Big Cat Owners 40-65 Building, Ownership and Sailing

Comment by Jean Marie Wisniowicki on September 21, 2011 at 4:27pm

Hi !

After long time because many adventures with the maintenance of "Les Ailes de l'Esperance"  and because my difficultys to write of english and finally because my hesitations to speak about many problems of the building of this magnificent boat, I'll give your news and informations now.

 

First of all, I assure Mr James Wharram of my affection and admiration intact

40 years after I saw the first time a "Wharram" in Réunion Island in 1972 !

 

First, I buildet a TIKI 21 in 1982/85, and I cross Indian Ocean with my wife Anne Marie from Réunion to Mauritius, 7 times and many miles around this two Islands.

 

Second boat : a TIKI 31"Marie Marie"  in 1995/98, and I leave Réunion with my wife to Mauritius and Seychelles, there I stay  now.

 

In final I have now the first Islander 65 who wase builded in Philipines, launched in february 2009. I leave Panglao to Seychelles with a crew of 3 seychelles' people, one Australian, one creole reunionnaise, my wife and me.

Big big adventure !

I'll stop now because it's... 01h15 am. I'm tired after 2 hours english !!!

Just still to say that the boat is now in big form after brocking the second mast in october 2009 and finish building a new in may 2010.

The live aboard in Seychelles is like the paradise !

See you later, good night

Jean Marie

 

 

 

Comment by Ann and Neville Clement on September 21, 2011 at 8:23pm

Jean Marie, your English writing contains the beauty of your islands and through your letter, we can almost see your paradise.  Thank you for your letter.   

Comment by Sylvester on September 22, 2011 at 1:52am

Je vous remercie cher Jean Marie pour ces courtes nouvelles des Ailes de L'Esperance!

Quels sont vos plans pour le future?

 

Comment by Jean Marie Wisniowicki on September 22, 2011 at 5:48am

Bonjour Sylvester et merci pour votre français, c'est un peu plus easy pour moi !

Initialement, je n'avais pas l'ambition de posséder un 65', ayant déjà un TIKI 31 pour mon plaisir de naviguer.

C'est à la suite d'un accident en bicyclette que je me suis retrouvé paralysé dans un fauteuil roulant et dans l'obligation d'avoir un plus grand bateau, ne pouvant plus naviguer tout seul avec ma femme.

Un malheur qui s'est transformé en chance grâce à la somme d'argent que j'ai reçue de l'assurance après l'accident !

J'ai investi la totalité dans cet Islander 65 que j'ai baptisé "Les Ailes de l'Espérance", pour transformer mes jambes inertes en ailes du voyage...

Je voulais d'abord le construire moi-même, ayant déjà construit 2 Wharrams (21' et 31') pour moi et aidé à construire avec des amis 5 autres : Tangaroa MK IV, TIKI 21,26 , 30 et 31'. Vous voyez que je suis un amoureux fou de ce style de voilier ! D'ailleurs je n'aurais pas de bateau si ce genre n'existait pas :je naviguerais avec des amis sur leur navire à eux.

Impossible de le construire car James Wharram ne donnait pas l'autorisationà des amateurs ...Erreur à mon avis, mais qui ne s'est jamais trompé ? 

J'avais d'ailleurs fait les plans moi-même par extrapolation du TIKI 31.

Par respect pour James que j'adore, je lui ai rendu visite en Angleterre EN HIVER 2006/7 !!! Plus jamais en Angleterre !!! A cause du froid bien sûr ! pour  moi qui vis sous les Tropiques depuis 1972 !!!

Malgré la pression que je lui ai mis, James a été intraitable : construction professionnelle. Quand on voit le degré de finition de certains amateurs,je me demande aujourd'hui encore pourquoi ? Mais bon, c'est du passé...

Après des discutions acharnées et beaucoup d'humour, j'ai réussi à lui imposer ma conception de la cabine centrale : ok !

