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James Wharram Designs

Unique self-build sailing catamarans, inspired by the double canoes of the Polynesians

Videos

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Visual accounts of what Wharram owners are doing with their boats. Includes professionally made films about long voyages and ocean passages, ongoing video blogs of liveaboard adventurers, home made footage of sailing, documentaries of building, and instructional videos.

Video Index

General

Tiki Designs

Pahi Designs

Ethnic Designs

Classic Designs

Hitia Designs

Islander Designs

Instructional/Informative Videos

Glassing With Epoxy

Sheathing a hull of the Wharram Mana 24 with glass and epoxy, by Hanneke Boon of James Wharram Designs. Useful for anyone starting, to avoid the many possible errors and mishaps.

Mana 24 – Assembling Lower Hull

Step by step informative record of assembling the lower hull of the CNC kit Mana 24 catamaran.

Making Perfect Epoxy Fillets

Real time demonstration of making a perfect epoxy fillet using WEST epoxy and Microspheres Blend filler. The boat featured in this video is the CNC kit Mana 24.

Hands Free Across the Atlantic

This video gives an introduction to the Wharram Self Steering Windvane, a low tech, low cost, reliable self steering system allowing endless hands free sailing.

Canoes of Anuta

There are 70 canoes on the island of Anuta, which have a history going back at least 2-300 years, probably much longer. They are a unique V shaped hull design.

Films

The Lapita Voyage

Two double canoes, based on the ancient canoe form of Anuta and Tikopia, set out on a 4,000Nm voyage to recreate the migration route of the ancient Polynesians.

The Building And Sailing Of Tehini

Filmed by Ruth Wharram in the early days. Tehini was one of the largest cats of her time, built in less than 2 years with mainly hand tools. Her first voyages were to North Spain and Holland.

Interviews

Build Or Buy My Dream Catamaran?

Mark of Wildlings Sailing visits James Wharram Designs in Cornwall, and speaks to Hanneke Boon about his plans to build or buy his dream boat for sailing around the world.

Events

Parade of Sail: Wharram Hui 2022

A Parade of Sail for James & Ruth Wharram at the Wharram Hui 2022. Falmouth, Saturday 23rd July.

Wharram Hui Cornwall 2018

A second Hui gathering in Cornwall, July 2018. Attended by 10 boats and 60 people at the BBQ party. Sadly the weather was not great, but a lot of fun was had.

Wharram Hui Cornwall 2017

Micro Adventure Sailing Hui in the Fal Estuary on 4-6th August 2017. Eleven Wharram catamarans gathered in Devoran and sailed on a short Adventure.

60th Anniversary of Wharram Tangaroa

A celebration of the 60th anniversary of James’ maiden voyage on Tangaroa. Centre stage is the new Mana 24, the same length as the original Tangaroa.

Hanneke’s Pecha Kucha Presentation

An illustrated 6 minute poem of Hanneke, from a young girl sailing with her father, ending up as a boatbuilder, ocean sailor and designer. Presented in Amsterdam.

Lapita Voyage, Arrival In Anuta

This video shows the final stage of the voyage on the double canoe ‘Lapita Anuta’ featuring her arrival at the 1Nm long island of Anuta to an exuberant welcome by the island’s population.

Hui Wharram Rendezvous, Florida

Wharram Rendezvous in Islamorada, Florida Keys, May 2012. A meeting of Wharram catamarans attended by James Wharram and Hanneke Boon.

Amatasi at Brest and Douarnenez Festivals

The Wharram 27ft Amatasi prototype took part in Les Tonnerres de Brest and Temps Fetes Douarnenez in July 2012.

The Launching Of Amatasi

85 people gathered at Wharram HQ to celebrate the award winning eco fishing boat Amatasi entering the water, including old friends, press and television.

Golden Oldies Gathering

James and Hanneke visit the gathering of classic multihulls ‘The Golden Oldies’ in the South of France. Here they met American designer Dick Newick.

Miscellaneous

Art On Water

Slideshow collection of Wharram catamarans from around the world.

Hitia 14

Sem Classe

Crossing of the “Straw Sea” (Mar da Palha) in Portugal, in a home built Hitia 14. Fast sailing action.

