Description
The Pahi 63 is a tribal boat, suitable for expedition sailing and for larger groups of people to cruise or eco-charter. It is based on traditional Polynesian double canoe principles, is most suitable for use in warmer climates.
The deck/accommodation layout resembles a village, with a central public area including ‘well’ and (optional) ‘hearth’, surrounded by private cabins. This centre deck and the separate aft and fore deck areas give three large emotionally different spaces, enabling people to have hours in seeming solitude.
This deck layout combined with the ‘Flexi Space’ hull cabins (all with their own entrance) enables 8-10 people to live peacefully together for weeks at a time.
The Pahi 63 Building Plans include complimentary ‘Windvane Self Steering for Wharram Catamarans‘ drawings.
Study Plan Contents
- 3 x A3 Plan Sheets
- 4 x A4 pages Design Details
- 2 x A4 Sailing Performance Sheets
- 3 x A3 Colour Photo Sheets
- Materials List
- 6 x pages magazine article extracts
- 1 x copy of “Appropriate Technology in Catamaran Designs and Construction” (monograph – 10 pages plus illustrations)
- List of Building Plan Contents
Design Data
| Building Method: | Ply/Glass/Epoxy/Laminate | |
|---|---|---|
| Length Overall: | 63′ | 19.20 m |
| Beam Overall: | 28′ | 8.53 m |
| Waterline Length: | 51′ | 15.5 m |
| Draft: | 3′ – 5′ | 0.9m – 1.5m |
| Weight: | 8 tons | |
| Loading capacity: | 4.5 tons | |
| Sail area: | 1400 sqft | 130 sqm |
| Building Time Estimate: | 4000 hours | |
Visual Tour
More Information
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Design Discussion
James compares Gaia’s design features with those of the charter Pahi 52. Spirit of Gaia’s Wingsail Rig is tested by other catamaran sailors.
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In The Spirit
An article from Cruising Helmsman magazine about Mark Smaalders’s cruise on Pahi 63 ‘Spirit of Gaia’ from Cairns to Darwin. He discusses Gaia’s characteristics from a traditional monohull sailor’s point of view.
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Wharram’s Polynesian Dream
Nic Compton learns how the unorthodox British designer, James Wharram, took his family and fans around the world in his handcrafted catamaran, gaining some valuable lessons along the way.
