Converting 9 metre wharram to bridgedeck cabin

[Innes Hutton]

Hello All,

I know this may horrify some of you but I'm thinking of building a bridgedeck and cabin with 6 ft headheight on to  uncompleted 9m wharram hulls. I realise this will affect windward ability but intended use is as a coastal cruiser  and will fit big outboard. Has anybody else done this and what do you think ? Also what would one pay for two old hulls poss 6 to 8 years old (no rigging). 

Thanks

Innes

ps the cabin roof would be attached to the extreme port and starboard sides of the existing

hulls and rise up to 6 feet in the middle - a sort of half circle shape at the stern end and sloping down to a front beam at the bow end.

[Innes Hutton]

Hi Rod,

You sound like you have previously built a boat before, (You inhaled all this epoxy dust, and built this monstrosity that has absolutely no value when you get done slamming the bridgedeck up and down the coast, and then want to unload it.  You'll be lucky if you can even donate it. ) Hilarious LOL cheer up mate. at least you can say done it worn the t-shirt.

Rod Jones said:

You think you are going to get out cheap getting into a project like this.....  Then all the little bills start adding up in your build, and you find out you spent twice what you thought you were going to.  You inhaled all this epoxy dust, and built this monstrosity that has absolutely no value when you get done slamming the bridgedeck up and down the coast, and then want to unload it.  You'll be lucky if you can even donate it.  Most of these modified Wharrams look like hell, and sail even worse.  If you want a house boat, then go and buy a house boat.

 

With boats like" Touch Wood",  for sale, I just can't see building a wharram  right now, unless you really enjoy the process of building a boat.  Just try to build something that has some inherent value when you are done.

 

And if you really need to stand up with "headroom" just pick a hull to go down into, or go outside.  Plenty of headroom in the cockpit.

[Ricardo Aráoz]

Really?

I wouldn't be so sure... how much time you say you can survive in the water in winter? And are you sure you'll be rescued before that? How fast must help be when your boat is going over rocks in a gale?

Innes Hutton said:

Hi Galway Boy,

Yes I completely agree with you coastal sailing can be the most demanding and dangerous of all. (I've yet to try coastal

nightime navigation). However one major advantage to coastal sailing is you will never be too far from rescue or land

possible harbour or safe anchorage, whereas offshore you've less options for rescue but less to hit in the way of rocks

reefs sand bars, unless unlucky enough to hit a ship or submerged steel container. As you say I can only think of a few 9metre cats with decent headroom, one being a Richard Woods Sagitta which was modified to allow for the owners 

6 foot height in the saloon I think there was a price in that clearance from deck to water level was decreased slightly. Nice boat and still sailing I believe. I own a Hurley 22 long fin keel at present which took me nearly 3 years to get back in the water(this season). Yet I helped build two 22ft coastal rowing boats used for racing which were put together (from kits)(marine ply sheets with parts semi cut)in about 6 months on and off. So I think it can take longer to do up an old boat or modify it than build something from scratch. Course you may decide to do all the lofting yourself so take longer. Using computers to cut the sheets saves a huge amount of time.

Can I ask where you boat was anchored?

[Galway Bay]

Hi Innes - I lay at anchor in Boffin Island harbour off the Galway coast. Good shelter but the sand bottom can be hard. Probably a gale and maybe a little more the first night then near-gale the following. A typical summer gale here in strength and duration. Other than the comfort factor nothing to worry about in my 31ft Pahi unless in restricted waters. Even then it is mostly thinking WELL ahead and of course being SURE of where you are and what is happening....

I am sure you have done some sketches I would love to see some.

One big problem with deep "V" hulls used this way that you will quickly see on a sketch- at 9m hull draught is approx. 0.5m which puts the floor boards at waterline level. An alternative dory type hull for instance will allow you to put the floorboards well below the waterline so you will not have to build up so high above the waterline to get your height. Simply put, deep "V" hulls will add most of 1ft to the total height of the boat above water. This is why I personally would not use them.

This size is a particularly difficult design "slot" for cats. accommodation wise. It is a very different story with the 45ft ORO or even bigger 51ft TEHINI.

Whether or not YOU can produce a worthwhile boat this way I do not know. But most of us know where some "improved" Wharram sits mouldering away...

 

[Iain & Cherry Mae Cairns]

Good day yes the Oro is a big boat, I suposse when u build a big boat like the Teheni U can do these types of mods. Our boat is 9 meters wide 16 meters long.

All the best with our dream.

Innes Hutton said:

Hi Iain, That Oros a big boat how big are your Tehini hulls?

cheers

Iain & Cherry Mae Cairns said:

If u look thru my photo's there are a couple of pics with wharrams with bridge deck.

I am also buildin a Teheni with a bridge deck, the hulls were given to us, the owner said "IF U CAN LIFT THEM U CAN HAVE THEM" I was there on the weekend with two big trucks & a crane. All the best with the build / modification. YES a lot of people are horrified when u say that, but each to his own.

