Author: James Wharram

At last my little dreamboat, the Mana 24 (actually 23’6” hull length), is coming into being. I can go out into our workshop and see and touch the first hull. Sixty years ago I was sailing along the South coast of Britain on my first 23’6” catamaran, the Tangaroa (see my book ‘Two Girls Two…

This is my first writing of 2013. I spent the Christmas break and the first week of 2013 reading and keeping the fire going, while outside it rained and rained! Hanneke, who is the ultimate crafts-woman, spent this time re-modeling part of our small living room, fitting much needed bookshelves for our ever-increasing library. We…

The Polynesian Catamaran Association has been a voluntary club for people interested in the designs of James Wharram since 1967. Due to a direct request from James and Hanneke an archive of all the past PCA publications has now been created, and made available on-line. We hope you enjoy reading all 75 of The Sea…

A few weeks ago I/we, trailing our 27ft Amatasi, returned from the French Brest / Douarnenez Traditional Boat Festivals. The huge Sea Festival in Brest, ‘Les Tonneres de Brest‘, takes place every four years, Douarnenez’s ‘Temps Fête‘, across the Bay is a bi-annual event. So every 4 years the two events are united at the…

On May 15th, my 84th Birthday, instead of having an ‘I have survived’ birthday party, I was cramped up on a Virgin Airline seat flying to Miami, America (I am certain airlines are reducing the distances between seats year by year). David Halladay of ‘Boatsmith‘, our American franchised builder wanted us to come over to…

Dear friends, Some people make fun or deride the development of Christmas cards with personal story greetings. Indeed I have done so myself, but I am beginning to think that one time of the year to catch up on the life story of one’s friends is not such a bad idea. 95% of our income…

I am in the process of answering a letter (yes, a letter written by hand and sent by post!) from Pierre La Plante of Canada. Pierre is a long ago customer. He sticks in my memory as a young man, who many years ago sailed his Hitia 17 down the St Lawrence River, Canada. After…

About a year ago I had a new artificial knee joint fitted to my starboard leg, for recovery I’ve been pushing with local walks and along Cornwall’s rugged coastal path to get back into ‘leaping on board’ condition! Last week I proudly pushed uphill along Lemon Street, the granite paved main street of our local…

Well, Beale Park Boat Show is over and another year will go by before we have another “rush” to be there. The English yacht magazine, ‘Watercraft’ July/August 2011 has a leading article, on why a proposed new boat show to be held in Liverpool failed to ‘take off’, due to the high expense of exhibition…

Rush, push, scramble, deadlines to meet. We have in English the concept of the “Grumpy Old Man”. Whether I have become a grumpy old man, it appears, depends on the day, or the events around the day when you see me. Assuming that I am a “Grumpy Old Man” what do I dream about? Well…