Mana 24: A new trailer sailor in the pipeline

Home News Mana 24: A new trailer sailor in the pipeline
By Hanneke Boon

A new trailer sailer catamaran in the pipeline..

James Wharram’s vision for this new design:

At any one time there are always two or three design ideas floating around in my design consciousness. Social, political or personal events will bring a particular design to the forefront for a new launching (my staff call them my obsessions!)

Due to the present tight financial situation a large number of would-be sailors are having a hard time financing their dream sailing boat. You can buy good small second hand boats at a reasonable price, but the problem is where do you keep them? All over Europe high marina/mooring costs make it impossible for many would-be sailors to own a boat.

The most economical way to enjoy sailing is to build your own small lightweight boat, to keep it at home and trail it to the waters you want to sail in. This gives opportunity to explore many more sailing areas than if based on a permanent mooring and at much lower cost.

Whilst exploring this idea I am looking sideways into the world of camping and the living equipment you need for a camping holiday bought at a reasonable price, as against highly priced yachting equipment.

All these ideas have come together, resulting in the new MANA 24 design, a catamaran specifically designed for trailer sailing.

In trailer/sailer design every increase in length equals harder launching and recovery work. At 23’6”- 7.15m hull length MANA 24 sits between our TIKI 21 and TIKI 26 designs (both very popular trailer sailers), with easier launching and handling like the smaller TIKI 21, but an interior space close to that of the Tiki 26. Her new chined hullshape gives more width for the bunks, which are placed aft where the hulls are widest.

Mana 24 Profile Drawing

MANA’s 23’6” hull length has a special significance for me. In 1956 I made the first successful catamaran voyage across the Atlantic in my first catamaran, the ‘Tangaroa’, which was 23’6” long (see Two Girls Two Catamarans).

The Tiki 21 also has a fantastic sailing history, we trailed an early one across Spain twice in the mid 1980s to swim with dolphins (driven by a heavily pregnant Hanneke); Rory McDougal sailed a TIKI 21 around the world in 1994-97 and with the same boat came second in the Jester Atlantic Challenge in 2010; nearly 1000 Tiki 21 Plans have been sold. TIKI 26s have also made many exciting voyages including Atlantic and Pacific crossings.

We have learned a lot from all these past experiences, ideas we are incorporating into the MANA 24.

Here are some of MANA’s special design features:

Assembly

For speedy assembly the hulls and beams of the MANA 24 will be connected with quick-fit webbing straps with over-centre buckles, very strong and much easier to fit than bolts (already used on the Tiki 30 and Tiki 8m).

Launching

There will be two ways to launch the MANA 24 depending on personal preference:

  • Using a versatile flat box trailer (which can have other uses), the hulls sit on dollies and are taken off individually and then assembled with the beams and platform at the waters edge (this is my personal preference, we used it on our TIKI 21 many years ago).
  • The hulls are launched straight off the trailer with the beams fitted one to each hull. The hulls are then floated apart and beams locked into place. With the webbing strap connections this is easy to do (Hanneke tried this method for the much heavier TIKI 8m, where man-handling the hulls was out of the question).

Accommodation

We accept that the two single bunks of the MANA 24, no matter how comfortable, are not enough for a ‘vigorous’ couple (they need a double berth) or small family with children, however on the camping market are numerous economical dome tents, particularly some with inflatable tubes instead of tent poles. The one we use on the Amatasi (made by Vango) gives us a 3-man tent with porch in a few minutes of pumping.

With the main mast of the MANA placed well forward the platform gives ample flat space for such a harbour tent (soft top double cabin). One can of course fit a custom-made pramhood tent, which can double as spray hood when sailing, but a camping dome tent at much lower cost will fit perfectly on the large flat deck area. Adapting camping habits to a sailing lifestyle gives you European wide sailing opportunities at minimum cost.

Mana 24 deck plan

Sail Rig

MANA 24 uses the well-proven Wharram Wingsail rig in a new Catrig configuration, as developed on the AMATASI. The mainsail gives the drive with a very clean leading edge. The small mizzen aids with balance and steering. Having no jib, there is no need for a very tight forestay. The standing rigging on MANA 24 uses the latest concept, dyneema rope, which is light and easily set up. The mizzenmast can be used as sheer pole for single-handed mast raising.

Construction

I see the MANA 24 as a kit boat built in ply/epoxy, with all the wood cut out by CNC cutter, so assembling/building the boat at home will be a bit like assembling a flat pack IKEA kit. We are putting a lot of thought into making it slot together perfectly so the hulls will come together in a day.

In the next year we will be building models and a prototype so all building hitches are ironed out before kit production starts.

We will keep you informed of progress.

Building Method: Ply/Glass/Epoxy/Laminate
Length Overall: 23' 6" 7.16 m
Beam Overall: 12' 8" 3.85 m
Waterline length: 20' 10" 6.35 m
Beam of each hull: 3' 2" 0.97 m
Max draft: 18.5" 0.47m
Headroom over seat/bunk: 3' 0.90 m
Sleeping capacity: 2 single bunks in hulls, double birth under decktent
Dry weight (approx): 1190 lbs 540 kg
Maximum displacement (Approx): 2510 lbs 1140 kg
Sail area: 216 sqft 19.6 sqm
Deck sleeping area: 7’3” x 8’ 2.20m x 2.45m
Full deck area: 7’3” x 11’6” 2.20m x 3.50m