BUILD TIME ACCURACY OF WHARRAM PLANS

[Kristen Ringman]

Hi everyone!  My husband and I are looking into building a Narai Mrk IV and I've been trying to come up with an accurate estimate of build time based on some people's recommendations that the 2500-3000 hours MIGHT become as much as 6000 hours by the end.  This is for people who have built ANY of the Wharrams --- can you let me know your end build times in comparison to the estimates given by the Wharram plans?  How accurate have these estimated hours been for YOU?

Thanks in advance!

[wakataitea]

there is a saying under us sailors: every year with your wife together on a boat counts double. building a boat together counts triple...

in your case, it sound like buying a boat is the better way...

Lee is right, you buy a wharram second-hand cheaper then you build one...

 good luck

hans

[Mary Wilson]

Hi Kristen,

We're at about 2300 hours or so. That does include building the boatshop, though. I think you've seen our blog, so you can tell where we're at -- one hull complete, beams built, second hull getting glassed this coming week so lots left to do on it. Some odds and ends built too -- ramp, rudders, and a few other bits I have forgotten. No spars yet, and of course we won't be doing the deck until the second hull's done. Haven't done the cockpit yet, either. 

The time estimate in the study book -- I remember it as 3000-3500, but haven't looked for a while -- is for the original MkIV, rather than with the modifications in the upgrade package. The mods add time, at least we think they do, because building the beams is a much more involved process. We're thrilled with our beams, no complaints, but they were slower to put together.

I heartily concur with Hans and all who say plan the sailing. We whisper potential destinations to the hulls and each other as we build (well, I do) and have printed out a quote from Ann about finishing the boat -- it's not in front of me, but it is something like, "If you want to see something absolutely beautiful, look at the ocean while you are on a passage. It's more beautiful than anything you can build." We have added a few fancy touches -- but really, really few. (We've got wood edging on the bookcases in the berths -- otherwise everything is painted inside.) 

We're a fair bit older than you -- mid-fifties -- so it's really important for us to keep at it and finish. We did look for one for sale, but they are not very common on the west coast or so it seemed -- most of the ones we heard of were 20+ years old, and seemed, not surprisingly, to need some work.

Whatever choice you make, I wish you much joy and excitement in the choosing, the project, and especially in the sailing.

Mary

[Thomas Nielsen]

I built Tsunamichaser, a Tiki 26, in about 1400 hours over an eleven month period. A couple of things make a difference I think.
1 Think- Plan - Build. You can spend a great deal of time going back and forth between the "store" for three more screws and your build site.
2 Helps to have built stuff before. 3 live next to your build sitei was twenty steps from the hulls and ten from everything else which I built right outside my sleeping room.

[Shaun]

Hey there Chicka,
Building from scratch, to a plan with the resources at hand, without mods and with a "gotta get on the water" head space will get you there the quickest. The time estimates on a boat plan are hands on man-hours, eg, 115 hour build time for the Melanesia, now you could call that three 41 hour working weeks (8 and a bit hour days). However on one day it may take four hours to cut and coat some ply pieces, now wait a day or two for it to cure, this represents 8 or 16 hours of working days but still only 4 man-hours of the estimated boat build time.
Therefore the overall time passed from the project start time will be more than the estimated build time. Now at times you may do work that takes the full 8 hours of a working day (no waiting for drying time) so estimate time and time passed are equal. As time and experience progresses you may even gain some "hands on man-hours" time against the build estimate and even further, if two people are doing separate areas for one full eight hour work day you could gain 16 "hands on, man-hours" of build estimate.
This stuff is so fluid and influenced by so many factors that guessing a time frame from date to date is at best improbable. As mentioned in earlier posts keeping your minds eye firmly fixed on seeing her hulls kiss the water for the first time and then the first sensing of that magic feeling of her moving to that perpetual motion will keep the work going. And then, when it happens, the amount of time it took to get there will be nothing more than a fleeting memory.
Just do it,
Shaun

[Robert Lusignan]

Yes Shaun!!

     When it is time for us...Build build build!  Right now it's time to think and read...My idea follows Lin and Larry Pardeys writings on simplicity.  Flex space, galley box (no oven or sink right away), electric consigned to one small space in one hull (oil running lights, etc).  No cabinets, no fridge.  Keeping it simple, sailor!

[Ann and Neville Clement]

I would re think the oil running lights.  If you are running at night, you want to be seen for the safety of your young family aboard and the oil lights are not likely to be strong enough.  These days you can get cheap LED running lights with maybe solar  rechargable batteries capable of being seen the regulation number of miles.  Keeping things simple is entirely laudable, but keeping them safe is also a high priority.  Anybody got the definitive info here for Robert?  I have used the oil lights on my old boat and they are much too dim.  I have sailed many years ago with no fridge or oven and made many passages with no electrics too.  But I would not risk it all for oil lights again.  Not ever again.

