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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

James Wharram: life and legacy of the iconic designer

• January 29, 2024

Julien Girardot meets Hanneke Boon in Cornwall to discover the legend and legacy of pioneering catamaran designer James Wharram

Falmouth, Cornwall, 1955: a legend is born along Customs House Quay. A smartly dressed young man with wild, curly hair has launched a 23ft catamaran, built in just a few months for the modest sum of £200 (the equivalent of around £6,500 today).

Rigged as a ketch with battened junk sails, the aptly named Tangaroa (meaning ‘God of the Sea’ in Polynesian) marked the beginning of the epic Wharram story.

At the time, catamarans were considered dangerous and eccentric, while yachting was a pastime largely reserved for high society. But sailing already has other visionaries. On the deck of Tangaroa, beside James, are two young women: Jutta Schulze-Rhonhof and Ruth Merseburger. In puritanical post-war England, setting off to cross the Atlantic with two young women – and German ones at that – was downright shocking! But these three young people care not a jot about conventional thinking. They dream of adventure and their enterprise is an act of defiance.

For years James Wharram has nurtured a passion for the history of sailing pioneers and the ethnic origins of the multihull. Devouring every book on the subject he could lay his hands on, he discovered the story of Joshua Slocum, the first solo circumnavigator (1895-1898), and the voyage of Kaimiloa by the Frenchman Eric de Bisschop. The tale, published in English in 1940, of de Bisschop’s attempt to prove the seaworthiness of double canoes by making a voyage from Hawaii to France on a catamaran he had built on the beach, became Wharram’s primary source of inspiration.

Riding out the storm: James Wharram at the helm of Tangaroa in Biscay in 1955. Photo: Julien Girardot

Wharram disagreed with many assumptions of the time, and his first Atlantic crossing was an opportunity to refute Thor Heyerdahl’s theory on the settlement of the Pacific islands. Wharram contested the assertion of the Danish anthropologist who, after his voyage aboard the Kon-Tiki in 1947, affirmed that the boats used were simple rafts. Wharram was convinced that the boats were more akin to double canoes with sails, capable of going upwind and holding a course. These early multihulls, consisting of two hollowed-out tree trunks, were connected by crossbeams bound together with plant fibre. The sails were probably made from what is known as ‘tapa’ in Polynesia, hammered tree bark, which was also used to make clothes.

The three young adventurers left Falmouth on 27 September 1955 on a boat loaded with books, basic foods, and very little else. Despite a fraught passage, encountering storms in the Bay of Biscay and being suspected of being spies by Franco’s Guardia Civil, the trio successfully crossed the Atlantic and reached the island of Trinidad on 2 February 1957.

Without a penny to their name, they adopted a simple island life, and Jutta gave birth to her and James’ first child, Hannes. The unconventional polyamorous family lived aboard a raft inspired by the floating dwellings of the Pacific, nicknamed ‘the paradise island of the South Seas’. Tangaroa, now tired, was abandoned, as Wharram decided to build a new catamaran. By chance, two solo sailors came to anchor in the bay where the Wharram tribe lived afloat, and the legendary Bernard Moitessier and Henry Wakelam helped Wharram build his new design, Rongo.

Wharram, Merseburger and Schulze-Rhonhof aboard Tangaroa in Falmouth, 1955, before their Atlantic crossing. Photo: Julien Girardot

Thanks to the experience of his first transatlantic voyage, as well as knowledge gathered from Wharram’s endless reading, Rongo was much more accomplished. While Tangaroa was flat-bottomed, Rongo has V-hulls. To prove the design’s seaworthy qualities, Wharram decided to tackle the North Atlantic, sailing from west to east with his two companions. This route was known to strike fear into the hearts of multihull sailors of the time, as the two previous attempts had tragically ended in two deaths.

The crew left La Martinique for New York on 16 April 1959, one year after Rongo’s construction began. The return voyage to Conwy in Wales took 50 days, but the gamble paid off, and Wharram’s new design was the first to achieve what many thought impossible. The curly-haired eccentric became something of a celebrity, and following his great Atlantic adventure, James published his first book, Two girls, Two Catamarans. The years that followed were Wharram’s golden age, with plans released to suit every budget and every dream. Soon there were Wharram designs all over the world, connected by a powerful community spirit.

Drawing a Wharram

My own journey to this remote corner of Cornwall began decades before. After 15 years of travelling the world, inventing and reinventing my life, including many years living in the Pacific islands, I felt the need to capture these experiences by creating the boat of my dreams.

Illustrations inspired by a visit to the Wharram design office in Cornwall. Image: Benjamin Flao

While living in Tuamotu, I was involved in several incredible projects to build traditional sailing canoes under the directive of talented local Tahitian boatbuilder, Alexandre Genton (now chief of operations at Blue Composite shipyard in Tahiti). At first we launched small single-seat sailing canoes with two outrigger floats. These are the simplest way to sail: a sheet in one hand, a paddle in the other, which you plunge over the side of the canoe into the water, and it makes a perfect rudder. Then we built a larger version, Va’a Motu, for a hotel in Bora Bora, of splendid stripped kauri planking. Finally, we worked with the local population to build an ambitious 30ft Va’a Motu with a single ama, on the atoll of Fakarava in the Tuamotu archipelago.

Curiously, after many experimental trials at building and sailing canoes, my imagined ideal yacht turned out to be something very close to a Wharram design, which I learned as soon as I shared my first cautious sketches with friends. I realised I had to meet James Wharram.

