Generosity of others!!!!

Sometimes reading the daily news I get somewhat depressed by the evil manifested by some people. Then someone is so kind to me that I have to reset my thinking and understand the most people, like 98%, are kind and generous. In this case it was the out of the blue delivery of a package from the man I bought my plans from, contained in that package were copies of the lashing arrangement used on the Tiki 31. I wanted these since this is one thing I still want to change i.e. the beam to deck connection. I’m not totally off in left field since the plans I have even suggest using lashing instead of straps for serious offshore work. I’m going to investigate if I can build with both methods usable. So that I could launch quickly then change to lashing at my leisure.

Really a design change? Are the cross beams OK?

Tiki 30 crossbeam

After studying the cross beams some more I think I'm comfortable with them. They appear to be an I-beam but with fairings. I believe that if I install some 6oz cloth on the lower surface extending over the vertical beam's horizontal components then the possible rot issue would be solved. In my limited wood/epoxy experience rot happens when water sits on a piece of wood that has only epoxy coating not on one with a minimal layer of cloth over it. My guess is the wood expands/contracts with heat and opens up pores. Also the end grain deserves special attention.

Plans and modification already!!

The deal on the plans came through and straight from Southern California to my doorstep in snowy Maryland via the USPS in only 2 days! It's like Christmas in my mother-in-laws house! My mother-in-law is the greatest and let me build my CLC Passagemaker a few years ago in her garage. I’m sure if I asked she would let me take the garage once again for Tiki build, but she has a new car and I think that’s asking too much, I’ll just need to wait until we get back to our house in Maine.

I'm already thinking of changing the cross beam from the enclosed triangular design to the I-beam used on the Tiki 31. I don't like the idea of having an enclosed space for potential rot on such a structurally important item.

Next is the beam to hull attachment, the standard plans use webbing allot like a car seat belt. But the plans talk about using a lashing arrangement for offshore work. I'll need to get my hands on some plans for that mod.

What makes me think I can build a Tiki 30?

That's a question I've asked myself many many times over the past few months. It's not like I'm big time wood worker, building chairs, cabinets and the like. I mess around with wood working and have a few tools that a serious wood worker would either laugh at or cringe.

My confidence comes really from having built a Chesapeake Light Craft Passagemaker 12-ft sailing dinghy which was built with the same method as the Tiki, that is Stitch and Glue. I think of these kind of boats not so much as wooden boats as fiberglass boats with a wood core. Built from the core out.

I think the biggest challenge will not be the technical issues, but the motivation over a long period. The CLC dinghy took a year and a half(the build is detailed on my other website www.3ddev.com/tschuss under Our Small Boats), but that represented only about 130 man-hours. I had other projects at the time, fixing up a house to sell for one, but I also know that dragging my ass out to the garage in less than perfect weather was tough. And in perfect weather I wanted to go sailing or biking. But then I had a large sailboat, now the Tiki is to be the sailboat.

So I'm hoping that this blog and some feedback will help keep me on track! So thanks in advance for any comment. Oh and my goal is to have Rubicon(current name, but I'm pondering other meaningful possible names) ready to sail in the same time the CLC took. So I only need to up my production by a factor of 10 :)

I've decided that May 1, 2011 will be the official start of construction! By that date we should have been in Maine at our Dome house for at least a month giving me a good start on house construction before getting sidetracked.

Why we choose the Tiki 30..

We sold our last catamaran a Heavenly Twins 26, because it didn't fit a couple criteria once we bought our dome house in Maine. First I had for many years said I would not own a boat so large that it "had" to be in a marina or mooring if we were not living aboard full time. I have just seen too many big beautiful boats, Cobo Rico 38s, Tayana 37s, Masons, Albergs, Pacific Seacrafts, on and on, that sit in their slips for years on end with only a weekend or two underway. I can't understand the motivation to own such boats and never use them. If marinas were required to put ashore any boat that doesn't get underway a least twice annually I think there most would be at least half empty.

With that idea in mind the HT was out. At nearly 14-ft beam, any overland transport was going to be too costly requiring permits, front and back escorts, and not fit down our driveway.

So our requirements for a new boat were...
    •    It must either be or capable of being disassembled to trailer behind our F250 pickup i.e. less than 12500lbs trailer weight and under 8ft 6in wide. Tiki 30 is under 3000lbs with trailer and can be broken down to transport on a 8-ft wide trailer.
    •    We love shoal draft, so less than 3ft would be very nice. Tiki 30 is 2-ft 1-inch, even loaded under 2.5-ft
    •    We love the way catamarans ride, sailing on my ear as they say, is fun for an afternoon but tiring any longer. Tiki 30 is a catamaran!
    •    Something with proven blue ocean capability in the proper hands. Yes, even Tiki 21's have sailed the world.
    •    Something small enough for me to solo, but big enough for both of us. I Love my wife therefor the boat HAS to have at least one double bunk. Tiki 30 can be built with two. Tiki low weight and sail area make me very confident I can handle her alone.
    •    Simple, the less complexity the fewer failures and lower expenses.
    •    The solo and simple then required a total displacement under 4 tons, total sail area under 400 sq-ft. Tiki 30 working sail area is 385 sq-ft
    •    Can carry two tons without too adversely effecting sailing performance. Tiki 30 marginal here.
    •    And last but certainly not least, she must look good to my eye! All of Wharrams designs satisfy this need!
Well you see where I'm going small and simple but can carry two tons. I couldn't have everything and the Tiki meets  all but the cargo carrying. It's listed as carrying up to a ton but as I understand the displacement number doesn't include many things that us westerners consider normal, so the real load ability is maybe 1/2 ton.

We've lived on catamarans for years and have learned to keep things light, and even so every time we've sold the boat I was shocked at how much junk can accumulate. We'll just need to be more diligent this time around.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." ~ Albert Einstein

Collecting cash to get started!

Still under the Per-build, accumulating money to get started. I've listed 356C Porsche items on e-bay and the 356Registray.com and have gotten pretty good results so far about $2500, of course it's not real until the cash is in hand:) Also my west coast contact for a set of TIki 30 plans appears to have vanished:( Guess I'll need to pay list as I'm getting antsy to see the plans and begin sketching out my changes.

The Pre-build has begun.

Hi, I plan to document the building of a Wharram Tiki 30 catamaran here. Just a few days ago my wife and I did the high-five and agreed to the build. We have lived aboard a Catalac 10m and Heavenly Twins 26', both catamarans since 2005. The Catalac was a condocat and sailed like it. The HT was much better but still had a hull beam to water line length ratio too low( under 1:12) so she still could not sail faster than the wave length limit. But they were both good full time live aboard boats. Now that we have a home ashore again, we,I, decided a boat more sailing performance is what we want. I've admired the Wharram boats for many years and the opportunity to sail a pro-built Tiki 30 in Jupiter Fl a week ago sold us.

The first pre-build steps are to get plans and get cash. On the first I'm in contact with a guy in California for plans, he's decided to build a Tiki 26. On the 2nd point we've begun selling stuff we no longer need. I'm selling Porsche 356, 911 parts, manuals, a 2002 Goldwing GL1800A, a 1966 BMW R69S, and a 1991 MacGregor 26S. I figure that if I get a decent price for this stuff the Tiki 30 materials should be covered! So today I placed three items on eBay and one on the 356Registry.

This is a photo of the beautiful  Tiki 30 built by BoatSmith of Jupiter Fl