Construction Timelapse

Hitia 14 ‘Sem Classe’ being constructed picture by picture, and showing off her sailing abilities.

Building Wharram Sailboats

YouTube Channel

Numerous (70 and counting) and very detailed videos documenting the meticulous construction of a Hitia 14, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Melanesia 16

Sailing a Melanesia in Croatia

GoPro footage of a newly built Melanesia slicing through the waves in a force 3, Croatia.

Sailing a Melanesia in France

Watch the boat being assembled on the beach and then sailed in the sunshine.

Smaller The Ship, Bigger The Fun

Melanesia being assembled and rigged, followed by a gentle sail on a river in Holland.

Melanesia, Paddling Version

The paddling only version of the Melanesia as demonstrated in Hawaii.

Hitia 17

Coastal Trekking

Another great trip to Beaucport Bay aboard Ophelia. The winds were stronger than last time despite some quirks at the start of the trip!

Sailing a Hitia 17 in Canada

Filmed during a sailing trip to the Beauport Bay of Quebec.

Tiki 21

Building a Tiki 21

From cutting out the pieces, assembling and fiberglassing the hull. Florida, USA.

Vienna To Venice Voyage

Newly built Tiki 21 “Saus und Braus” takes on a coastal trekking voyage around the Balkans. 3000 miles from Vienna to Venice, in 98 days.

Coastal Cruising

Cruising a Tiki 21 on the south coast of Devon, UK, June 2016. Exmouth to Brixham, Noss Mayo (River Yealm), Dartmouth and back.

Beto at 14.6 knots

Well, we surpassed the 14 knot goal and probably got over 15 after I had to put the phone away. The leeward hull was spraying like hell!

Across The Atlantic

Tiki 21 ‘Cookie’ goes all the way across the North Atlantic riding the tops of just two high pressure zones. What a gift from the gods!

Moving Hulls..

A partially completed Tiki 21 moves downstairs through a hatch after its hull construction work was completed in an upstairs workshop.

Tahiti Wayfarer 21

Tahiti Wayfarer In Action

Sailing the Wharram Ethnic ‘Tahiti Wayfarer’ design in Restronguet Creek and sailing together with the Wharram ‘Mana 24’ in Carrick Roads in Cornwall.

Wharram Ethnic Designs

Fast sailing of the Tahiti Wayfarer with three crew members, also featured is the Melanesia outrigger and Amatasi

Racing a Tahiti Wayfarer

Fun footage of Tahiti Wayfarer ‘Taïo Taïo’ racing against a lateen rigged Optimist.

Hinemoa 23

Harriet At The Helm

Young Harriet helms the Wharram Hinemoa 23 ‘Isis’ at speed. The dog keeps watch on the port bow!

Sailing a Hinemoa

Some nice shots of Hinemoa 23 ‘Isis’ under sail power in the sunshine.

Mana 24

Prairie Mermaid

The boat was built over the winter of 2018/19 and has been sailing for three seasons on Lake Diefenbaker, on Treaty 6 Territory in the country known as Canada.

Boat In A Box

The story of a boat in a box – how a kit of plywood pieces and components transformed into a beautiful vessel. Follows the construction until its launch in June 2018.

Assembling The Lower Hull

Step by step informative record of assembling the lower hull of the CNC kit Mana 24 catamaran.

Hull Assembly Timelapse

The assembly of the Mana 24’s lower hulls condensed into 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The work took 2 hours to complete.

Tiki 26

30 Months On A 26 Foot Sailing Boat

All about my journey on Wayan, a Tiki 26 sailing catamaran. This video is a recording of slightly adapted powerpoint I presented in several sailing clubs in Luzern, Switzerland.

Art On The Water

See beautifully constructed Tiki 26 ‘Ariki’ spreading her wings in the sunshine.

Building a Tiki 26 in 180 Days

Slideshow with more than 500 photos showing the entire process of building the Tiki 26 catamaran. We built it under the Slovenian mountains in just half a year.

1000 Miles Across the Adriatic Sea

1000 miles: Slovenia – Italy – Croatia, no autopilot. I sailed like they used to sail in the old days. Hours and hours on a bench with the tiller in my hand.

