We will be holding the Spring Wharram Rendezvous (a Hui Wharram) May 17-18-19, 2013 in Islamorada, FL (Florida Keys) at the world famous Lorelei Cabana Bar.

A “Hui Wharram” or “Hui-o-waa-Kaulua-Wharram” (Hawaiian) is a group or gathering of Wharram boats. There is no easier way to fulfill your sailing dreams – from sailing the trade winds or the local shores – than with a Wharram Sailing Catamaran. Wharrams range from 16’ to 63’ and are mostly home built of plywood. Stable, rugged, fast, FUN, comfortable, inexpensive to build, operate and repair!

Come, see and enjoy the boats. Just have fun. We talk about Wharrams and nearly any other boat. We tell sailing stories…some may even be true. We compare notes. We share pictures. We look at plans. We take pictures of each other’s boats and get some really good (and a few bad) ideas. We eat and drink and just have fun. Bring a boat if you have one but everyone is welcome … no boat needed! FREE! No registration, no costs, no plan (a perfect Keys event!)! Join us for a Dutch-treat dinner on Saturday night at the Lorelei…lots of door prizes!

For details send an email to floridawharramrendezvous@hotmail.com

Here are some photos of my Hinemoa design Cat. I bought it in 1998 in very rough condition and spent six months bringing it back to life. I sail it from Morro Bay California in the estuary and along the coast from Port San Luis to San Simeon Bay north. I made two trolleys for the hulls and have trailed it as far as Mulege Baja Mexico where four of us launched and beach camped for three weeks as far south as Porto Escondito. We found the boat a perfect match for this kind of trip.
 
Some photos:

1)      On the beach in the back bay Morro Bay



2)      Getting ready to assemble and launch Morro Bay launch ramp



3)      Ready to leave on Mexico trip.

 

 

The slightly inebriated young Pohnpeian exuded, "You guys are the best! You give money. You guys make the world spin! All the money. You are the greatest, you are the ones who do it all! Giving so much money."

Just a stranger on the street of Kolonia, and no, I personally didn't give him money. The capital of The Federated States of Micronesia runs on easy American money. Only ten years ago there were exports, bananas, black pepper, and, for generations, copra, but not anymore. Today the Micronesian drives to his office, entitled "Office of Development and Resources" or some such thing, a few times a week; plays solitaire or Facebook for an hour or two, and his paycheck buys everything he wants. Please read my essay on this very important subject at:

http://manuleleblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/development-assistance/

Still Pohnpei is a pretty ideal place for me at this time; everything I need is here. The scraggly, free-spirited tropical port town sprawls almost randomly over a richly jungle clad, steeply ridged peninsula with the sparkling wide barrier reef-bound lagoon glimpsed through the foliage. On a dry day it rains five or six times. This cascade tumbles down streams and rivers deeply cut into the black basalt bedrock of the island and nourishes economical fresh local island food; several varieties each of taro, breadfruit, limes, bananas, cooking greens, coconut, etc. Free tuna, wahoo, and other by-catch from the factory ships, salted and dried by myself, for my daily meat. There are oysters by the hundreds on the nearby shipwrecks. Thrift shop clothes are nearly free and, for boatwork, most supplies are in the hardware stores. Cheap wifi in the well stocked library. And since roughly one third of Micronesians reside in the US I can, as an American, stay here with a minimum of harassment from the immigration office. Still none of this explains why Manu Lele's been anchored here for two years.

Dear Mr Wharram & Ms Boon;

I have a story to tell.Twenty years ago, in 1992, my late partner, Fred Prussing, built us our Tiki 26 in Coromandel, New Zealand.(she took 9 months, like a baby) We made passage to Fiji and in 1994 we imported her to Fiji. Sadly in 1995, while cleaning her bottom my sweetheart had a stroke and died (at Musket Cove). The following year you made your first trip to Fiji and commented on how beautifully built our "Kitten" was. I was so sad when I heard this as Fred would have been thrilled by this.

Since then I have visited as often as I can, given that I live in Canada. Each time I visit, dear "Kitten" has deteriorated further. What I'd like to ask is do you know of anyone who would be prepared to take on her resurrection, here in Fiji in return for being able to sail her in Fiji waters, which as you know, are delightful. I am now 76 years old and was the navigator, not the sailor.

I need to know, before all, do you feel that a wooden boat of this age IS salvageable at all and if so can you help me find that very special person I seek-I could pay some money toward materials.This is a shot in the dark as I must return to Canada, leaving Fiji on October 27th. If I walk away from her in this state she will definitely be doomed. The resort owners, who have let me keep her here at Musket Cove since Fred's death, now would like to pull her out of the water after I leave-would she not be better off in the water? (barnacles and all) Sadly the resort owner, Dick Smith, died at the end of July, after a long illness.
When "Kitten" was damaged by hurricane Gavin in 1997 I contacted Hanneke Boon, who very kindly sent the specs for her damaged hatch cover, which a friend replaced.

Sorry for all the detail-I can supply pictures of the damage if you need this to make a decision-she is extremely sound below decks and I hate to give up on her.
Wharram lovers are a very special group so I thought I would go straight to the source, as Fred was such a huge admirer of your designs

Thank you for your indulgence (I'm using a dear friend's computer).

