adventures have lined up in more than a decade-long friendship. We so easily compared both catamarans on sea voyages.

The Tiki 21 has a 5 hp outboard engine on board and reaches 6.5 knots of speed.

The Tiki 26 has a 9.8 hp engine and reaches a speed of 8 knots.

Write below in the comments if you have either of these two boats and have different information. I am very interested in how powerful the engine is and how fast the catamaran goes.

Same speed with sails

Joe and I sailed together in nice and bad weather, along the coast and on the high seas. With Tiki 21 sails, it easily follows the larger Tiki 26. With standard sails for this type of boat, they are completely equivalent.

We sailed together many times along the west coast of Istria. At a distance of 50 NM from the Gulf of Trieste to Cape Kamenjak, we were close together all the time. In winds blowing at 7 to 15 knots into the stern and flank, the catamarans reached the same speed throughout the day.

The next morning we sailed through Kvarner to the island of Susak. We made a special video about this interesting and unique island. The link to it is up here in the right corner.

In the morning we sailed towards the island of Susak in a light wind. When we sailed to Kvarner, we found ourselves in the middle of a rough and foaming sea. The gusts of the bora reached a speed of 25 knots. The two catamarans sailed side by side at the same speed all the way. The first 12 NM slightly to the wind, the next mile to the island slightly with the wind.

Comparison of two Wharram catamarans Tiki 26 vs Tiki 21

What are the differences

Although catamarans with sails reach the same speed, the differences between them are obvious. At small Tiki 21, one or at most a two-member crew awaits only pure asceticism. At bigger twenty-six, there is already so much space in the cabins and on the deck that this space, although still ascetic, already offers the basic comfort without which it is impossible to imagine a longer stay on the boat.

For us, twenty-six was the right choice. The Ariki catamaran is a boat that is neither too long nor too short. It’s just right for us. It is true that he does not have a double bed but only a single one. True, there is only basic comfort on it. But all of this is only in second place on Ariki. What matters most is its navigability. These, however, surprise us again and again.

The conclusion is the same every time: Wharram catamarans are obviously capable of anything their captains dare.

Related Posts

Comparison of Double Canoe vs Sailboat

Comparison of double canoe vs sailboat – We will limit ourselves to a comparison between…

Elastic the Cheapest Autopilot

Elastic the cheapest autopilot - That’s why today’s video is dedicated to the elastic, which…

How Catamaran Ariki Got Name

How Catamaran Ariki got name is the story of a boat that has at least…

Catamaran ARIKI Building Cost

Catamaran ARIKI building cost. If you are interested in why our costs exceeded $24 k…

The dodger on an Open Deck Catamaran

The dodger on an open deck catamaran is the only protection against wind, rain and…

Catamaran ARIKI Set Sails

In this video we will show you how Catamaran ARIKI set sails and what kind…

Catamaran is held together only by the ropes

The catamaran is held together only by the ropes. It is equipped with 500 m…

Lowering the Sails in Real Time

Lowering the sails in real time is a video in which you can see how…

Build the model

I first built a real Wharram catamaran 26 feet long and after quite a few…

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• New Sailboats
• Sailboats 21-30ft
• Sailboats 31-35ft
• Sailboats 36-40ft
• Sailboats Over 40ft
• Sailboats Under 21feet
• used_sailboats
• Apps and Computer Programs
• Communications
• Fishfinders
• Handheld Electronics
• Plotters MFDS Rradar
• Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments
• Anchoring Mooring
• Running Rigging
• Sails Canvas
• Standing Rigging
• Diesel Engines
• Off Grid Energy
• Cleaning Waxing
• DIY Projects
• Repair, Tools & Materials
• Spare Parts
• Tools & Gadgets
• Cabin Comfort
• Ventilation
• Footwear Apparel
• Foul Weather Gear
• Mailport & PS Advisor
• Inside Practical Sailor Blog
• Activate My Web Access
• Reset Password
• Customer Service

• Free Newsletter

Pearson Rhodes 41/Rhodes Bounty II Used Sailboat Review

Hallberg-Rassy 42 Used Sailboat Review

How to Perform Your Own Pre-Buy Inspection

Beneteau 323 Used Boat Review

How Does the Gulf Stream Influence our Weather?

Can You Run a Marine Air-Conditioner on Battery Power?

Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing

Your New Feature-Packed VHF Radio

Practical Sailor Classic: The Load on Your Rode

Anchor Rodes for Smaller Sailboats

Ground Tackle Inspection Tips

Shoe Goo II Excels for Quick Sail Repairs

What Oil Analysis Reveals About Your Engine

An Unusual Sailboat Shines a Light On A Sustainable Future

Is It Time to Get an Electric Dinghy Motor?

Bottom Paint 30-Month Update

Battle of the Teak Cleaners — Snappy Teak-Nu vs. Star Brite

New Seacocks for the Offshore Sailor

Bottom Paint Care

Are E-bikes Worth the Extra Weight and Cost?

How to Handle the Head

How to Select Crew for a Passage or Delivery

Preparing A Boat to Sail Solo

Re-sealing the Seams on Waterproof Fabrics

Waxing and Polishing Your Boat

Reducing Engine Room Noise

Tricks and Tips to Forming Do-it-yourself Rigging Terminals

Marine Toilet Maintenance Tips

Learning to Live with Plastic Boat Bits

• Sailboat Reviews

Tiki 30 Catamaran: A Practical Sailor Boat Test

This wharram-designed coastal-cruising cat is a tempting diy boatbuilding project for those looking to get back to the basics..

Photos by Ralph Naranjo

Part of the catamaran designer James Wharrams success story lies in the lifestyle he has been marketing along with his boats. For decades, like fellow cat-cult heroes Arthur Piver and Jim Brown, he has launched people as well as boats on voyages of discovery. He pitches the case for Spartan simplicity and self-reliance and backs it up with a forthright and savvy boatbuilding syllabus. His is the anathema of the ferro-cement craze, more of a “do with less” rather than “load her up” mindset. He sells his ideas as effectively as any self-help telemarketer, and his elixir to cure a mundane life ashore makes much more sense.

Those who drop in on Wharrams website www.wharram.com are encouraged to buy a pithy, 72-page book thats an unabashed advertisement for Wharrams boats, the practicality of his approach, and the need to shrug off shoreside claptrap and clutter when going to sea. This diehard pitch in support of adventure is infectious, and Wharram spells out how a handy, but not professionally trained, do-it-yourselfer can succeed with his designs.

The semi-hooked can order “study plans” of one or more of the Wharram lines, and the subject of this review-the Tiki 30-is part of the Coastal Trek series. These study plans afford greater specific detail about Wharram designs and spell out the materials needed. They also lead you through a materials tally that includes details about epoxy resin, plywood types, sails, hardware, lines, an outboard auxiliary, and other bits and pieces.

Once you have figured out where you can come up with an average of 900 hours of free time-Wharrams DIY labor estimate-you may be close to plunking down $1,000 for detailed building plans. Those who take the leap and create their boat from scratch say it was worth the investment. Those who also complete the voyage they dreamed about have even more good things to say about the “Wharram Way.”

“Living on the sea” is one of Wharrams favorite phrases, and in many ways, hes as much a cruising enabler as he is a boat designer. Like Brown, and his lure of “Seasteading,” Wharram dangles a mostly realistic getaway plan in front of potential clients. The price point is attractive, at least as long as one views the labor commitment as part of the recreational experience. But when all the glue and paint has finally cured, the bottom line is that the Tiki 30, and most of the other Wharram cats, are best suited to cruisers willing to slip away without huge battery banks, large-volume water tanks, and with less mechanical propulsion reliance. Theres little sense in fitting granite countertops and aiming for a monohull-like interior in the limited space available aboard these catamarans.

One Particular Tiki

Occasionally, we take a close look at a non-mainstream vessel, believing that the old adage “one size fits all” has less merit among sailors. And near the top of our “cult following” list of sailboats are the Wharram-designed fleet of catamarans that are built by dedicated do-it-yourselfers as well as professionals. When we heard that voyager/boatbuilder Dave Martin had just finished a Wharram Tiki 30, we knew that the timing was right for a look at a unique vessel, its crew, and the designer.

A Rare breed

Dave and Jaja Martin and their three children are among the rarest breed of family cruisers, a couple who have sailed and savored the razor-thin edge between high risk and even higher reward. Twenty-plus years ago, when Dave sailed off in his completely restructured and highly modified Cal 25 Direction , he found that single-handing held little appeal. So, after an Atlantic crossing and a Caribbean wedding, he and Jaja followed the tradewind route around the world. The singlehander was now part of a family of five that had outgrown their pocket cruiser. So with a Cal 25 circumnavigation astern, thoughts of a next boat began to take shape.