The pics of the ORO in my photo's has two massive inboards & the boat weighs in @ 18.5 tons. So do what you want to or need to.

Iain

[Innes Hutton]

Galway Bay said:

Hi Innes - I lay at anchor in Boffin Island harbour off the Galway coast. Good shelter but the sand bottom can be hard. Probably a gale and maybe a little more the first night then near-gale the following. A typical summer gale here in strength and duration. Other than the comfort factor nothing to worry about in my 31ft Pahi unless in restricted waters. Even then it is mostly thinking WELL ahead and of course being SURE of where you are and what is happening....

I am sure you have done some sketches I would love to see some.

One big problem with deep "V" hulls used this way that you will quickly see on a sketch- at 9m hull draught is approx. 0.5m which puts the floor boards at waterline level. An alternative dory type hull for instance will allow you to put the floorboards well below the waterline so you will not have to build up so high above the waterline to get your height. Simply put, deep "V" hulls will add most of 1ft to the total height of the boat above water. This is why I personally would not use them.

This size is a particularly difficult design "slot" for cats. accommodation wise. It is a very different story with the 45ft ORO or even bigger 51ft TEHINI.

Whether or not YOU can produce a worthwhile boat this way I do not know. But most of us know where some "improved" Wharram sits mouldering away...

 Hi Iain 

Lovely bit of coast that, one day I hope to get there. Very good point you made about the V- hulls.

There is a lot of wasted space in the V shape and flatter bottom hull or wider V would be better.

Do you find the wharrams handle rough weather well then?

[Innes Hutton]

Well I've not decided to build it yet. There are a couple of  Wharram completed hulls sitting in my boat yard, the guy that

owns them has done nothing to them for how long I don't know,some years, it seems a shame to me. Yes I could simply try

and complete this boat to the original plans, however  I can't even identify the model so I suspect the builder

has modified the cabin roofs on the hulls already.  I kind of see these boats  like the classic VW camper van some people love them and some loathe them- one guy who owned one felt it was'nt suited to the English 

channel and didn't sail particularly well and was the shortest time of ownership of any boat he had ever owned. Others will look no further than a Wharram. I guess I'm looking to just make more use of the space in the middle (not my brain ! lol) and give myself some protection from the weather in reasonable comfort of being able to fully stand up.  Of course I would try to create a boat rather than an elephant.  One guy said 

 Might as well build a raft with 44 gallon drums and build a hat on it. Cheaper and will perform just the same way. Does he not realise that all catamarans are rafts,then canoe  descended from a bit of hollowed out tree tied on to another bit of tree to balance it. Then someone stuck a sail on it. This is where Mr Wharram got his inspiration from. 

Course I could not buy these hulls and leave them to rot.  We shall see...

wakataitea said:

i get the feeling that a Wharram Design is considered as a "bitch" to build everything out of it. i saw so many of this  "i play my own designer" wrecks around the world... they rot away in a bay and the people living on it still think they will go somewhere one day...

i consider my self as a "Wharram sailor". i changed  our tiki46 design too but sticked to the plans regarding construction and philosophy.  sometimes, when people hear that i live and sail on a wharram, you can see they eyeball turning but when they step on wakataitea, they are convinced, a shame that they thought like this and they honour our achievement with respect.

i know, they will think and talk about wharrams different in the future.

it should be like this... holding up the wharrams flag when building and sailing a wharram. doesn't matter if 20 feet or 65 feet.

Innes project is one of this "optical ponk " ideas. if he is a cabinet maker, he should have building experience AND THE IMAGINATION, that he builds a elephant, not a boat.

sorry Innes but your idea is totally crap ... anyway good luck and please do not call it a wharram when you are finished.

sorry for my language but i get exited and fed up with this bullshit.

once again, "respect the designer too..."

[laurent]

My dream : http://catatof.blog4ever.com/blog/photo-317179.html

[Ricardo Aráoz]

Nice!

I like how down to earth they are, they don't have a mast.  :-)

laurent said:

My dream : http://catatof.blog4ever.com/blog/photo-317179.html

[wakataitea]

:)))))) very nice..     Innes, i think they have a solution for you...

looks like the size you want... imagine a A frame rig on it... would be perfect to hang up a anchor light...

big LOL

[wakataitea]

this could be although a solution... good for river and coastal and you could trailer it ...

[Galway Bay]

Thanks Laurent I just love to see Whacky boats like this.....mind you I don't want one for myself !! Looks like he is on a canal so the biggest danger is if he tries to drink the water !!

 

 

[Galway Bay]

Wakatatea  Looks like our contributions "crossed in the post" so to speak. I always enjoy your posts and agree with much / most of what you have to say. In between the fireworks of course...I would advise Innes to take your hard -won opinions on board.

BUT... I drive a Toyota. Not at sea obviously.. but I do not see that I must now eat Sushi and drink Saki.......