In October 2021, I dialled the number of JW Designs. A woman answered; James’ long-term life and business partner Hanneke Boon. I tell her my ideas to build from one of their plans: the Islander 39. We began an email exchange and when I asked her what James thought of this model, in November 2021, less than a month before he died, she replied: “James is enthusiastic about your project. He’s now 93 years old and nearing the end of his life.

The Pahi 63 Spirit of Gaia which Wharram and Boon sailed around the world. Image: Benjamin Flao

“He has been looking at the Islander 39 design for several years and often says, ‘I wish I had one myself.’ It’s the only Wharram design that has never been built, so your project is a wish come true for him.”

On 14 December 2021, James Wharram passed away. Out of respect for the bereavement, and due to Covid-related travel restrictions, we decided to postpone our meeting. Some months later on a beautiful spring afternoon, I landed in Plymouth with my friend and artist Benjamin Flao, himself the owner of a Wharram-designed Tiki 28, and headed for Devoran near Truro in Cornwall, the stronghold of the Wharram family.

Hanneke welcomes us into her office. It is a beautiful wooden cabin, warm and bright, overlooking the changing lights of Cornwall. The place looks like a museum telling the story of a life of travel and passion through yacht models, photographs and unusual objects. James is there, you can feel it. A glance at the shelves of the library shows an impressive array of rare and precious books, mostly dealing with navigation and shipbuilding in Oceania, and demonstrates the seriousness with which Wharram and Boon studied the history and technicality of ‘double canoes’.

“I’d like our boats to be called double canoes and not catamarans, which I think is a mistake,” Hanneke explains. The word catamaran, originally pronounced ‘catamaron’, comes from the Tamil dialect of katta ‘to bind’ and maram ‘wood’, as they were actually one-man rafts used to work on the outer hull of ships. The English pirate and adventurer William Dampier, in the 1690s, was the first to describe a two-hulled vessel as a catamaran, but although catamarans might be the commonly accepted word nowadays, it’s actually a mistake.

oon unfolds the plans of the Islander 39, the only Wharram design that has never been built. Many plans were hand-drawn by Boon. Photo: Julien Girardot

Hanneke unfolds the Islander 39 plan on her drawing board. Like all Wharram plans for half a century, it has been marked with her signature. Despite this unique pencil stroke, she has remained in the shadow of Wharram’s mythology for 50 years. Since 1970, Boon has drawn the majority of the construction plans by hand. They’re works of art and the best way to imagine yourself aboard a Wharram. Without her, JW Designs would not be what it is.

Originally from the Netherlands, Boon grew up in a family of sailing enthusiasts. By the age of 14 she was already building small canoes and at the age of 20 she joined the Wharram team and quickly became his co-designer. They criss-crossed the Atlantic twice in quick succession aboard Tehini, the crab claw-rigged double canoe on which James and several women lived for 10 years. Since then, Hanneke has escaped from her office whenever she can to sail thousands of miles on all the seas of the world, always using a double canoe.

Those radical vessels included the Spirit of Gaia, also built on site, through a sliding door next to Hanneke’s office. It was aboard this 63ft Pahi, Wharram’s flagship, that the Wharrams sailed around the world from 1994 to 1998. James described Spirit of Gaia as “a beautifully shaped woman he was in love with”.

Boon’s design office is adjacent to the Wharram HQ in Devoran and looks out over one of the River Fal’s many creeks. Photo: Julien Girardot

In Wharram’s wake

James and Hanneke’s home is a former veterinary surgery. The furnishings are basic, with only the essentials, but the doors close by themselves, thanks to an ingenious system of weights, ropes and pulleys. Benjamin and I offer to shop and cook, and in the living room, we put the dishes down and eat on the floor, like on the deck of a Wharram.

Jamie, James and Hanneke’s son, joins us for the meal with his partner Liz. “James has remained the icon of the business, but it’s really Hanneke who has been doing the job for the last 10 years. She is JW Designs,” confides Liz.

Jamie is at first more subdued, but talking to him you soon discover a true character. Given the world he grew up in, it’s surprising to learn that sailing is not really his thing: “I get bored quickly at sea and I’m sick most of the time! I prefer to be underwater. Above the line is not my thing.

Evocative illustration of the Wharram workshop in Devoran, Cornwall. Image: Benjamin Flao

“I do like the calmness of the ocean though, that parenthesis effect, detached from our hectic lives on land. In fact, I think the best thing about sailing is remembering long voyages, not making them,” Jamie jokes.

But he is keen to preserve Wharram’s legacy and the couple are thinking ahead to when Hanneke can no longer hold the fort. “As long as Hanneke is alive, the business will be run in her own way. But it’s certain that something will be put in place to enable people to continue to acquire the building plans, at the very least, this service will remain guaranteed.”

Back in the office next door, Nicki John answers clients and sends plans around the world. She’s only been with JWD for a couple of years, but that’s long enough for her to fall in love with the company’s story.

“One of the things I loved about James was that he came in every day. He’d knock on the door and jokingly ask, ‘Do you have time for some gossip?’ And then he’d tell me all sorts of stories. His travels, the women he had shared his life with, it was fascinating. When he was 18, he hitchhiked to Europe, smuggling coffee on the black market to finance his adventures. James’ story is just phenomenal.

Mana 24 is available as a CNC-cut self-build kit boat. Photo: Julien Girardot

“One day James came in, took out a plan, unfolded it as he sat down, and said, ‘Aren’t they beautiful?’ James was deeply convinced of Hanneke’s talent. He never stopped admiring her,” Nicki says fondly.

