A New Wharram Hinemoa Catamaram

From "A Wild Call" by Martin Murray  (Context: Sailing his 36' timber ketch  Molina  singlehanded into Tarbet harbour on Scotland's storm ridden NW coast.)  "Most of the boats were out fishing ... further down a wooden trawler lay against the south pier, with a row of tyres strung along it's side as an invitation to others... Opposite the boat were some new pontoons stretching out from the marina on the north side. They virtually filled the loch including the area where we used to anchor." (After tying up he enters the portacabin by the marina.) "At the back a woman was busy on her computer. I waited by she didn't look up.  After a while I coughed, "Do you have a map of the harbour?" Getting a blank look, I added an explanation. "There's been a lot of change since I was last here, what with the new pontoons and all."  "I think there are s an old brochure." She searched a drawer and retrieved a tourist brochure w

   Lately I've been down on the calm-ness of the wind around here and my being trapped ashore. But this week with full moon and an official change to winter, the weather has deteriorated as a result of a large Low pressure system many miles ESE in the Tasman Sea.    In respond to weather warnings over the radio I went to a headland overlooking the surf break where I spent much of my childhood to young adult years. In fact I was quite underwhelmed, the swell was just 6' and the 15-20knot wind was dutifully following from behind. As "rough" seas go, it all looked pretty orderly (a well sailed Hinemoa would cope), but there were occasional breaking wave tops.    Fast forward 24 hours and the contrast was alarming. Wave height had ramped up appreciably, say 10 to 15 feet, but due to a subtle change in wind direction, it was no sea for a happy sailor. The swell was maintaining its previous direction (SE), the wind was now from the S and the interaction between swell and

   As a single father and only being able to work part-time, I don't have a lot of spare cash. And, typically, there's guilt involved with each dollar I spend on myself. But, I'd rather "die on my feet", so I'm committing myself to build a Hinemoa. I'll just have to budget myself ahead onto an unknown future. I built a Melanesia a few years ago using a similar approach, so I know it can work.     So for the first time in 26 years of owning the Hinemoa building plans (yes I know!), I looked at the plans with a different perspective: where to start? As my mind searched for information from Sheets 1 & 2 I thought about a comment on the only recent "Building a Hinemoa" blog, about the plans being so  easy to read that "anyone could build one", I realised why he never proceeded. Well, the blog stopped soon after.    My first steps will involve logging the keel, a typical start point among wooden bodybuilders. The major difference with