Tiki 26 ‘Wayan’ On Cruise

Lovely footage of Tiki 26 ‘Wayan’ on a holiday cruise, Autumn 2013.

Castor & Pollux Walkaround

A tour of the two hulls of Tiki 26 ‘Castor & Pollux’ under construction. She was built in the Netherlands.

Catamaran Ariki

YouTube Channel

Many beautiful videos all about the building, sailing and lifestyle on a Wharram catamaran, as well as answers to many practical questions. Essential viewing.

Tiki 26 Winter Passage: Kos To Kefalonia

Sailing across Greece in a self built wooden catamaran, including crossing the Corinth isthmus on a truck.

Pahi 26

NāhōkūhoʻOkelewaʻa

A nice YouTube short of a newly built Pahi 26 being launched and sailed.

Sailing On Lake Union

Pahi 26 powered by a malibu outrigger Hawaiian spritsail, sailing on a lake in Seattle.

Pahi 31

Sailing The Australian Coast

A nice day sailing up the Queensland coast from North Stradbroke island to Noosa.

French Bohème Sailing The World

YouTube Channel

A family, a small catamaran designed by James Wharram for a great trip on the oceans of the world.

Tiki 8m

Islamorada to West Palm Beach

Leigh Calvert and the Greif brothers (Benjamin and Brendon) sail the Tiki 8m back to West Palm Beach from Islamorada.

Amatasi 27

Amatasi at Brest and Douarnenez Festivals

The Wharram 27ft Amatasi prototype took part in Les Tonnerres de Brest and Temps Fetes Douarnenez in July 2012.

Amatasi sailing to Helford River

The prototype of Amatasi, 27ft Wharram Ethnic Design, sails from Falmouth to the Helford river in Cornwall.

Launch Of Amatasi Prototype

85 people gathered at Wharram HQ to celebrate the award winning eco fishing boat Amatasi entering the water, including old friends, press and television.

Sailing On The River Fal

Amatasi goes for a sunny daysail on the river Fal, Cornwall.

Tiki 30

ZigZag Sailing

YouTube Channel

Welcome aboard Zig Zag, a Wharram Tiki 30. Join us on the incredible journey that began four years ago on my parent’s driveway – a dream to build a vessel for global exploration.

Personal Tour of our Seafaring Dreams

Welcome to our Wharram Tiki 30, Zig Zag! Join us as we take you through the basics of our newly built double canoe. We have been working for four years to make this dream a reality.

2 Dogs, 1 Catamaran!

A voyage through the Caribbean on Tiki 30 Zig Zag. Our journey from St. John to St. Martin was a very hard upwind sail of 165 nautical miles.

Lisbon To Spain

Coastal trekking on a Tiki 30 catamaran along the Portuguese coast from Lisbon to Spain. Some beautiful footage of Dolphins swimming with the boat!

Coastal Trekking In Brazil

Sailing Rogerio Martin’s ‘TikiRio’ along the coast from Urca to Itacuruçá, Rio De Janeiro.

From The Air

Beautiful aerial footage of charter boat ‘Taboo’ in North Moorea.

Busket In Action

Tiki 30 ‘Busket’ on a brisk day sail. Footage taken from another boat.

Jersey Dolphins

Tiki 30 “Moku” joined by bottlenose dolphins off Jersey’s east coast.

Building Buldur

A slide show of Tiki 30 ‘Buldur’ being built from the ground up, from ply hull cutouts to a beautiful finished boat.

Sailing Baldur

Our maiden voyage on Baldur, from Newhaven UK to Porto Santos. We’ve got so many happy and positive reactions wherever we’ve been sailing!

Tangaroa 36

Sailing The Great Australian Bight

We sailed across the Great Australian Bight on our Wharram catamaran! We are a young couple from South Australia, adventuring via the Western Australian coast.

Sailing the South Coast of Australia

Port Lincoln in SA to Cactus. Sailed through some horrible weather but also had some beautiful times around the rugged coast and islands of the west coast.

Sailing Tangaroa

YouTube Channel

We (Hannah and James) live on our 37ft Wharram catamaran, sailing around Australia, Indonesia & the South Pacific. Humble gypsies frothing on the simple life!