The community Wharram fosters is unique. Nicki shows us a photo that defines the ‘Wharram spirit’, of the hull of a Wharram being lifted out of the second floor window of a home in England. With no shed to build their Wharram design, they decided to use their living room as a boatyard. “This picture shows that if you really want to build a Wharram, you can do it anywhere,” says Nicki, “During Covid, we sold a lot more plans. Confined, people dreamed of freedom and took time to figure out how they wanted to live their lives.”

Now it’s Hanneke’s turn to shine as the head of JWD. In contrast to the technologically-led path that sailing often follows, James and Hanneke’s ‘low tech’ approach drives those who follow it to reconnect with past knowledge, practices, and philosophical approaches to our relationship with the world and the way we live in it.

Their love of minimalism is also at odds with many trends in modern yachting, but it brings its own luxury. The joy of not having too much of anything allows you to make room for the essentials, and for the beauty that surrounds you.

My dream of building Wharram’s unfulfilled plan, the Islander 39, remains. I’m in no hurry. Like the libertarian vision of James Wharram, it endures.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

James Wharram: Eight bells for the multihull pioneer

• Katy Stickland
• January 7, 2022

Tributes have been paid to pioneering multihull designer and sailor James Wharram, who has died aged 93

James Wharram dedicated his life to to proving the Polynesian double canoe was an ocean worthy craft. Credit: James Wharram Designs

James Wharram, considered by many as the father of modern multihull cruising, has died, aged 93.

The free-spirited sailor and designer specialised in double-canoe style sailing catamarans, inspired by the Polynesian double canoe.

Born in Manchester in 1928, Wharram designed his first offshore cruising catamaran, Tangaroa in 1953 having read about Frenchman Éric de Bisschop’s 1937-1939 voyage from Hawaii to France in his double canoe.

Ruth Merseburger, later Ruth Wharram, was an early believer in James’s designs and theories and helped build his first multihull, Tangaroa . Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

Determined to prove the seagoing qualities of the double canoe, Wharram, accompanied by Ruth Merseburger, who later became Ruth Wharram, and Jutta Schultze-Rohnhof, sailed his 23ft 6 inch multihull from Falmouth across the Atlantic to Trinidad in 1956.

Wharram wrote about crossing the Bay of Biscay in Tangaroa for Yachting Monthly in 1956, going into details about the catamaran’s performance, easy motion and stability. This was in direct contrast to the then held opinion that a motion of a catamaran would be worse than on a keel yacht.

Three years later, having built the 40ft Rongo on a beach in Trinidad with the help of French sailor Bernard Moistessier, Wharram, Ruth and Jutta sailed to New York before crossing the North Atlantic – the first ever North Atlantic West-to-East crossing by multihull.

Onboard Rongo in the Atlantic with his son Hannes. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

James Wharram started designing for self-builders in 1965.

Along with his partners Ruth Wharram and Hanneke Boon, he created distinctive V-hull double-ended catamarans, from 13ft to over 60ft, selling more than 10,000 sets of plans.

Jutta Schultze-Rohnhof and Ruth Merseburger with James Wharram before they left Falmouth onboard Tangaroa. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

Wharram believed in a ‘less is more’ approach to boat building, and all of his boats are of simple construction, aimed at amateur boat builders, including the Tiki 21, Cooking Fat , which became the smallest catamaran to sail around the world when skippered by Rory McDougall from 1991-1997.

In May 1992, Wharram launched the 63ft Pahi, Spirit of Gaia , from his home on Restronguet Creek in Cornwall, sailing 32,000 miles around the world from England to Greece via the Pacific.

Spirit of Gaia. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

The catamaran, which has a low freeboard and trademark Wharram Wingsail Rig, was conceived as a base ship for studying whales and dolphins at sea, able to accommodate 16 people offshore.

Continues below…

Wharram cats launched to search for ancestors

Lapita voyage boats launched in Philippines

60th anniversary of first Wharram catamaran to set sail from Falmouth

60 years ago, on the 27th September 1955, James Wharram set sail from Falmouth aboard a self-built 23ft 6in flat-bottomed

In 2008, Wharram’s career came full circle, when 50 years after his pioneering voyages, he sailed 4,000 miles on one of two 38ft double canoes along the island chains of the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomons.

Sailing Spirit of Gaia. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

Known as the Lapita Voyage , the canoes were based on an ancient Polynesian canoe hull-form, and were powered by sail alone, using traditional Polynesian crab claw sails and steering paddles.

Paying tribute to her life partner, Hanneke Boon wrote: ‘ James was a trailblazer, a fighter with great determination and vision. From a young age he followed his passions – to roam the hills – for fair politics – for intelligent women – to sail the seas – to prove the Polynesian double canoe an ocean worthy craft – to become a Man of the Sea.

With his life partners, Ruth Wharram, who died in 2013 aged 92 and Hanneke Boon. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

‘These passions made him into a pioneer of catamaran sailing and a world-renowned designer of unique double-canoe catamarans that now sail the oceans.

‘He designed for people who wanted to break out of mundane lives, gave them boats they could build at an affordable cost and gave them the opportunity to become People of the Sea like himself.’

James Wharram preferred sailing to building and tried to make all of his design as simple as possible to build. Courtesy: James Wharram Designs

In the last few years of Wharram’s life he developed Alzheimer’s. He died on 14 December.

‘He could not face the prospect of further disintegration and made the very hard call to end it himself. It was with great courage that he lived his life and with great courage he decided it was the time to finish,’ wrote Hanneke

‘In this moment of great loss we should all remember the good and glorious times of a life fulfilled. This is not the end, I, we, all the Wharram World will keep his work alive.’

James Wharram 1928-2021

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James Wharram Designs

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About james wharram designs.

Who Are We?