Peut-être faut-il savoir que j'ai été professeur de mathématiques, physique, chimie et mécanique générale pendant presque 30 ans, après des études d'ingénieur ( mais je n'ai pas passé mon diplôme car j'ai été renvoyé de l'école d'ingénieur après avoir organisé une grève de la faim...)

J'ai aussi construit moi-même 5 petits bungalows en bois pour ma famille (4 garçons); le travail ne me fait pas peur !

Début de la construction de l'Islander en janvier 2007 si mes dates sont correctes(?) après une visite du chantier "Andy-Smith-Junktion-Boatwork "aux Philippines.

Finition prévue : Août 2008 à Décembre 2008 si imprévu ...

Le plywood marine a été importé spécialement de France à mes frais pour les coques, quelle TRES bonne idée j'ai eue !!! Car le plywood marine local, c'est de la m....(en français dans le texte) .

Je vous réserve la suite pour plus tard car j'ai un peu de travail urgent sur le bateau.

J'espère que vous serez plus fatigué par la lecture en français que moi d'écrire en anglais...Il m'aurait fallu au moins 2h30mn pour ces quelques lignes !

Excusez-moi si je suis un peu bavard, mais j'aimerais vous donner le plus de détails possibles.

Je vous envoie une photo d'une noix de coco seychelloise sur Wharram Builders and Friends car je ne domine pas encore cet outil.

 

Cordialement, à bientôt

Jean Marie Wisniowicki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comment by Geminidawn on September 22, 2011 at 7:30am

Bienvenue Jean Marie, great to have you onboard. Don't worry about posting in any language there is no problem to translate it online, aussi il m'aidera ameliorer mon francaise! 

Comment by Ann and Neville Clement on September 22, 2011 at 8:03am

We are just now in the process of loading up Peace IV (Tiki 46 launched in UK in 2002) for her annual trip to the warm Bahamas for the winter away from snow season here in New ENgland.  That entire US east coast is so familiar to us now, it is all pretty much "home waters" even though it is 1700 nm or so.  Many friends along the way make it a pleasure and there are thousands of anchorages so we never go into a marina. 

 

This year's upgrade is the "new" cooker a friend gave us with an OVEN and a rebuilt cooler placed under the cooker.  Due to many projects in a family house this summer, Peace was otherwise neglected and seems to have enjoyed her first cruising rest in 9 years and over 40,000 miles.  Nev has gone over the engines, I have been cleaning, we located lots of oil based polyurethane porch and deck paint in Virginia and so we will be doing more paint work.  This paint is standing up just as well as the two part paint we put on the boat from new but it only costs us 20 dollars US per gallon so that is a major savings.   We are ok for now, but will need to repaint the bottom in the summer 2012 after 4 years.  That was good stuff we got last time and we will try to get it again.  We need 5 gallons for Peace, by the way, but always get one gallon extra.  We buy that from a friend in Virginia and it is ablative and not expensive.  I will find out the name and suggest it here when we see him in October. 

 

Usually we stop for a few days in Norfolk area in Virginia, a few days in Oriental area in North Carolina, a few days in Charleston in South Carolina, and again near Savannah, Georgia, then again in Titusville in Florida, and maybe we will be at the Wharram meet in Florida in early December which is usually near Lake Worth, but this year we will not rush to get there and will only sail when winds and weather are pleasant.  Life in old age is not about rushing.  We are always in Abacos in Bahamas before Christmas.  Anybody in any of those areas wanting to contact us about seeing Peace or talking about the Tiki 46 or buying plans through us, can contact us on this web site. 

 

Fortunately this year finds us both well and eager for the sail.  Last year we managed Peace on that long trip even though I had pneumonia and Nev had bad knees and hoped for crew never arrived.   Over the years Peace has gotten easier and easier for us to sail her with our older and older bodies.  Geriactric upgrades make things easier for young folks too.  We find sailing offshore but very near the coast is easier for us and we can tuck in through the many inlets to anchor when winds go the wrong way or we feel like a rest.  Also we go faster on the outside route although we will take the inshore route in bad weather or with wrong way winds.  Sometimes we sail in there in the Intra Coastal Waterway where there are not too many bridges or twisting and turning rivers.