The curtain lifted on the second act with the Martins rebuilding a 20-year-old, 33-foot steel sloop, literally tearing out the interior and starting from scratch. After an 18-month refit, there came an Arctic adventure that would carry Driver and its crew to Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland, and the experience of living aboard during winters in which the rolling sea became as solid as granite. The Martins exemplify voyaging tenacity, but they earn even higher marks for their self-reliance. Theres no sponsorships for their adventures, or independent wealth to fuel a whim. They have taken very modest vessels and turned them into passage-making vehicles able to handle the task at hand. They worked their way around the world and met the locals as participants in their culture rather than as spectators.

Having first met Dave in the Bahamas in 1984 and coaxed him to come work in a boatyard that Practical Sailor Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo was running on Long Island Sound, Naranjo had the good fortune of seeing how seafaring goals and a shipwrights set of skills can set the stage for special cruising opportunities.

except where noted

Act 3 in the Martin saga is like a symphony with a major change in cadence. This time, priorities such as heavy weather survivability, high-volume stowage capacity, and ice resistance were off the drawing board. In their place came priorities such as simplicity and sailing efficiency, along with the imperative that this will be a “from scratch” Dave-built boat. No mean feat in itself, this boat-building endeavor was all the more impressive because the top of the “honey-do list” was a cottage to live in, a shop to work from, and the building of Dave and Jajas dream house. For most of us, this would relegate the boat project to pipedream status, a project that would likely never be started. But for the Martins, in just over a half-dozen years, the trifecta was complete.

The tide has turned, and their family life proceeds with a shoreside cadence. Adolescents are becoming young adults, and the Maine woods rather than a blue horizon dominate the picture. But true to form, as soon as the house was finished, the table saw gathered no rust. Nor did the other tools in the woodshop, as Dave began cutting carefully scribed curves on Okume plywood. One-at-a-time the amas for a 30-foot Tiki filled the extended garage boat shop. The choice of a double- hulled canoe catamaran doesn’t surprise anyone who knows Dave and Jaja. As sailing adventurers, they have yet to sing the same song twice.

Gravitating toward a new mode of cruising, they embraced the theme of light displacement, efficiency under sail, and simplicity. Spartan minimalism is the common thread in this and the other boats of the Martins two exemplary voyages. The elegance in each of these vessels has little to do with opulence, and everything to do with how the boats have fit the job at hand. Simplicity, functionality, and cost effectiveness abound, defining the approach Dave brings to boatbuilding. He still alludes to a down-the-road, larger monohull project for more oceanic adventure, but for now, its all about quick getaways, coastal cruises, light-air sailing, and shoal-draft exploration.

Design Details

The Wharram Tiki design was a natural choice for Dave because the designer has always approached his work from a builder/sailor perspective, rather than as an independent exercise in naval architecture. Simplicity and practicality rule, and in many ways these boats are the extreme opposite of whats displayed at boat shows across the country. Instead of a living room afloat, the Tiki 30 offers wood-grained camp-style accommodations that are enough for a weekend outing, or two-week summer cruises for hardy souls, but will hold little appeal to those looking for a vacation home afloat.

The real genius in this boat comes more from whats not present than whats found on board. No lead, no liners, and no inboard engine adds up to, or more specifically diminishes down to, a displacement that is so light that a low-tech, no-boom small sail plan can provide enough drive to make way, even when the sea surface is mirror smooth. In light zephyrs, this agile cat will tack and make progress to windward. Behaving like a waterbug skittering across the water, the boat reminds the person handling the butter-smooth tiller bar how important efficiency under sail can be.

Like all multihulls, the issue of initial stability is handled by placing the source of buoyancy well away from the centerline of the vessel without creating the skin drag found in a monohull with massive beam. The combination of a high length-to-beam ratio associated with each ama, and ultralight displacement, the Tiki 30 is a thoroughbred when it comes to efficiency and agility.

Thanks to this ultralight displacement status, the Tiki doesn’t need a cloud of sail to deliver light-air efficiency, and Wharram further reduces the need for a tall spar by leveraging aspect ratio through the use of a simple gaff-rigged mainsail. On one hand, the complication of hoisting both a peak and throat halyard adds some extra complexity, but the result is a higher center of effort (CE) with a lower masthead height, and when it comes to building a simple timber spar, it all makes sense. Yes, a carbon spar and PBO rigging would do a better job, but the cost would be more than a DIY builder spends on all of the materials used to build the rest of the boat.