James Wharram Designs are designers of unique double-canoe style sailing catamarans inspired by the canoe craft of the Pacific. They have their headquarters on the shore of Restronguet creek in Devoran, Cornwall.

James Wharram was the pioneer of offshore multihulls, making his first Atlantic crossing by catamaran in 1956 and the first ever North Atlantic West-to-East crossing by multihull in 1959. He started designing for self-builders in 1965. In 1973 Hanneke Boon joined him and became his co-designer.

Wharram designs are based on years of practical, hands-on experience of building and sailing ocean-going catamarans.

Wharram designs are renowned for their seaworthiness , stability and safe simplicity . Ask any ocean sailor and they will have seen Wharram catamarans in far off ports of call.

Designs from 14’ – 63’ are available for self-building in ply/epoxy with very detailed, easy to follow Plans often described as 'a course in boatbuilding'.

Several franchised yards offer professionally built Wharrams .

To find more about what Wharram Designs has to offer, explore our website. If you want to build your own catamaran and experience the freedom of sailing, your dream begins here.

Hanneke Boon

Hanneke Boon is head of James Wharram Designs , a role she has carried out for more than ten years, whilst supporting James Wharram in his advancing years.

Born in the Netherlands, Hanneke grew up in a sailing family. She was building and sailing Polynesian Catamarans at the age of fourteen and joined the James Wharram team at the age of 20. Being a very gifted artist / graphic designer / craftworker, she became James Wharram's co-designer.

Hanneke's all-round art abilities and practical boatbuilding experience have produced some of the clearest boat building instruction plans ever produced. She has drawn the majority of the Wharram Boatbuilding Plans since the 1970s.

Hanneke made two Atlantic catamaran crossings on Tehini when she first joined the team. Since then she has sailed thousands of ocean miles, including sailing round the world on Spirit of Gaia (1994-98), a voyage to Iceland (1999) and the 4000Nm Lapita Voyage (2008-09), when she skippered 'Lapita Anuta'. In 2022 she again crossed the Atlantic as crew on Pahi 65 'Largyalo' and is now the captain of 'Spirit of Gaia', sailing her in the Mediterranean.

She has built, or taken part in building more than sixteen Wharram designs, including developing many prototypes and the 63ft Spirit of Gaia. She is an expert in working with epoxy and has made instructional videos of her boatbuilding. From 2012 – 2016 she fully restored the 20 year old Spirit of Gaia with the help of volunteers.

She now sails when she can escape the drawing board or the computer. Hanneke loves experimenting with sail-rigs and shared James' deep interest in Marine Archaeology and the origins of Canoeform watercraft.

The following video is of Hanneke giving a 'Pecha Kucha' style presentation in Amsterdam on the subject of 'Integrating Philosophy with Boat design'. This very short presentation sums up Hanneke's history from a sailing childhood to becoming a boat builder, designer and ocean sailor. Throughout the theme is 'simplicity' as the philosophy behind the designs of James and Hanneke.

At the end of James' life she helped him finish his autobiography ' People of the Sea ' (published in 2020), which tells the full story of their lives.

BBC Radio Cornwall Interview - July 2023

More about hanneke:.

Hanneke's realised vision to build 2 Tikopian double canoes and give them to the islands of Tikopia and Anuta, so they can continue to be self-sufficient and take pride in their ancient sailing heritage. The two canoes would then be sailed the 3000 miles to Tikopia along the ancient Polynesian migration route for handing over to the islanders.

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

Hanneke headed a varying team of helpers that have made an annual visit to Greece since 2012 to carry out maintenance work. She has written detailed blogs that cover this work in detail and we hope they may be useful to you in carrying out your own project.

The fully story of Hanneke's life of sailing and designing with James.

James Wharram

James Wharram (1928-2021) designed his first offshore cruising double-canoe/catamaran, the 23' 6" TANGAROA in 1953, before the word catamaran was yet in common use and began sailing with her off the coast of Britain with two German girls, Ruth Merseburger (Wharram) and Jutta Schultze-Rohnhof. He was inspired to do this by Frenchman Eric de Bisschop , who sailed a double canoe from Hawaii to France in 1939. James believed in the innate seagoing qualities of the double canoe and set out to prove them with two pioneering Trans Atlantic voyages on TANGAROA (1956) and 40ft RONGO (1959). He wrote an account of these first pioneering years in Two Girls Two Catamarans .

Since then, James Wharram, has been designing, building and sailing offshore catamarans longer than any other multihull designer . Already in 1987 the 'Multihulls Buyers Guide' showed that James Wharram Designs had sold three times more plans than any other multihull designer in the world. Design sales have since topped 10,000.

One reason for this success is that James Wharram was a 'hands-on' designer having, over his lifetime, built personally many of the prototype designs. These prototypes were built in the open, in barns, workshops and all the range of building sites available to self-builders, in a variety of climate types from northern European to the Tropics.

Because James and his co-designer Hanneke Boon preferred sailing to building, they have always endeavoured to refine their Construction methods to their simplest form, following the famous Bauhaus motto "Less is More". The advent of epoxy in boatbuilding in 1980, combined with a Wharram and Boon evolved 'Stitch & Glue' building method, opened up new ways of achieving this aim.

Together with Hanneke he developed many new Appropriate Technology building methods. Of special note here are the lashed crossbeam connections and the Wharram Wingsail Rig .

Throughout his life, James has been interested in the history of Watercraft, particularly the origins of the Canoeform craft of the Pacific. He has written papers on this subject and lectured at Marine Archaeological conferences. He was made a 'Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society' for his pioneering work in this field.

In 2008, his career came full circle, when at the age of eighty, 50 years after his pioneering voyages, he sailed the arduous Lapita Voyage , the ancient migration route into the Pacific, on the Tama Moana design 'Lapita Anuta' skippered by Hanneke Boon.