Tama Moana 38

The Lapita Voyage

Two double canoes, based on the ancient canoe form of Anuta and Tikopia, set out on a 4,000Nm voyage to recreate the migration route of the ancient Polynesians.

Construction Timelapse

Accelerated footage of a Tama Moana (‘Child Of The Sea’) under construction in a workshop in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam.

Life In The Pacific

Glenn has built his own Tama Moana and lives a humble life sailing between the islands of the Pacific.

Sailing In Rugged Weather

One of the Lapita Voyage boats gets into a storm with up to 50 knots of wind.

Lapita Voyage, Arrival In Anuta

This video shows the final stage of the voyage on the double canoe ‘Lapita Anuta’ featuring her arrival at the 1Nm long island of Anuta to an exuberant welcome by the island’s population.

Venture In The South Seas

A German made film about the Lapita Voyage. Contains nice shots of the boat in her element.

Tiki 38

Sailing the Mediterranean

This Trip was made on Pilgrim, a home built Tiki 38. From Marseilles, France, to Cyclades, Greece, and back. Includes stunning drone footage.

The Atlantic Crossing Of Pilgrim

After Building his boat for 5 years, Jacques and his crew take on the Atlantic ocean, and everything it throws at them. Essential viewing!

Chasing The Sunrise (Documentary)

This is a full documentary with crew commentary about Tiki 38 Pilgrim’s first Atlantic crossing. Good times, hardships, and everything in between.

Storms, Speed Records, Freediving

Visual documentary of ‘Pilgrim’ sailing the Tyrrhenian Sea. Smashing through the waves at 19 knots, beautiful underwater and aerial footage. Inspirational viewing.

Luckyfish Boat Tour (Interior)

We check out all the space below decks – the parts you often don’t get to see in our other videos. We are excited to show you aboard our amazing catamaran!

Luckyfish Boat Tour (Deck)

In Part 1 we checked out the cabins. In this video we take a walk through the features above deck and explain much of the gear you have seen in previous videos.

Living On A Catamaran

An interview with Brett, a liveaboard Tiki 38 sailor who spends his days sailing the Australian waters. Includes a tour below decks.

Building a Tiki 38

YouTube Playlist

Highly detailed video blogs about the construction of a Tiki 38 in Thailand, from the YouTube channel ‘Building Wharram Sailboats’.

Pilgrim Sailing

YouTube Channel

Fantastic collection of well produced, inspiring footage from home made Tiki 38 catamaran ‘Pilgrim’ and her various ocean and coastal voyages.

Luckyfish Gets Away

YouTube Channel

We are sailing a beautiful catamaran that didn’t cost the earth. We crossed the Atlantic. We are now cruising the Caribbean before crossing the Pacific.

Jumpa Lagi

Sailing in the Philippines. Wharram cats are fast! Seen here sailing at 7-8 knots in 10-15 knots of wind, with one reef in, and towing a dinghy.

Marabu

Tiki 38 Marabu in action.

Panarai Sailing – Construction of Hulls

See the hulls come together in this time lapse video of the construction of a beautiful Tiki 38 built in Poland.

Narai

Wharram Women – Then And Now

By Kiana Weltzien. Shows James Wharram building Tehini in 1969 with adventurous women and then her own adventures on an old Narai across the Caribbean and later the Atlantic.

Solo Atlantic Crossing

By Kiana Weltzien. This is a scenic video of my solo West to East Atlantic Crossing in 2020, escaping from Spanish lockdown to be closer to my family near the Caribbean.

Indigo

Nice shots of Narai MK IV ‘Indigo’, a Wharram Classic Design, gracing Croatian waters.

Chehili

Narai MK II ‘Chehili’ dancing over the water at 8 knots in the Ionian sea.

Pahi 42

Pahi 42 ‘Anuanua’

Sets its ‘crab’ main and heads for the Med and south west.

‘Toccata’

Sailing a Pahi 42 ‘Toccata’ from Alderney – Channel Islands to Dielette. Fun aerial/GoPro footage.

Sailing through the first Gulf war

This is the video we made during the building in Bahrain and also of our sailing through the first Gulf War in 1988. We were the only yacht sailing in the Gulf at that time!

