Succumbed To "Wharramitis"!

[wet dreamer]

My wife and I feel we have found the near perfect boat for cruising/liveaboard living with dogs. The Wharram cats have ramps on the stern for carrying and launching dinghies, or in our case dogs. Our problem is finding financing for custom built/non-production boats. Does anyone know of lenders who are knowledgeable enough to appraise and approve custom built boats for loans?

[UNCIVILIZED]

You might try asking www.BoatSmithFl.com your question, as they custom build lots of boats. Wharram's included. And I'd think that lots of other custom yards get asked the same/similar questiions. Ditto on designers who take a lot of time with their customers, or who've been at it for a long time.
As a lender would want a proven, "named" designer, & boat yard/builder. For example, Schooner Creek Boat Yard near Portland, OR has done quite a number of Kurt Hughes's boats. In addition to lots of other custom's www.SchoonerCreek.com

Also, this isn't a direct answer to your query persay. But one option for assisting dogs with boarding, is to take a 1.5'-2' wide gangplank, & tie one end to the swim platform or dock, & then lash a big fender underneath of the end that's in the water.
Making sure that there are plenty of ribs & skateboard tape on the gangplank for traction. Plus you may also wish to guy the outboard ends of the gangplank so that it's a bit more stable, but I've seen them done both ways. With & without guyinng. And they seemed to handle 100lb Labarador's just fine.

[wet dreamer]

Thank you for your response, and a couple of possible resources I hadn't considered. Boatsmith is one of the professional builders of the Wharrams, among other designs. I'll run my question by them.

The ideas for helping our girls get back on board after a swim are appreciated as well.

This is the "ramp" on the boat we are working to get. From what the current owners have said, it may not need any mods to give them easy reentry, but your suggestions would make it easier for them if need be.

Thanks again!

[Lion Heart]

Originally Posted by wet dreamer

My wife and I feel we have found the near perfect boat for cruising/liveaboard living with dogs. The Wharram cats have ramps on the stern for carrying and launching dinghies, or in our case dogs. Our problem is finding financing for custom built/non-production boats. Does anyone know of lenders who are knowledgeable enough to appraise and approve custom built boats for loans?

I Just bought and rebuilt a 40 foot Wharram. A friend of mine who helped me has built and rebuilt at least three wharrams. He is ready to sell one that he just finished rebuilding "Tolfia". I think it is a 32 footer, up here in Washington State.

[zboss]

I love wharrams as well but I am wondering about their practicality. I've seen a few that have some protection in the form of a small cockpit with a hard top but after that... you are dealing with the elements.

Also, the amas (?) are not real wide, so the beds are not really more than a full until you get to the big boys.

[wet dreamer]

Check out this design.............a Pahi 42. Pretty sure this is currently on the market. My wife lit up over the stylish salon which extends (out of the weather) to both amas.

This video runs a little slow, but if you like the "great ladies of blues", it shows a lot of an interesting design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRB70vEvrgI

[StuM]

Originally Posted by zboss

I love wharrams as well but I am wondering about their practicality. I've seen a few that have some protection in the form of a small cockpit with a hard top but after that... you are dealing with the elements.

Also, the amas (?) are not real wide, so the beds are not really more than a full until you get to the big boys.

With a deckpod, bimini and roll up sides, they're not too bad.

Spent a month cruising on this one.

[Training Wheels]

Sailing is not an inside sport!

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

Sailing is not an inside sport!

Give it a while!

To us, our boat is a means of transportation that is more affordable and more fun than a power boat but we don't sail our boat for the fun f it most of the time. We had a Colgate before and that fun to kick around on but not practical to live on.

[landlockedsquid]

Your bank?

[double u]

...having circumnavigated in the 80ies on a Tangaroa...
well, I'd better keep my counsel...

[805gregg]

Get rid of the dogs, or wait them out

[wet dreamer]

Originally Posted by double u

...having circumnavigated in the 80ies on a Tangaroa...
well, I'd better keep my counsel...

I'm new to the forum and don't know how to private message, but I would welcome your opinion on the Wharrams. Having circumnavigated on one, if there are things we should be aware of, I would appreciate hearing them. We are intending to purchase this boat (Tiki 46) and retire, dogs and all. The design is one of the few that seem as if they would really be a good fit.

Thanks for your help!

[double u]

The disadvantages of the Wharrams as I see them:
1. sailing:
Poor upwind ability
poor maneuvrability
extremely flexible platform with constantly changing riggtensions
very symmetrical fore-&-aft-bouyancy-distribution makes for pitching
2. Liveaboard/“comfort“:
Very limited interior space for size of boat
in anything of a breeze very (VERY!!!) wet
„commuting“ between hulls even at anchor when rainy & windy & no decktent is possible is a big drag, in a breeze while sailing anyway!
Companionways opening towards the center (& not the rear) were completely idiotic „watercatchers“ for us: water thrown up by the leeward side of the windward bow was aimed straight at the leeward companionway
Decent auxiliarypower nearly impossible
High-maintenance material (yes, despite everything being smothered in epoxi!)

Some of these point improve as size goes up, but summed up we constantly felt, that for the same effort in time & money we could easily have done very much better (& that was before the time when the conviction that a monohull is the much better bluewaterboat $ for $ than a cat had matured…)
Once the bias goes from rtw-cruising to „coastal gunkholing“ & liveaboard without serious passagemaking some of the abovementioned loses it’s seriousness somewhat – but I still say: many, many much better suitable boats can be found for the same outlay.
(& of course you’ll ask why the hell I built one & sailed it rtw: well, in 77 at 21 I simply didn’t know better, J. Wharram had just the right „marketing“ & there was no „knowledge-base“ like these forums in existence then. I do not regret it in any way & it was a great adventure of a lifetime, that our 2nd. & 3rd rtw in a muchmore comfortable monohull could not surpass, but it would have been an adventure too in a somewhat more suitable boat...)
...I'm sure

[double u]

to quote a post from another thread that I wholeheartedly agree with:
"...If you are the type of person, a crafts person, skilled or not, that takes great pride in seeing their own workmanship come to fruition, then it is worth the effort on your part in that respect. It will also teach you about boat repair and maintenance, how boats work and, on a somewhat rather zen note, patience, tolerance, understanding, and finding your limitations and then moving beyond them.

Would I do it again? No. But I have no regrets rebuilding the first boat....it was a great adventure and learning experience."