In his final years he focussed his energies with Hanneke's help on finishing his autobiography ' People of the Sea '.

The charismatic James was often referred to as a 'Living Legend' or as written in 'Yachting Monthly' in January 2006: "James Wharram is considered by many to be the father of modern multihull cruising."

James Wharram passed away on 14th December 2021. However, this is not the end. Hanneke and all the Wharram World will keep his work alive.

More about James:

People of the Sea is the life story of iconic catamaran designer James Wharram, from a Wartime childhood in Manchester, to mountaineer, to pioneer catamaran sailor in the 1950s, to designer of modern Polynesian catamarans.

Written by James Wharram. A tale of adventure in the fifties, when James Wharram and two German girls, Ruth and Jutta, sailed from Falmouth and across the Atlantic in their homemade catamaran Tangaroa. The story of their stormy crossing of the Bay of Biscay, their winter in northern Spain living off the proceeds of magazine articles, and the dangers encountered in their unusually rough trade wind passage to Trinidad.

Philosophical writings by James, papers delivered at major marine archeology conferences, and biographies.

On the 14th December James Wharram left this earthly world, joining Ruth, Jutta and his many close friends that departed before him. At 93 years old his spirit has set out on the voyage to sail the oceans of heaven.

This eulogy was delivered by Matt Knight at James Wharram's funeral service, which took place at 3:00pm on Thursday 30th December at Truro Crematorium.

In the summer of 2022, we held a special Hui in celebration of James’ life. A fleet of Wharram catamarans and other boats joined us.

Ruth Wharram

German born Ruth Merseburger (1921-2013) was James' other lifelong partner and shared James Wharram's early pioneering voyages. Ruth was one of the first people to believe James in the early 1950's when he said that the ancient double-canoe of the Polynesians would be the yacht of the future. With her practical determination she has been the driving force behind James in his many projects .

A first class navigator (in the days before GPS) she made seven Atlantic crossings, endured a severe gale crossing the Tasman Sea, sailed half way round the world on 63ft 'Spirit of Gaia' and made innumerable coastal voyages on Wharram catamarans. She was always in demand to be crew/navigator on all types of sailing yachts.

Her sailing adventures started in the early 1950s and continued throughout her life. Alongside this she drafted some of the plans of the early Classic Designs and managed the Wharram sales office for over 40 years, communicating with the hundreds of builders. In her late 80s she retired as office manager but kept in communication with her many sailing friends by email and followed James and Hanneke's sailing adventures on the internet.

Ruth has been a writer, photographer and film maker. She shot all the footage for the Building and Sailing of Tehini film on a hand-wound 16mm Bolex. She had many articles of her sailing experiences published and in 2008 assembled her writings in a Special Collection .

Ruth passed away on September 4th 2013 leaving a big gap in the James Wharram Designs team.

More about Ruth:

Two vintage movies filmed by Ruth Wharram in the early days of Wharram Catamaran designs. Tehini was one of the largest catamarans of her time and was built in less than 2 years with mainly hand tools. Her first voyages were to North Spain and Holland, during which time she met many other Wharram Catamarans. Free to watch online.

A wonderful collection of articles, stories and diaries by Ruth Wharram.

Ruth Wharram (nee Merseburger) has departed this life in the early morning of 4th September, at the age of 92, at home in Devoran.

Clipper Media News

Obituary: james wharram (catamaran boatbuilder, atlantic sailor) (93).

“Is he a philosopher, or a crackpot? A lifestyle guru or a libertine? Could he be a madman or might he be perhaps, unsettlingly sane? One thing is for sure: he is one of 20th-century seafaring’s most iconic figures.”

Photo: Aboard  Annie  with his first sea-going partner, Ruth Merseburger. Ruth and James lived and worked together until her death in 2013

21 February 2022 | James Porteous | Clipper Media

Of James Wharram’s life, wikipedia states: James Wharram  (15 May 1928 – 14 December 2021) was a British multihull pioneer and designer of  catamarans .

T here are additional details of his life and times but the rendering is rather dispassionate.

As you will see below, Wharrman was many things, but lacking passion -in all things- was not part of his life.

Alth ough probably unknown to most of us, his life appears to have been one worth exploring and remembering. James Porteous

James Wharram obituary

Catamaran boatbuilder, Atlantic sailor and adventurer with an unconventional family life

04 February 2022 | Sam Wollaston | The Guardian

On 27 September 1955, James Wharram  set sail from Falmouth  in a 23½ft flat-bottomed double canoe (now called a catamaran) that he had built himself at a cost of £200, with no engine, and none of the electronic navigation equipment today’s sailors take for granted.

His quest was to cross the Atlantic, in order to prove that such a vessel, the ancient craft of the Polynesians, was an oceanworthy one. The boat was called Tangaroa, after the Polynesian god of the sea.

With Wharram, who has died aged 93, were two German women, Jutta Schultze-Rhonhof and Ruth Merseburger, both of whom he was romantically involved with. “They were very happy to share ‘their man’,” he wrote. “There was no jealousy.”

Wharram’s book about this and subsequent voyages was titled Two Girls, Two Catamarans (1969) and it seemed like the ultimate hippy adventure, before hippies had even been invented.

But the trip was far from plain sailing. There were storms in the Bay of Biscay; in Spain Franco’s Guardia Civil thought the travellers were spies; in Gran Canaria they encountered former SS officers escaping to South America; they nearly capsized twice crossing the Atlantic. Wharram and Shultze-Rhonhof were terribly seasick; she found out she was pregnant; and meanwhile Tangaroa’s wooden hulls were being eaten by shipworms. Somehow, after a gruelling five-week crossing, they reached Trinidad.

