First things first, welcome to the forum
As for Tikis. They're as close to modern as you'll get from
Wharram, but they're still counter-culture boats. You'll probably be perceived as a free-spirit hippie by the folks sailing fancier and more expensive vessels. That may or may not bother you- if it doesn't, great!
The Tiki 30 is theoretically capable of sleeping 4, but I think it would get quite cramped for more than two or three people for any length of time. It is a much smaller
boat than its overall dimensions would suggest. Dry weight is about 1000 kg / 2200 lb and while Wharram says it can handle another 1000 kg of people and cargo, you'll lose a fair bit of speed in doing so. 1000 kg doesn't go very far: two crew, plus a bit of
clothing and foul-weather
gear, plus a few weeks of
water and
food, plus a basic complement of essential
gear, will not leave you with much of a margin for extras.
The Tiki has no bridgedeck
cabin and no easy way to add one. If that's what you want, great. If you'd prefer a bit more shelter at about the same build cost, look at the smaller Richard Woods cats (Sagitta, Gypsy). Woods also has one called "Surfsong" that is a direct competitor to the Tiki 30. There are a few other designs out there in this size range, but most of them would be more complicated, more expensive builds.
Re: James wharram self-build catamarans
Linear Mode
Recent Discussions