Tiki 46

Grazia Boat Tour

Meet the owners of Tiki 46 ‘Grazia’, learn about their liveaboard sailing lifestyle and take a virtual tour of the boat.

From the Mountains To The Boatyard

Part of an excellent series documenting a Tiki 46 build. This video looks at attaching the upper hull panels, before moving her to the other side of the continent.

Crossing The Atlantic

Atmospheric short home made film about day to day life crossing the Atlantic ocean on a Tiki 46. From Tenerife to Tobago in three weeks.

Tiki 46

Promo shots for the Wharram Tiki 46 catamaran, showing deck and interior.

Building Ma’tiki

YouTube Channel

Ongoing video documentary about the building of Tiki 46 Ma’tiki in the USA. Well produced and inspiring footage. Viewing highly recommended.

Oro 46

DIY Solar Powered Sailboat

Simon has transformed this derelict sailboat into an epic off-grid solar-powered and fossil-fuel free cruising catamaran. He’s been living aboard and renovating the boat for the past 3.5 years.

Cruising On Las Sirenas

Take a look around the ‘Las Sirenas’ – an Oro 46 charter dive boat. An exploration of the many nooks, crannies and cosy spaces on this large blue water cat!

Pahi 52

Enlarged Pahi 53 Expedition Boat

Adventure seeker Matt Knight gives a tour of his enlarged Pahi 52 and of the simple, practical solutions inherent in the design.

The Journey

World renowned big wave surfer Andrew Cotton searches for the next big swell in remote pockets of the world. The Pahi 52 makes the perfect expedition ship.

Calagorm Sets Sail For Greece

Pahi 52 ‘Calagorm’ motors out of harbour, hoists her striking red sails and makes her way to Greece.

Tehini

The Building And Sailing Of Tehini

Filmed by Ruth Wharram in the early days. Tehini was one of the largest cats of her time, built in less than 2 years with mainly hand tools. Her first voyages were to North Spain and Holland.

Islander 55

Life On An Epic Sailboat In Japan

Daniel and his family of 5 travel the world on their stunning 55ft Islander but for the last couple of years have called the inland sea of Japan home.

Sailing Japan Tour

Video and photo montage showing Islander 55 ‘Tiare’ cruising through some of the many islands that make up Japan’s inland sea.

Pahi 63

Anchored on Spirit of Gaia

When Hanneke Boon invited us to Portugal to experience living on Spirit of Gaia, how could we refuse? We hopped aboard Gaia to learn all we can about this minimalist traditional boat.

Largyalo In Action

Cinematic footage of boat and crew in action in the Ionian sea. The boat featured is an enlarged Pahi 63 (extended to 65′).

Largyalo In A Gale

Pahi 63 ‘Largyalo’ rides 5 metre waves at 14 knots in a force 8-9 while passing Isola di Levanzo, Sardinia, Italy.

Largyalo In A Thunderstorm

Atmospheric footage of enlarged Pahi 63 ‘Largyalo’ navigating a thunder storm in the Ionian sea.

Spirit of Gaia 30th Birthday

A personal tribute to Gaia and her creators. This video was shot in Greece September 2021. It was James Wharram’s last sail on Gaia. He tells us what Gaia meant to him.

Daysail In Greece

We sailed the Wharram flagship ‘Spirit of Gaia’ (Pahi 63) from Trizonia to Messolonghi marina, so she could be lifted out for a major refit.

From The Archives

Tangaroa Prepares For Atlantic Crossing

This fantastic clip captures the beginning of James’ career. From Falmouth the little 23′ Tangaroa sailed across the Bay of Biscay and crossed the Atlantic.

World Voyagers Arrive In Dublin

James and crew arrive home in the UK in 1960 after two successful Atlantic crossings, the latter of which was the first successful crossing of its kind by catamaran.

To Tell The Truth

James Wharram appears alongside Sir Edmund Hillary on the American gameshow ‘To Tell The Truth’ in 1959, after his first successful Atlantic crossing.

Tehini And Anuanua

The 51′ Tehini was James Wharram’s home for 12 years. In this video she is seen sailing alongside ‘Anuanua’ in North Wales, 1969.