If anything, though, it was more like a beginning than an end. Schultze-Rhonhof gave birth to a son, Hannes. Wharram built a new, bigger catamaran, named Rongo, that they sailed to New York, arriving in 1959.

There he found himself alongside Sir Edmund Hillary on a TV quiz show called To Tell the Truth; the audience had to guess which of the three contestants posing as the mountaineer was the real one. Hillary helped Wharram win, and with the prize money he was able to buy a radio for his next voyage, another Atlantic crossing, back to Britain later that year. Wharram was well on his way to a life of seafaring, boat design and boatbuilding.

He was born in Manchester, the only child of James, a builder, and his wife, Blanche (nee Cook). As a teenager Wharram enjoyed climbing and roaming the moors. And he read, spending hours in the city’s central library reading about boats, particularly about the ancient Polynesian boats.

The Voyage of the Kaimiloa by Éric de Bisschop (1939), about sailing from Hawaii to France, became a lifelong love and inspiration. He also read George Bernard Shaw, HG Wells, Bertrand Russell, William Morris, Adam Smith, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes; he became chairman of a Labour party youth group, but was saved from politics by his wanderlust.

Wharram left technical college to travel and work around Europe, where he discovered a new love: for women. Traudl, an Austrian psychologist, introduced him to Freud and Jung. Pat, an American 10 years his senior, gave him a book called Boat Building in Your Own Back Yard.

Back in the UK, he worked as a labourer, on a trawler, in a boat yard. Walking in the Lake District, he met Merseburger, who would accompany him on that first transatlantic voyage on Tangaroa with Schultze-Rhonhof, whom he met at a swimming pool.

Wharram married Schultze-Rhonhof in 1959, but she had a breakdown, and died falling from a tower in Spain.

Five years later, Wharram married Merseburger. They remained together until her death in 2013, joined in the late 60s by Hanneke Boon, who met Wharram when her family, holidaying in Wales, had helped him on another boat-building project. He and Hanneke had a son, Jamie.

There were other women coming and going, further catamarans, and further adventurous trips, then a  business  the three of them ran together from Cornwall, where they settled. Wharram designed catamarans based on Polynesian principles, and they sold the designs.

These are not boats for millionaire yachties, but for enthusiasts to make themselves and get to sea cheaply. And Wharram was not your typical yachtsman; it is perhaps not surprising the sailing establishment has sometimes viewed him with some suspicion.

He was impossible to ignore, though, and slowly they came round to him. “Who is James Wharram?” asked the yachting writer Tom Cunliffe in Sail magazine in 2007. “Is he a philosopher, or a crackpot? A lifestyle guru or a libertine? Could he be a madman or might he be perhaps, unsettlingly sane? One thing is for sure: he is one of 20th-century seafaring’s most iconic figures.” In 2018 he won a lifetime achievement award from Classic Boat magazine.

In his last years Wharram lived with Alzheimer’s disease. “He struggled with his diminished existence,” wrote Boon, whom he married in 2018. “He could not face the prospect of further disintegration and made the very hard call to end it himself.” Wharram took his own life.

He is survived by Hanneke, Hannes (now known as Jonathan) and Jamie.

 James Wharram, sailor and boat designer, born 15 May 1928; died 14 December 2021.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BOATING

Are you interested in boating? Check out this wonderful site, Pontooners , which I found whilst doing my research!

Boating can be a great way to spend more time outdoors with loved ones, friends, and even your dog! Whether you live close to a dock or further away in the country, anybody can enjoy the ocean breeze or tranquil lifestyle that a boat enables.

James Wharram: Eight bells for the multihull pioneer

07 Janurary 2022 | Katy Stickland | Yachting Monthly

James Wharram, considered by many as the father of modern  multihull  cruising, has died, aged 93.

The free-spirited sailor and designer specialised in double-canoe style sailing catamarans, inspired by the Polynesian double canoe.

Born in Manchester in 1928, Wharram designed his first  offshore  cruising catamaran,  Tangaroa  in 1953 having read about Frenchman Éric de Bisschop’s 1937-1939 voyage from Hawaii to France in his double canoe.

Determined to prove the seagoing qualities of the double canoe, Wharram, accompanied by Ruth Merseburger, who later became Ruth Wharram, and Jutta Schultze-Rohnhof, sailed his 23ft 6 inch multihull from Falmouth across the  Atlantic  to Trinidad in 1956.

Wharram wrote about crossing the Bay of Biscay in Tangaroa for  Yachting Monthly  in 1956, going into details about the catamaran’s performance, easy motion and stability. This was in direct contrast to the then held opinion that a motion of a catamaran would be worse than on a keel yacht.

Three years later, having built the 40ft  Rongo  on a beach in Trinidad with the help of French sailor Bernard Moistessier, Wharram, Ruth and Jutta sailed to New York before crossing the North Atlantic – the first ever North Atlantic West-to-East crossing by multihull.

James Wharram started designing for self-builders in 1965.

Along with his partners Ruth Wharram and Hanneke Boon, he created distinctive V-hull double-ended catamarans, from 13ft to over 60ft, selling more than 10,000 sets of plans.

Wharram believed in a ‘less is more’ approach to boat building, and all of his boats are of simple construction, aimed at amateur boat builders, including the Tiki 21,  Cooking Fat , which became the smallest catamaran to sail around the world when skippered by Rory McDougall from 1991-1997.

In May 1992, Wharram launched the 63ft Pahi,  Spirit of Gaia , from his home on Restronguet Creek in Cornwall, sailing 32,000 miles around the world from England to Greece via the Pacific.