 

But sailing across to the Bahamas is the best part.  We love the freedom those islands provide a shallow draft boat to enjoy the sheltered waters in the lee of the islands and the brilliance of the tropical waters and generally undeveloped areas where we like to go.  We have a new Monson Supreme anchor over 80 pounds to test in our favorite anchorages against the thick turtle grass and crusted bottom.  With 200 feet of chain, we should be free to go anywhere safely now.

 

While we will miss our New England friends and family, so do we miss our friends in Bahamas and we are eager to get there and avoid the cold winter winds expected soon in Rhode Island.

 

All the best,  Ann and NEv

 

 

 

Comment by Geminidawn on September 24, 2011 at 5:21am

Well written Ann and Nev, I'm sold!

 

Comment by Sylvester on October 13, 2011 at 10:17am

Cher Jean Marie.

Excusez mon retard mais j'ais ete feter le 70eme d'un ami  a Cadiere d'Azure, nous avons tous pris notre temp!

Tres beau et interressant recit!

Does anyone wish to have an English translation or do you manage with Google translate?

Je demande a tout le monde sur le site si ils/elles voudraient que je traduise....

 

Comment by Jean Marie Wisniowicki on October 13, 2011 at 11:36am

Comment by Jean Marie Wisniowicki on September 22, 2011 at 5:48 am
Grace à vous tous j'ai connu google translate, mais je ne peux pas juger du résultat of course 
Hello and thank you for Sylvester French, is a bit more easy for me!
Initially, I had no ambition to own a 65 ', having already a TIKI 31 for my pleasure to navigate.
It was after a bicycle accident that I ended up paralyzed in a wheelchair and the requirement to have a bigger boat, unable to sail all alone with my wife.
A disaster that turned into a chance with the money I received from the insurance after the accident!
I invested all this Islander 65 that I called "Wings of Hope", to turn my legs inert wings of the trip ...
I first wanted to build it myself, having already built two Wharram (21 'and 31') for me and helped build with 5 other friends: Tangaroa MK IV, 21.26 TIKI, 30 and 31 '. You see I am madly in love with this style of sailing! In fact I would not if this kind of boat did not exist, I sail with friends on their ship to them.
Impossible to build because James Wharram autorisationà did not give the fans ... error in my opinion, but has never been wrong?
I also made the plans myself by extrapolation of the TIKI 31.
Out of respect for James that I love, I visited him in England WINTER 2006 / 7! Never in England! In the cold of course! I live in the tropics since 1972!
Despite the pressure I put him, James was adamant: construction work. When you see the degree of finish of some fans, I still wonder why? But hey, it's over ...
After discussing a lot of humor and fierce, I managed to impose my view of the central cabin: ok!
Maybe you need to know that I have been professor of mathematics, physics, chemistry and mechanical engineering for nearly 30 years, after studying engineering (but I could not get my degree because I was expelled from the engineering school after staging a hunger strike ...)
I also built myself five small wooden bungalows for my family (4 boys), the work does not scare me!
Start of construction of the Islander in January 2007 if my dates are correct (?) After a site visit "Andy Smith Boatworks, Junktion," the Philippines.
Finish expected: August 2008 to December 2008 so unexpected ...
The marine plywood was imported from France especially at my expense for the hulls, which I had VERY good idea! Because the local marine plywood, it's m. ... (in French in the text).
I reserve the following for later because I have some urgent work on the boat.
I hope you will be more tired of reading in French as I write in English ... I would have had at least 2h30mn for these few lines!
Excuse me if I'm a bit talkative, but I give you as much detail as possible.
I send you a picture of a coconut in Seychelles Wharram Builders and Friends because I do not dominate this tool.
 
Regards, see you soon
Jean Marie Wisniowicki

 

Comment by Sylvester on October 25, 2011 at 2:44am

Le resultat est plus qu'asse bon!

Excusez mon clavier, je n' ais pas d'accents!

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