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Inspired by sea tales
James Wharram was born in England in 1928 and grew up in Manchester. His father, a construction engineer, hoped his son would follow in his footsteps. But Wharram was more interested in reading sea stories, and in particular "Voyage de Kaimiloa", published in 1940. The book recounts the adventure between China, Tahiti and France of French navigator Éric de Bisschop on the double pirogue Kaimiloa.
After abandoning his studies in construction engineering, young James Wharram embarked on an extensive tour of Europe from 1947 to 1950, finding odd jobs to support himself.
On his return to England, he worked as an apprentice in a shipyard. But his passion for boats and his desire for the open sea grew stronger and stronger. He met his future wife, a German student named Ruth Merseburger. In 1952, while working as a warehouseman for the Thornycroft Hampton Launch Works, which builds launches for the Navy, he found an old 6 m-long lifeboat, which he and his young wife decided to convert into a cruising boat. This first attempt failed to satisfy the budding architect.
The Tangaroa catamaran and a successful first transatlantic race
He then decided to build a more stable and comfortable two-hulled boat, in the style of Kaimiloa, which had brought him this dream for travel. He drew inspiration from his studies of Pacific craft, particularly at a time when boating was dominated by monohull constructions. He also studied Viking boats, junks and dhows, before finally opting for double-hull design, the most cost-effective and seaworthy design.
In 1954, he began designing Tangaroa, a catamaran whose name pays homage to one of the main deities of the Pacific islands, likened to the god of the sea. Tangaroa has a flat bottom, borrowed from Polynesian pirogues, and fairly narrow, compartmentalized hulls, with only enough headroom to sit upright. Passage from one hull to the next is via a duckboard deck.
Construction was completed in 1954. The first trials took place in 1955, including a trip to Germany to pick up Ruth's friend Jutta. On September 27, 1955, Tangaroa left Falmouth for Spain, at a time when no one believed a multihull could sail offshore. Despite seasickness and some damage, the trio reached their destination.
Now it was time to cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They set sail on December 23, 1956, with Jutta learning a few days before the race that she was expecting a child. After 42 days at sea and a few breakages, James, Ruth and Jutta finally arrived in Trinidad. The adventure was again marked by a number of breakdowns, but was once again a success.
The âeuros family, including their newborn son Hannes âeuros, settled on the island, living in a floating bamboo âeuros house built by James Wharram, once again inspired by Polynesian houses. He also took the opportunity to put down on paper his adventure, which he christened "Two girls, two cats."
The first North Atlantic catamaran crossing
While this first voyage was a milestone in his sailing career, it was also a springboard for Wharram to go even further. He wanted to be the first sailor to cross the North Atlantic in a catamaran, the first two attempts having failed. So he designed and built Rongo, whose V-shaped hulls provide stability and wind resistance. Its ketch rig provides plenty of sail area, making it ideal for short-handed sailing. This catamaran was the forerunner of Wharram's later designs.
Several people help the architect with the construction, including a famous Bernard Moitessier. Rongo is completed in April 1958 and sails from Trinidad to New York for the North Atlantic crossing. Everyone is looking forward to this crossing.
After 48 days at sea, Rongo and his crew of three reached Dublin and became the first multihull to cross the North Atlantic, in conditions ranging from light airs to storms.
At the end of the 50s, interest in multihulls began to grow. Various designs and concepts were proposed. In Great Britain, too, interest in cruising catamarans swells. But multihulls are expensive. James Wharram opted for affordable Polynesian-style catamarans.
The start of a large number of Polynesian catamaran designs
In 1960, the family set off on a round-the-world trip. But Ruth's death put an end to the project. James Wharram refused to work in construction with his father and gave up sailing, preferring to devote himself to writing. But in the end, it was a neighbor who rekindled his interest in design. He asked him for a design similar to Rongo that could be built by an amateur. The plans for this Tangaroa MK I were published in a nautical magazine in 1964, and were a great success. Two more models followed.
In 1966, the Polynesian catamaran firm he founded with Ruth offered 6 models ranging from 6.70 m to 15.85 m in length. All christened with Polynesian names, they also boast excellent seaworthiness, which is a key factor in their success.
To facilitate the construction of these boats, James Wharram builds his prototypes himself, in order to produce clean, precise plans. While building his largest prototype, Tehini, he meets 16-year-old Hanneke Boon, daughter of Dutch measurement expert Nico Boon. She joins James Wharram as a partner in the firm, now renamed James Wharram Designs.
In 1970, the team moved aboard Tehini to prepare for a new round-the-Atlantic voyage, which took place from 1973 to 1974. James Wharram continued to enrich his catalog before launching the Pahi series, catamarans with rounded V-shaped hulls, larger water inlets and greater load capacity.
The following year, he discovered the plywood-epoxy construction method, which he found ideal for amateur building. He went on to build several models, including the Tiki 21 in 1982, which was once again an international success. Unlike other multihulls, it is assembled using textile ties. In 1987, he built the largest model in his range, the Pahi 63 Spirit of Gaia, which was 19.20 m long and sailed around the world for 6 years.
Subsequently, the architect will propose several models, based on Polynesian concepts or inspired by Viking boats.
Throughout his career, James Wharram helped democratize the catamaran concept and contribute to its popularity.