In 2008, Wharram’s career came full circle, when 50 years after his pioneering voyages, he sailed 4,000 miles on one of two 38ft double canoes along the island chains of the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomons.

Known as the  Lapita Voyage , the canoes were based on an ancient Polynesian canoe hull-form, and were powered by sail alone, using traditional Polynesian crab claw sails and steering paddles.

Paying tribute to her life partner, Hanneke Boon wrote: ‘James was a trailblazer, a fighter with great determination and vision. From a young age he followed his passions – to roam the hills – for fair politics – for intelligent women – to sail the seas – to prove the Polynesian double canoe an ocean worthy craft – to become a Man of the Sea.

‘These passions made him into a pioneer of catamaran sailing and a world-renowned designer of unique double-canoe catamarans that now sail the oceans.

‘He designed for people who wanted to break out of mundane lives, gave them boats they could build at an affordable cost and gave them the opportunity to become People of the Sea like himself.’

In the last few years of Wharram’s life he developed Alzheimer’s. He died on 14 December.

‘He could not face the prospect of further disintegration and made the very hard call to end it himself. It was with great courage that he lived his life and with great courage he decided it was the time to finish,’ wrote Hanneke

‘In this moment of great loss we should all remember the good and glorious times of a life fulfilled. This is not the end, I, we, all the Wharram World will keep his work alive.’

James Wharram 1928-2021

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How Big Is A Catamaran? (Here’s What You Need To Know)

Catamarans are rapidly growing in popularity as a recreational boat option, but many people don’t know what size catamaran to buy.

Whether you’re considering purchasing a catamaran for the first time or you’re a seasoned sailor looking to upgrade your boat, understanding catamaran size is essential.

In this article, we’ll give you an overview of catamarans, the benefits of owning one, different types of catamarans, factors that affect size, and average sizes of catamarans.

We’ll also discuss how to customize your catamaran and what safety and maintenance considerations you need to keep in mind.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about catamaran size.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Catamarans come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small, single-person vessels to large, ocean-going vessels.

The length of a catamaran can range from 8-50 feet, with the average size being between 20-30 feet.

Bigger catamarans can have multiple cabins and berths and can even be used for overnight trips.

Overview of Catamarans

Catamarans have been around for centuries, and they are still widely used today for recreational and commercial purposes.

Catamarans are two-hulled boats that are typically powered by an outboard motor or sail.

They are usually made of either wood or fiberglass, and feature two parallel hulls connected by a bridge.

This design allows them to provide better stability and speed than traditional monohull boats.

Catamarans are also incredibly versatile, and can be outfitted with a variety of amenities to suit any type of voyage.

When it comes to size, catamarans come in a wide range.

The average size of a catamaran ranges from 16 to 50 feet, but larger vessels can reach up to 100 feet or more.

Smaller vessels are typically used for day trips and short cruises, while larger boats can hold up to 12 people and can be used for extended cruises.

Some larger catamarans even come equipped with kitchens, bedrooms, and other amenities for extended journeys.

No matter the size, catamarans offer superior stability and performance on the water.

They are also more fuel efficient than monohull boats, and can often reach higher speeds.

Catamarans are also often more cost-effective than monohulls, and can provide a great value for the money.

Benefits of Owning a Catamaran

The benefits of owning a catamaran are numerous.

For starters, they are incredibly stable, making them ideal for extended cruises on the open water.

They are also incredibly fast, with some speeds reaching up to 18 knots.

This makes them perfect for getting to your destination quickly and efficiently.

Additionally, catamarans are known for their spaciousness, making them ideal for larger groups looking to spend time on the water.

Many larger catamarans have luxurious amenities such as onboard kitchens and bathrooms, giving you all the comforts of home while youre on the water.

Finally, catamarans are incredibly fuel efficient, so you wont have to worry about spending too much money on fuel.

All in all, owning a catamaran can be a great way to explore the open water.

With their stability, speed, spaciousness, and fuel efficiency, they provide an ideal solution for those looking to spend time out on the water.

Whether youre looking for a small day trip boat or a large luxury vessel for extended cruises, catamarans come in a variety of sizes that are sure to suit your needs.

Types of Catamarans

Catamarans come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small recreational boats to large luxury vessels.

Smaller boats are typically used for day trips, while larger boats can be used for extended cruises.

Catamarans offer both stability and speed, and can be outfitted with a variety of amenities.

The most common type of catamaran is the sailing catamaran, which is characterized by its two hulls connected by a central deck.

This type of boat is typically used for racing, cruising, and fishing.

It has the advantage of greater stability than a single-hull boat, as well as increased speed due to its shallow draft.

Power catamarans are another type of vessel, which are usually motor-driven and typically used for recreational activities such as fishing, cruising, and watersports.

Power catamarans are typically larger than sailing catamarans, and they offer greater stability and speed than a single-hull boat.

Catamaran sizes can range from 16 feet to 50 feet or more.

Smaller vessels are generally used for day trips, while larger boats can hold up to 12 people and be used for extended cruises.

Smaller catamarans are more maneuverable, while larger vessels offer more space and comfort.

When selecting a catamaran, it is important to consider your intended use and the size of your crew.

Smaller boats are better suited for day trips, while larger boats are better for extended cruises.

Additionally, consider the amenities that you want on board.

Catamarans can be outfitted with a variety of amenities, from sleeping and cooking accommodations to entertainment systems.

No matter what type of catamaran you choose, you will enjoy the stability and speed of this unique type of vessel.

With a variety of sizes and amenities available, you can find the perfect boat for your next adventure.