Hope Smith, 13 Close Avenue, Toronto, Canada M6k 2V2

We have one brand new Tiki 21 tent for sale. The last one handmade to the exact Tiki 21 tent design by the authorised tent maker, who is now retiring. Colour blue, including hinging aluminium frames, fastenings and inner tent.

Cost £550 (plus shipping), contact James Wharram Designs, wharram@wharram.com

Also available three more sets of aluminium frames, for those that want to make their own tent. Cost £80 (plus shipping), including drawings to make your own tent.

Photos of other tents made by same tentmaker:

On arrival in Satawal we were received by the three chiefs of the island, in the main "men / canoe house". After having shown our respects by bringing them presents: piece of cloth, cigarettes, rice... the spokesman tells us that we are welcome and can stay as long as we want. After a few exchanges, the chiefs ask us if we could sail with some people of the island on board our boats (we travel at the moment with Ingo and his boat Mahuini) to West Fayu, 75km north-west, for them to catch fish for the 500 people living on Satawal island (big job guys!). Satawal doesn’t have a lagoon; the ocean is right behind a small reef, which surrounds the island. West Fayu is, as one might say, their food (and tobacco) supplies reserve....


The next day as the weather is good, we take the opportunity to make the journey. The two boats take 3 persons each. In the afternoon we arrive in West Fayu’s beautiful lagoon. During the night, a canoe also made the trip, loaded with 11 people on board, plus 2 pigs ... in 15-20 knots of wind. They will remain a few weeks on the island.

For two months now we are in the Caroline islands. What a sight! The beauty of the heavenly islands with white sand, blue sea, coconut trees, lobsters, crabs (well, the usual list...), and the History…. The settlement of the islands of the Pacific, sailing canoes traveling hundreds of miles finding their way with the stars, waves, birds ...

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 having restored and sailed a small deep-keel monohull for a few years, he now wants to go back to a shallow draft catamaran and wants to build a Tiki around 24ft long.


Pierre La Plante's Hitia 17

Canadians who regularly sail in the St. Laurence River area need to be tough, alert sailors. Pierre ended his letter of enquiry with this P.S. "Do not forget the priorities, a hot soup, a dry bunk and a good book".

Or know of someone who does? For an upcoming book I'd like to hear from people with interesting lives (past or present) who live on interesting boats. Not your grand design vessels which cost more than most houses, beautiful though they may be, but boats which work for a living, take their owners on weekend adventures or all the way around the world. They can be large or small, gorgeous or ugly, even barely able to float - and this goes for the owners too! Whether sail, motor, canal or rowing boat, and no matter where in the world, I would love to hear from you. Please drop me a line at upintheair100@gmail.com Thank you very much.

Sent by Carsten Leschik




The professionally built Tama Moana „blaublixx2“ was launched from the beach of Panglao Island on 12th October 2011. After launching she was towed to Bohol Yacht Club in Tagbilaran where she was waiting for the arrival of her German owner Carsten Leschik and the skipper Klaus Hympendahl. The first sails where planned from Tagbilaran around Panglao Island back to the launching beach. Also a visit was planned to the beautiful island of Balicasag to the southwest of Panglao.

This week on the high (spring) tides we have made our first sails on Amatasi, I should say rows, as there has been very little wind. Here in Devoran the spring tides are unfortunately always in the late afternoon, so leaving us only a short sailing slot before sunset.



Anyway, she is easy to row, making about 2 – 2.5 knots under oar power.

On Wednesday 12th October Amatasi was launched.



The day was chosen weeks ago for the full moon with a spring tide, a propitious day. Nineteen years ago ‘Spirit of Gaia’ was launched at the full moon, her launching was a great memorable event and she has been a happy ship ever since. We hope the same will be the future of Amatasi.

The weather on launch day was beautiful, after days of grey clouds and drizzle, the sun shone, a light breeze blowing.

Here are some more photos of Spartan, the Tehini modified for disabled sailing.

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 city, Truro. Then an hour later, a simple stand-up from our low Japanese style seating, and a screaming pain struck my starboard knee.

For a week I had my knee lashed up and have been hobbling around as best I can! Now the lady readers of this column may snort and say "typical man!" However Emma, who now runs the Wharram dispatch office says knee damage pain is worse than childbirth (twins in her case)!! She should know, she once busted a knee playing rugby! Emma, a former 'would be' Ocean sailor and now a Cornish gig rower is a tough woman!
This confession of my physical/mental weakness is to introduce the subject of ‘Disabled Sailing’ and the remarkable story of Bruno and his Tehini 'Spartan'.


Spartan, adapted for wheelchair sailing, is launched in Durban. Note the deck cover with roll up sides and canvas toilet/shower, which Bruno can use with his wheelchair.

NOW SOLD! But you can order a new built Tama Moana from www.andy-smith-boatworks.com

Child of the Sea - Tama Moana, beautifully built by Andy Smith Boatworks in the Philippines.
For sale at $40,000, including outrigger canoe tender, ready to sail.
See: http://www.andy-smith-boatworks.com/asite-renewed/boatprojects/wildhoney_b.html