boatsmith

Male

West Palm Beach, FL

United States

Profile Information:

I am:: A professional builder
What boat (s) are you building or do you own?: Tiki 30 Tiki 8m Ariki 48
Country, City, and State?: West Palm Beach, Florida
About me or us?: Boatbuilders and Fine Woodworkers
Looking to?: build more boats and sail more
Website:: http://www.boatsmithfl.com

Comment Wall:

brendon & aleisa

You are very welcome to visit..we are in Key Largo at MM 105 which is just about 3 miles after the new bridge. When you have an idea as to when you would like to come we can provide more detailed directions.

Brendon

Oct 21, 2008
Budget Boater

It is great to finally see a nice Wharram at a commercial US boat show. Please let us know what you heard, saw, and experienced at the Miami Show as people were exposed to the TIKI 30.

I am so glad I no longer man a booth there. That place can be a mad house.

Feb 6, 2009
Lee Hackney

David - Thank you for your response. I have seen pictures of your Tiki 30. It's one of the two nicest wharrams that I've seen. The price is more than I plan to spend, but judging by the pictures and comments that I've read your craftmanship is superb. I am going to try to make it down to the rendezvous. I hope I have the chance to meet you in perosn and see your Tiki. -Lee

Apr 28, 2009
Alef

Hello-
Can you please send me details on the Wharram rendezvous.

Apr 28, 2009
Thom delForge

I may try to make it -- always so much to do once the weather get better -- the problem with living in the 'north'. I would love to tell anyone interested what I have found out -- and any ideas to help me with my refit.

ciao,

Thom

Apr 28, 2009
Rick Hueschen

Hello David. Thanks for the invitation to the Wharram rendevous. My
plans were to finish my Tiki 21 by May and attend the rendevous, but
that did not happen. Another completion date postponed. I hope to finish the hulls, beams, and platform in May and start the sails, mast,
rigging, and trailer this summer. I will definetly be there next year.
Thanks again, Rick.

Apr 28, 2009
Ann and Neville Clement

Hi David,
Will you be bringing your pretty red boat to the Mystic Seaport Wooden Boat show again this year? We cannot afford to put Peace IV in the show, but would love to see more of your boat, of you and your family, and hear how you are doing with the Wharrams you are now building. We will drive down for the day. What we are especially interested in is seeing photos of your building projects, so we hope you will bring the lap top and "slide show".
We do expect to have a Wharram gathering up here in New England likely at our E Greenwich, RI mooring in mid September. Again, I hope you will be able to come for that. Date to be announced and likely it will be a weekend long event.
All the best, Ann and Nev

Jun 10, 2009
Björn

Hi David,
what is your experience with the colligo standing rigging. ? I am thinking about converting stainless to dyneema when swapping the wooden masts against aluminium masts on my Tiki 38. I have also seen that you have put a very nice cockpit tent on the Tiki 30, I am thinking about something similar for the Tiki 38 ust over the pod and also connectig the two hulls. Have you had any similar thoughts on a Tiki 38, maybe you would be interested in a joint design?
Regards Björn

Jul 8, 2009
Lee Hackney

Hi David -
I was told that you have acquired the molds for the Tiki 8m and that you will soon be building the 8m in glass. Any truth to this? Thanks, Lee

Aug 15, 2009
Lee Hackney

David - Thank you for your reply. I'll look forward to following your progress. Lee

Aug 16, 2009
Ann and Neville Clement

Hi David,
Will you want picking up at the airport? Will you want to spend the night aboard? Plenty of room and Nev makes a great breakfast. We have one fellow driving down from Maine (tiki 38 builder) and another local guy I have known for about 30 years who has just decided to build a Tiki 38 also. Jacques had planned to come, but got high pay work in France which he could not refuse. Usually there are others who just show up, but not always. I never know! Two of the local Tiki 46 builders will not come. One couple split up and will not be building and the other guy got lots and lots of work for pay which is needful just now. Have heard nothing from the third family building a Tiki 46 locally.
Weather expected to be in upper 60s or lower 70s and dry and sunny and not too windy.
Look forward to seeing you again - Ann and Nev

Sep 17, 2009
Ann and Neville Clement

Hi, Both guest cabins will be up and running. Take your pick!
Ann and Nev

Sep 18, 2009
Ann and Neville Clement

Hi David,
Peace IV will be with you at the Wharram meet at Peanut Island near the Lake Worth Inlet. If there are people who must travel far to get to the meet, let me know and we will try to accomodate them in our two guest rooms. The boat is full up with food for our Bahamas winter season, so the pod will not be available. We are hearing about all the wonderful alterations to Peanut Island from our friends who have enjoyed walking and anchoring and swimming there. They suggested we anchor in the North East corner of the island. Right?

Nov 29, 2009
Rod Jones

The 8m looks very nice. Does the mast tabernackle forward at the base? On our Seawind 1000XL 35' we use the boom with strong topping lift as a gin pole. We use the mainsheet to control the mast lowering/raising. 1 bridle to the sides from the end of the boom to keep it verticle, and 1 bridle from the mast to the sides on the correct plane for rotation, to keep the mast centered. We do this on the water to go under bridges, and it only takes 10 minutes to set up. Very safe and stable.

I would love to hear more about your design changes adding that full size beam aft with the little hard deck. Also the seating console down the middle is interesting.... Also very interested in how she steers and tracks without the skeg.

Great job!

Dec 17, 2009
Budget Boater

The reason we have not added any more pictures is because we are doing identical work (on the starboard hull) as was previously documented on the port hull. I figured it would just be redundant photos since to this point they still look the same.