Every multihull designer is concerned about racking or twisting loads induced in a structure as the heeling force and righting moment interplay on rolling sea. Some use massive bridgedeck structures to transfer rig loads from ama to ama. The Tiki 30 incorporates three well-engineered triangular beam structures and a modern rendition of the Polynesian art of lashing canoe hulls together. Care must be taken during construction to make sure that each beam has a flush fit with a well-reinforced portion of the ama deck, and that the polyester double-braid line used for the lashing is tensioned to designer specifications. These rigidly held athwartship supports may creak in a rolling seaway, but the connection between hulls is rugged and long lasting.

Performance

Under sail, the Tiki is an agile and responsive performer. It balances well, and its V-shaped sections and long shallow keel plus outboard rudders provide good directional stability and responsive steering. The underbody configuration allows the cat to be safely beached, and the complexity of dagger boards is eliminated. The lack of daggerboards has its drawback: Theres less windward capability, but the V-shaped hulls and long run of shallow keel does pretty well to windward without them.

Perhaps the most rigid design characteristic that can’t be circumvented is the importance of keeping its payload in check. This is a boat designed to stay on its lines not bog down and suffer the consequences of excess drag. Its long, lean amas knife through the sea, but their ability to put up with excess weight is minimal. More weight necessitates additional buoyancy, and as the V-shaped sections are submerged, significant increases in skin drag occur along with a loss of vital freeboard. This runs contrary to the design attributes of the vessel and results in performance setbacks and poor sea-keeping ability.

These fast, nimble, cost-effective cats garner a following among do-it-yourself builders because they are efficient to build. Wharrams streamlined approach to construction is a comprehensive blend of materials and hull-shape development that results in a strong, light structure. The expedited build process is free of finicky labor-intensive work and costly esoteric materials. In essence, Wharrams approach uses a minimal strong back, a stitch-and-glue joining process, and lines that allow large scarf-joined panels of high-quality marine plywood to be bent into the shape of a double-canoe catamaran. Bulkheads act as the athwartship formers, and as Wharram puts it, the builder uses a thickened epoxy filleting compound to “weld” the wood together.

The Tiki 30 is well-tailored for Spartan coastal cruising but a bit gossamer for ocean passagemaking, despite the fact that many have done so. Its ability to tuck into tight places, to perform admirably under power with only a 9.9-horsepower long-shaft, four-stroke kicker and its ability under sail give it high marks in our book. For many, camper/cruiser comfort is enough, and with the easy unfurling of a full cockpit awning, the boat becomes spacious enough at anchor to fulfill the dreams of a vacation cruise.

The Tiki is indeed a versatile platform, a pleasure to sail, and a project worth tackling if youre not too worried about dollars and cents. Wharram boats backyard-built pedigrees and their fringe appeal make them a tough sell on the used boat market, so if you plan to build one, you had better plan to sail it.

• Interior Notes Tiki 30
• Download PDF Format

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Hi and hope all is well!

In the attached pictures you can see what has been done and where I am at this point (60% complete)… I live in Connecticut and in a perfect world, I would like someone to take it over- either with me or partnered or to just buy me out outright… The boat is amazingly special and needs to be finished and/or needs the right home… Any suggestions? 860-573-1154 -Johnny

It’s Wharram Tiki 30 BTW – Johnny

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Log in to leave a comment

Latest Videos

What Is The Best Folding Bike For Your Sailboat?

The No Expense Spared Antigua 60 Cruising Sailboat Soolaimon

How To Buy Sails – With Joe Cooper

Bavaria C42: What You Should Know | Boat Tour

• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell My Personal Information
• Online Account Activation
• Privacy Manager

Five Wharram catamarans you can build yourself

• December 21, 2022
• No Comments

THE PERFECT GIFT!

Give or treat yourself to a subscription to the print + digital Journal of Sailing and for only 69 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.

Last week we recounted. James Wharram’s story and adventures. , father of the modern catamaran and designer of more than 10,000 Polynesian double-hulled sailboats.

Five Wharram catamarans for self-building

If you love adventure, have a fair amount of manual dexterity in DIY work and some time on your hands, below we have selected five models designed by James Wharram pencil that you could build yourself.

