Boatsmith Inc. the professional Wharram yard in Florida, have finished their first fiberglass production Tiki 8m and took it out for a sea trial. All went smoothly and the boat sailed really well. The wind was very light but the boat zipped along. Here's a link to a short You Tube video of the Tiki under sail during the trial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFEGWexJ8tc
Boatsmith is building two Tiki 8m for the Marriott Hotel, this is the first one sailing. You will notice the boat is rigged with a Bermudan rig, this rig belonged to the catamaran the Tiki 8m will be replacing as beach charter boat. JWD recommends the Wharram Wingsail Rig for this design, as it is easier to hoist and lower in all wind directions and has less turbulence with the wrap around mainsail.
The Tiki 8m is now available from Boatsmith, please contact them for further details: www.boatsmithfl.com
It has been a long time with little news from the Wharram office. There is a reason for this, James has not been well.
Ever since returning from the Lapita Voyage in March, James was suffering from discomfort in his gut. In fact this was one reason for him returning before the finish of the voyage. We assumed it was some microscopic tropical parasite or tenacious bacteria and several tests were done. Finally an internal examination was ordered and the result was very disturbing as bowel cancel was diagnosed.
James about to board the plane in the Santa Cruz Islands, to take him back to Europe.
Looking on the good side, further scans showed no spread and a prompt operation in October removed the offending cancer. James has however now been put on a course of oral Chemo therapy, which will keep him on a low work schedule for a few more months.
These disturbing developments did not stop all the work. James and Hanneke had been invited to give a major presentation on the Lapita Voyage at the International Symposium of Boat and Ship Archaeology – ISBSA12 – in Istanbul in October.
You may remember the remarkable 70 double canoe ‘Ontong Java’ built by Hans Klaar just over 2 years ago in West Africa. In our last report in 2007 he had sailed her across the Atlantic to Brazil http://wharram.eu//live//article.php?story=20071003181619589. Since then he has taken her through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific. In July he reported form Tahiti and in September he had sailed as far as Fiji. Soon he will be in New Zealand.
For Sale 2x Hitia 17 “Miss Tweety” and “Miss Scarlet”. Miss Tweety has a webbing trampoline between the hulls. Miss Scarlet has a slatted deck.
Fully rigged and ready to sail.
Asking price (negotiable) 3,500-Euro each.
Sprit-rig, lockers, SS Delta anchor with chain and line, mooring bridles.
2009 WINTER WHARRAM RENDEZVOUS - DECEMBER 11, 12, 13
Peanut Island, Lake Worth Inlet, Palm Beach Florida
What Do People Do at a Wharram Rendezvous? We talk about Wharrams. We tell stories…some may even be true. We compare notes. We look at plans. We take pictures of each other’s boats and get some really good (and a few bad) ideas. If you haven’t seen a Wharram, are building a Wharram, thinking about sailing and cruising for a reasonable amount of money, want to do something unique or just like multihulls (or boats of any kind) we welcome you to the event.
I sailed into Apia harbor, the capitol of Samoa, but couldn't stand bringing Manu Rere into a marina which is now required there, so sailed back out to sea and on to Wallis Island where I was a week later when the tsunami occurred. Now at Funafuti, Tuvalu. Glenn
Monday, August 31 2009 @ 10:36 AM BST
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 1,192
I stayed at Makemo atoll in the Tuamotus for five weeks. In retrospect it was a preferable place for enjoying the month long Bastille Day celebrations as opposed to the more crowded and expensive events in the capital, Papeete. There were sporting contests during the day and contests between two traditional heiva dancing groups at night. Each group included its own music mostly produced from a variety of elaborate drums and hollowed ringing logs, which I really enjoyed. Of course the famously sexy Tahitian dancing was also a pleasure to see. Even the costumes were beautifully made. While the holiday wound down and I prepared to depart, a small cut in my finger became viciously infected, which required antibiotics (free at the dispensary) and a couple more weeks to heal, one sure can't sail an unmechanized voyaging canoe with a ruined hand.
Once the anchor was finally lifted the first twenty miles were across the lagoon, easily avoiding the brilliantly colored coral patches, to anchor near the other pass. Away from town, without the issue of ownership, I stocked up with a supply of coconuts, which are part of my regular diet, before riding the ebb tide out to sea for Tahiti.
After sailing past atolls the first day, then through a stretch of wide sea I hove to at night to await dawn while still 25 miles short of the narrow passage between the last atolls of the group. Most of the subsequent nights of this voyage I stopped as well because the weather was so stormy, so I was happy to see the great Tahiti come into sight and anchor in the quiet shelter of headland and breakwater at the small town of Tautira.
After several pleasant days there, I sailed for Papeete expecting a pleasant scenic daysail but instead learned first hand about Maramu winds accelerated around the island. At first I dropped all sail to await the passage of what I took to be a squall. When I analyzed the wind direction though it appeared to be blowing me toward the nearby shoals so, for the first time, I put up a storm trysail which laces on the mainmast, and using this tiny sail made my way behind Venus Point, off Papeete, into the lee of the island and anchored the next day.
We would like to draw attention to the problems people have experienced by ordering their Wharram catamaran to be built by the ‘RB Power & Sailing’ yard of Raoul Bianchetti in Pattaya, Thailand.
The first boat built was a heavily modified Tiki 38, of which the owner refused to take delivery and which since being launched in February 2009 has broken up at anchor. The second Tiki 38, which was being build for Warren Matthews, was removed from the yard last January for finishing in New Zealand, after the owner discovered serious deficiencies in the build.
Practices like these are the reason for James Wharram Designs setting up Franchised Yards, where the owners can be sure to get a correctly built, high quality Wharram Design. RB Power & Sailing is NOT a franchised yard!
Wednesday, June 03 2009 @ 10:45 AM BST
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 260
This morning we received this email from one of the crew members of Lapita Anuta. She has now sailed 280 Nm back to Lata in Santa Cruz via Tikopia and will soon be returning to Anuta. The double canoe has started her job as independent transport for the island!!
The other 'stuff' they are waiting for is a roll of Canvacon sailcloth, which we are arranging to transport to Anuta from Australia. Remember donations to this project are still very welcome, so we can keep supplying the boats with material for their upkeep.
Email from Joseph Maru (standing in blue shirt):
Hi, Hanneke Boon, it's been long time now since you left us with LAPITA ANUTA ,we been sail from Anuta on Thursday 22 for Tikopia, Friday 23 arrived, leave for Lata 24 in the evening, arrived Kala Bay 25, 10pm this is our first ever see how Lapita travel. We are really happy to have our own yacht. By the way Hanneke we are now at Lata ready to leave for Anuta . Yes we receive all the stuff, we take it with us back to Anuta. We come to Lata to collect school books, biros, pencils. etc.. There are eight of us on board Lapita Anuta, four crews and four passengers. but we still wait for other stuff you promised us.
Joseph Maru
The Lapita Anuta crew doing repair work on the mainsail, ashore in Anuta.
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Hi, Hanneke Boon, it's been long time now since you left us with LAPITA ANUTA ,we been sail from Anuta on Thursday 22 for Tikopia, Friday 23 arrived, leave for Lata 24 in the evening, arrived Kala Bay 25, 10pm this is our first ever see how Lapita travel. We are really happy to have our own yacht. By the way Hanneke we are now at Lata ready to leave for Anuta . Yes we receive all the stuff, we take it with us back to Anuta. We come to Lata to collect school books, biros, pencils. etc.. There are eight of us on board Lapita Anuta, four crews and four passengers. but we still wait for other stuff you promised us. 