Mar 4, 2010
Ann and Neville Clement

Hi,
Are you doing the Wharram meet in Florida this autumn/winter? If so, when and where? Lake Worth seemed to be ok and convenient enough plus good enough holding last time. We look forward to seeing you and your pretty boats again.
Ann and Nev

Aug 27, 2010
Ann and Neville Clement

Just a reminder - tell folks to bring food to the Wharram meet - food to share is needed unless you are prepared to feed everybody. Usually they bring just about the right kinds of stull. Ann

Oct 1, 2010
BERND BECHTEL

Helo Bothsmith,thank you for response,open on a day witout wind and look,bath
think its symetrical,sending soon message to you.Today not more in the net.
The red boat is yours? Nice and also professional build. Best regards B Bechtel

Oct 19, 2010
David Bennett

Hi Boatsmith

Thanks for your comment. I'll get around to posting more photos at some stage. I am busy with a rebuild and I can already imagine there is a lot I will change once I have sailed her for a bit (is that not the case for everyone?).

I actually do need to spend some time on the water with her before I can comment about her fully. I'm glad you like the Raka - she is not one of the common Wharrams.

Nov 2, 2010
le gall marc

Hello David,
Thanks for the compliments, Bravo also for your achievements, magnificent!
I hope to start a beautiful Tiki a few times, I make my gipsy caravans in Romania and I miss the sea!
Soon
Marc

Nov 12, 2010
barry howard

thanks for the comment....i was surprised to see that your profile photo is the one i'm using for my desktop wallpaper...you built this boat, yes? beautiful craft.

Jan 4, 2011
barry howard

i noticed you left a comment on the gypsy wagon guys page that you have built several housetrucks and busses. i have built these things also over most of my life...currently building two microhouses of my own design on utility trailers. my girlfriend and i have also been designing a reading style gypsy wagon. nice to see such a cross-over.

Jan 4, 2011
Randall S Anselmo

David,
Sorry we missed you the other day, and sorry for the short notice...that was my wife that left the message on your voicemail. Perhaps we can give you more advance warning on our way back north in about 3 weeks for a quick stop and hello.
Best wishes,
Randy

Jan 14, 2011
Randall S Anselmo

Yes, David, it was a great trip! Sorry we didn't get a chance to say hello on the way back, we were a bit rushed. Hope to do some summer sailing on Lake Champlain and/or Maine coast, but quite possibly Florida Bay & the Everglades next winter. Perhaps the next Florida Wharram rendevous? We'll try you again then.

Feb 25, 2011
Iain & Cherry Mae Cairns

Good day Dave, these hulls are in a paddock just north of Auckland, New Zealand. I will be cuming to the Phillipines shortly my new partner is from there, we have discussed the possibilty of visiting ur yard. Iain

Mar 29, 2011
Iain & Cherry Mae Cairns

Good day Dave, sorri 4 the confusion, thank u 4 ur comments.

Thanx 4 clearing that up.

I will be posting photo's of my boat shortly, a boat builder has looked ova the hulls & says that there is sum rot in the decks but none in the hulls. I will be completely removing the decks anyway as i have said I will be removing the decks to build a cabin across where the open bridge deck should be. There are no beam troughs on the boat.

Thanx Iain.

Mar 30, 2011
Marc LaFrance

Hi David,

Thanks for adding me as a friend. I must also thank you for all of the building photos, as I have had them saved on my computer since I started my build. I refer to them often. Fantastic job. Also looks like you have a great boatshop and team.

Leigh and I do hope to visit you sometime.

Apr 10, 2011
paul anderson

Hello David,i have made a rear net beam for my tiki 26,but i fear she might weigh too much,is it possible to make the beam out of foam and glass? Or i am i just been paranoid over a heavy ass?

Feb 5, 2012
boatsmith

It is difficult to beat the stiffness to weight ratio of an aluminum net beam unless you go to carbon. I have built several of wood and by the time I was happy with the strength the weight starts to become an issue. Foam and glasswill also start to be heavy once stiff enough. jmo

Feb 5, 2012
paul anderson

Thanx mate, i suspected this and will look at some alu tubing.

Feb 6, 2012
stella

Hi!

I am looking for pictures for wikipedia articles on the Wharram Deigns.

One photo each for Pahi, Tiki and Narai/Classics.

I am looking for a side/ at angle view of the boat, if possible under sail, one of the deck one of a cabin.

If you want your boat to become the wiki reference for all, please upload your picture through http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:First_steps/Upload_form and send me a PM to put it in the article.

Yours,

Martin

Apr 24, 2012
Marc LaFrance

David,

Just wanted to say that I'm a dedicated follower of the progress of all of your boat projects. Awesome!

It's always exciting to see your accomplishments, great craftsmanship, new ideas, the new shed....

Thank you for being such a resource,

Marc

Sep 2, 2012
paul anderson

Hello David,I am looking at mounting my auto pilot as you have done on Abaco,i was wondering if you had any more pics of this set up?

cheers paul.

Oct 4, 2012
Bradley [Brad] Warne

Wow! Very nicely executed.

May 2, 2013
john james

I'm concerned about crossbeam connections to the hull on the 30 footers tiki 30. Up to now I've been planning to lash it was rope in the old-fashioned way. Now that the time is here I don't see that it's going to be so easy to do.I am now feeling locked into doing this with straps the way the plans call for. Please have your opinion on straps versus rope lashing connections.

Feb 14, 2014
john james

Hello Boatsmith can you tell me how much one of my 30 Foot hulls weigh ?thanx

Mar 17, 2014
john james

Hello David can you give me any tips on how to set up the blocking underneath the cross beams I'm finding this to be a very frustrating exercise .Maybe I would have better luck by rough sizing the Blocks and screwing them in place and then trying to adjust the Heights and angles..

Aug 11, 2014