Let’s start with the smallest , cheapest , and easiest to build of Wharram’s catamarans. Hatia 14 is an easy-to-build (requiring only 175 hours of work), stable and fast daysailer , perfect for weekend adventures. Designed for 2/4 people, you can sail there in calm waters , lakes, lagoons or along the coast. It can be launched from the beach and easily carried on the roof of a car . The estimated cost of construction is 3,500.

Conceived in 1981 as a Coastal Trek catamaran that was easy to build, using the new techniques of stitching and epoxy/glass glue, the Tiki 21 is one of the most successful designs designed by Wharram, with more than 1,000 plans sold. In 1982, the American magazine Cruising World awarded it as the best “Trailable Gunkholer”-a trailerable boat for shallow-water sailing -but the Tiki 21 has proven to be a boat suitable for all types of sailing. Between 1991 and 1997 Rory McDougall circumnavigated the world aboard his self-built ‘Cooking Fat’. The estimated cost of construction is 9,000 and the labor hours required are 400.

Wharram  Catamarans: Tiki 30

With a capacity to sleep 6 and a large deck, the Tiki 30 is the ideal low-cost catamaran for chartering . It costs about 21,000 euros in materials and takes 900 hours to build. Despite its generous size of 9.15 meters , it weighs only 1 ton, which means it can still be towed by a vehicle . A stylish, versatile “double canoe” boat that offers basic comfort for living at sea.

Wharram Catamarans: Tangaroa Mk IV

The latest evolution of James’ first project , for which he drew the self-construction plans back in 1965. A 10.82-meter catamaran built of plywood, epoxy and laminate. Its construction requires about 1,800 man-hours and the estimated cost is 50,000 euros. Unlike the first version, with which many still sail, the Tangaroa Mk IV has more graceful hull lines, a wider hull beam, more freeboard above the berths, and a longer cabin in which one can stand.

Pahi 63 (Spirit of Gaia)

It is the flagship of the fleet , created for long expeditions around the world and for large groups . Pahi 63 is based on traditional Polynesian double canoe principles and is better suited for sailing in warmer climates. The deck/accommodation layout resembles that of a village, with a central cockpit surrounded by private cabins with separate entrances . Its construction requires about 4,000 hours of labor and more than 110,000 euros worth of materials.

Edited by Giacomo Barbaro

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Check out the latest issue

Are you already a subscriber?

• Read your magazine from your pc here! >>
• Renew your subscription >>
• Reset your account password >>

How to have the cabin comfortable all year round by installing an accessory

Seven questions to the desalinator. here’s what to know about this accessory, these folding solar panels can also be mounted on the awning, christening in the waters of trieste for the ecoracer 30, the sustainable boat, ultimi annunci.

Sign up for our Newsletter

We give you a gift

Sailing, its stories, all boats, accessories. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the Sailing Newspaper editorial staff each week. Plus we give you one month of GdV digitally on PC, Tablet, Smartphone. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button. You will receive a code to activate your month of GdV for free!

You may also be interested in.

To enter Ponza and Palmarola, boats will have to pay a ticket

There is important news for boaters who frequent the islands of Ponza and Palmarola: starting this summer, on an experimental basis, a“parking ticket” will come into effect, which will be 100 percent operational by 2025. Below are all the details

Weather Forecast – What will the weather be like in the Mediterranean? We’ll tell you!

The Mediterranean, aided by climate change and rising water temperatures more evident in an enclosed sea such as ours, is increasingly “unpredictable”-which is why it is essential to approach a reliable weather forecasting system whose models are updated hour by

Four “new” legendary Classic Boats from 13.6 to 16 meters

Classic Boats of Historical Value by Journal of Sailing never stops updating! With this in mind, thanks in part to your suggestions, 19 new boats have arrived, 19 new Classic Boats to be celebrated and enhanced. We have now passed

Vessels abroad, now you can. How to do it, what is needed

Vessels abroad without registration new law 2024 form to download DCI Greece Slovenia Croatia

Sailing Newspaper

Editor-in-Chief: Luca Oriani

TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE EDITORIAL STAFF 02 535 811111 – [email protected]

FOR ADVERTISING Senior account: Guido De Palma: tel. 02 535811208 cell. +39 347 2347433 [email protected].

Pierfrancesco Pugno: cell. +39 3496621980 [email protected]

Cookie policy Privacy policy

INFO SUBSCRIPTIONS, DIRECT SALES AND DIGITAL PRODUCTS

tel. 02 535811 111/200 [email protected]