James Wharram Designs

James Wharram Designs have been designing Polynesian inspired double-canoe/catamarans for self builders for more than 60 years, with over 10,000 sets of plans sold.

It all started in the 1950s with multihull pioneer James Wharram and his German crew, Ruth Merseburger and Jutta Schultze-Rohnhof crossing the Atlantic in the first British offshore catamaran, the 23’6″ Tangaroa and proving its seagoing capabilities.

James and crew followed this by being the first to sail a multihull across the North Atlantic from West to East in 1959. This was the 40ft Rongo they built in Trinidad. They sailed her from New York to England.

In 1965 James Wharram started selling boat plans to self builders and created a worldwide following of builders and sailors who resonated with his philosophy of simple to build double canoe style catamarans based on the design principles of Polynesian canoe craft.

James Wharram and Hanneke Boon, his partner since 1973, have consolidated their designs with years of practical, hands-on experience of building and ocean sailing their catamarans.

Their designs are renowned for their seaworthiness, stability and safe simplicity. 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’.