[Robert Lusignan]

Good info, Ann.  I was wondering about how bright they would be.  Kris was online and she, too, saw the battery operated running lights.  I think I visualize myself out on deck at sundown lighting the lanterns...sounds pretty romantic, right?  IF we follow our dreams and sail across oceans I would like to have oil lights set up on board as a back-up, but the LEDs make sense!   One thing I don't like about our other boats is the wires running fore and aft tacked into the bulkheads and ceiling.  Corroded staples, and dust collecting wires.  Does anyone use PVC exterior electrical conduit with access fittings for running new/subtracting wires?

As always, thanks Ann!

Ann and Neville Clement said:

I would re think the oil running lights.  If you are running at night, you want to be seen for the safety of your young family aboard and the oil lights are not likely to be strong enough.  These days you can get cheap LED running lights with maybe solar  rechargable batteries capable of being seen the regulation number of miles.  Keeping things simple is entirely laudable, but keeping them safe is also a high priority.  Anybody got the definitive info here for Robert?  I have used the oil lights on my old boat and they are much too dim.  I have sailed many years ago with no fridge or oven and made many passages with no electrics too.  But I would not risk it all for oil lights again.  Not ever again.

[andy solywoda]

Ahoy Robert,

     Ann and Nev are like human reference books, Britannicas, and Ann;s advice about safety first is very important. 

     I switched to LED nav lights and of course if I were building from scratch, I would go for LED's.  You can use incandescent nav light fixtures and replace the bulbs with LED equivalents, or use pure LED nav lights.  The advantage of the newer purpose built LED lights is that there is no bulb socket and therefore no corrosion.  If you use a masthead tri-color light, it will simplify your wiring.

      Boatsmith posted some pictures a while back of very nice electrical routing of wires.

     These days, even a small kayak can have tons of high tech communications and navigation with some of the new smart phones and GPS gear made for hiking.  Some of the new phones are waterproof.

     Electrical wiring is one area where your build time can go awry.  If you can get your hands on some of the old books by Hiscock, you can see how they did it without modern electronics.

 

[Ann and Neville Clement]

LED lights are not likely to catch the boat on fire.  Boats are tippy, even catamarans, and tippy platforms likely will invite spilled oil and that is slippery and can catch fire and all that scene is definitely not romantic in my book.  Romantic to me means safe so you do not have to interrupt the cuddling to save your lives.  Romantic is safe and secure and relaxed.  I admit that I tend to be boring, but the views from our deck are truly wonderful and exciting.

[Robert Lusignan]

Yes, Ann...you certainly are boring.  Especially your stories of the first Atlantic crossing you did, when you had to spend several days alone battling a bad propeller shaft seal.  Or the time you were flirting with a huge whale, who would only give you distance when you had your transducer on.  Yes, a boring life you lead!! 

In all seriousness, I do agree that cuddling on deck is more romantic than fighting a ship-board fire!! 

Thanks again for words of safe adventure!!

Ann and Neville Clement said:

LED lights are not likely to catch the boat on fire.  Boats are tippy, even catamarans, and tippy platforms likely will invite spilled oil and that is slippery and can catch fire and all that scene is definitely not romantic in my book.  Romantic to me means safe so you do not have to interrupt the cuddling to save your lives.  Romantic is safe and secure and relaxed.  I admit that I tend to be boring, but the views from our deck are truly wonderful and exciting.

[marco]

hi Kirsten,
they give up 400 hrs for a tiki 21,but if you want to have qualitybuild it took me 1000,and yes i have good tools,and if it is to cold or foggy to do epoxy work you are waiting and waiting,so don"t count so many hours a week !
the woodwork is very nice but the sanding and epoxiing is not,and if you buy plans nobody talks about that you can get epoxy allergy like i had from the sanding.
if they asked me the question if i liked to build another one,the answer is NO,if you count what everything is costing you can buy a lot of secondhand ones,and if they are far away ?,lets make a nice holiday from it,better for your health also !
greetings,Marco

[Ann and Neville Clement]

I think the only reason to go to all that trouble to build a Wharram catamaran for yourself is if you dearlywant to build a Wharram catamaran for yourself.  If you just want to buy a boat, then go to the used boats and get out to sea and this is a perfect time to do it.  (I think any time is good to get a boat and go out to sea though)   If you want a used Wharram, then go do that.  Boat building is for folks who want to build boats and feel that the actual building process is the experience they want.   It is hard work and nothing else would have satisfied my husband.  While we were building Peace, I missed cruising so much I was depressed and frustrated.  I always called her " God Damned Boat" and they gave me the nickname GDB.  She only became Peace to me after she was moving out to sea and taking us back to the cruising.  Nev would almost rather build than cruise.  Almost.  These days he gets his jollies by building nesting dinghys while we are in Rhode Island for the summer and have access to a family house with basement shop.

Don't believe everything Robert Lusignan says about me.  He exaggerates a lot.