Factors That Affect Catamaran Size

When it comes to catamarans, size does matter.

The size of a catamaran will have a direct impact on how it performs on the water, as well as the amenities it can offer.

There are a few key factors that can determine the size of a catamaran, including the number of passengers, the type of activities you plan to do, and the type of vessel you are looking for.

The number of passengers is one of the most important factors when it comes to determining the size of a catamaran.

Smaller vessels are generally best suited for day trips or short cruises with a limited number of passengers, while larger vessels can accommodate up to 12 passengers for extended trips.

The type of activities you plan to do also plays a role in what size catamaran you should choose.

If you plan to do a lot of sailing, a larger vessel with more space may be better suited for your needs.

On the other hand, if you plan to do more fishing or pleasure cruising, a smaller vessel may be better.

Lastly, the type of vessel you are looking for can also be a determining factor in the size of a catamaran.

If you are looking for a luxurious vessel with plenty of amenities, a larger catamaran is the way to go.

However, if you are looking for a more economical option, a smaller vessel may be more suitable.

No matter what size catamaran you are looking for, there are a variety of options available.

Knowing the key factors that affect the size of a catamaran can help you make the right choice for your needs.

Average Sizes of Catamarans

When it comes to the size of a catamaran, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

The average size of a catamaran ranges from 16 to 50 feet, with smaller vessels typically used for day trips and larger boats for extended cruises.

Small catamarans can range from 16 to around 40 feet, while larger boats can reach up to 50 feet and higher.

For general cruising, the popular sizes of catamarans range from 40 to 50 feet.

This size is large enough to comfortably fit a family of four or more, and can feature amenities such as a full galley, a spacious salon, and multiple cabins.

For day trips, smaller catamarans in the 16 to 40-foot range are usually the best option.

These boats are typically faster than their larger counterparts and can accommodate up to 12 people.

Smaller catamarans are also easier to maneuver and require less maintenance, making them ideal for short trips.

In addition to size, catamarans also come in a variety of styles and designs.

Some are designed for racing, while others are built for cruising.

Racing catamarans are usually smaller and lighter, with a focus on speed and agility.

Cruising catamarans are typically larger and more luxurious, with features such as air conditioning and satellite TV.

No matter what size you choose, a catamaran can provide you with a unique and enjoyable boating experience.

With its stability and speed, a catamaran is the perfect choice for a day trip or an extended cruise.

So, how big is a catamaran? The answer depends on your needs and preferences, but the average size is between 16 and 50 feet.

Customizing a Catamaran

When it comes to catamarans, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The size of a catamaran depends on its intended purpose and the number of people it will be accommodating.

Smaller catamarans are often used for day trips and recreational activities, while larger vessels are often used for extended cruises and can accommodate up to 12 people.

When customizing a catamaran, there are a number of features you can select from to ensure your vessel is perfectly suited to your needs.

For example, you can choose from a variety of amenities such as air conditioning, a television, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

You can also select from a range of materials such as fiberglass, Kevlar, and carbon fiber.

In addition, the design of the catamaran can be customized to your needs.

For example, you may opt for a more luxurious catamaran with an open-plan design or a more practical catamaran with a more enclosed design.

The size of the hulls and the number of deck levels can also be adjusted to suit your needs.

Finally, the propulsion system of a catamaran can be customized to maximize its efficiency.

Outboard motors, inboard motors, and sailboats are all popular propulsion systems for catamarans.

Each type of propulsion system offers its own advantages and disadvantages, so its important to consider your needs before making a decision.

By taking the time to customize a catamaran, you can ensure that your vessel is perfectly suited to your needs and will provide you with the experience of a lifetime.

Maintenance and Safety Considerations

When it comes to catamarans, size definitely matters.

Not only does the size of a catamaran determine how many people it can accommodate, but it also affects the maintenance and safety considerations that go along with owning and operating one of these vessels.

Larger catamarans require more upkeep, including regularly scheduled maintenance of the hull, motor, and other components.

They also require more attention to safety, as bigger boats can be more difficult to handle in rough waters or high winds.

On the flip side, smaller catamarans require less maintenance and are more maneuverable, making them ideal for day trips or shorter cruises.

No matter the size of the catamaran, safety should always be a priority.

Before setting out on a voyage, make sure the vessel is properly equipped with life jackets, fire extinguishers, and other essential safety gear.

Additionally, all crew members should be familiar with boating safety protocols.

Knowing how to handle the vessel in adverse conditions is essential to staying safe on the water.

It is also important to keep an eye on the weather and be aware of any changes that could affect the catamarans performance.

For example, high winds can create choppy waters and make it more difficult to maneuver larger vessels.

It is always best to err on the side of caution and check the forecast before heading out.

Finally, it is important to be aware of the catamarans draft.

The draft is the depth of the water required for the vessel to float, and it is affected by the size of the catamaran.

Shallow waters require vessels with a shallow draft, while deeper waters require deeper drafts.

Knowing the draft of the catamaran is essential for safe navigation in any part of the world.

By taking into account the size of the catamaran, as well as the maintenance and safety considerations that come along with it, catamaran owners can ensure a safe and enjoyable voyage.

With the right preparation and knowledge of the vessels capabilities, catamaran owners can have a great time out on the water.

Final Thoughts

Catamarans are a great option for those looking for a reliable, stable, and speedy vessel.

With a variety of sizes available, there is sure to be something that will perfectly fit your needs, whether it’s for a day trip or an extended cruise.

With the right customization, maintenance, and safety considerations, you can enjoy the perfect catamaran experience.

So, if you’re considering buying a catamaran, now you know how big to make it!

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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