Wharram Tiki 38 being built as a USCG Inspected Passenger Vessel

[CaptDavidRyan]

Hello Wooden Boat Community Members! I'd like to tell you about our project.

We are building a JWD Tiki 38, which we hope to launch later this year as a day-sailing charter vessel in Montauk NY.

We are building our Tiki to USCG Inspected Passenger Vessel specifications under the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Offshore Racing Yachts. We've engaged John Marples, a multihull designer and expert on Inspected Passenger Vessel requirements to make scantling upgrades to meet Coast Guard muster. This is the first James Wharram design ever built under US Coast Guard supervision, and includes a number of materials and features that "chart new waters" in Inspected Passenger Vessel category.

We're about 2 months in and so far the project is going well. If you'd like to follow along, we're blogging the build at:

http://www.montikimontauk.com

We'd love to have you check in, and if you're inclined, leave a comment. As I'm sure you all know, momentum is the key to a big build, so we welcome all the encouragement we can get!

[Dan St Gean]

I tried, but the page didn't load for quite a while. I got bored waiting and came back here. I'll try to open it in another window.

Edited to add, it opened right up in another window.

Dan

[sailboy3]

How much 'beefing up' was required? James Wharram has a lot of miles under his belt to base his designs on. I also can imagine some of his methods might confuse the coasties as to how they're to be regulated.

Beyond that, nice build!

[CaptDavidRyan]

The major change was in the number and size of the stringers.

We're also making a novel application of the ABS cold-molded rule for hull plating and had to put our plating material (BS 1088 meranti plywood) through lab tests and submit the results to MSC. It came back about twice as strong as the cold-molded equivellant, but ABS doesn't have rules/data for plywood plating, so we had to prove it out with testing.

The MCS review is not complete, but so far the lashed hullls/akas does not look like it's going to be a problem. With ordinary "yacht-grade" polyester rope, John Marples engineering calculations show the lashing is much stronger than it needs to be.

Another plus for the Wharram design is the deck arrangement.

It's not uncommon for catamarans to carry passengers in the trampoline nets, and my own experience is that customers *love* riding at the front of the boat being hypnotized by the bow cutting through the water (I do too, for that matter.) But in our sector, passengers are not allowed in the netting while a cat is underway; only at anchor.

On the Tiki 38 the deck goes well forward, past the foremast, offering that sweet front-of-the-boat ride, without putting people in the nets.

Hoping to turn the hulls in the next day or two. Pictures of course!

[CaptDavidRyan]

We turned the port hull today!

[JimConlin]

Congratulations! An excellent design for the purpose and it looks like you're doing an excellent job.

I'll watch with great interest.

[George Ray]

This is very exciting that you are getting a Wharram design in compliance with USCG regs. Is J. Wharram and company a part of the effort? What other forums are you active on ? Do you know Teddy Charles who owned and ran the schooner Mary E for many years out of Greenport ?

Best Wishes and I will be following your work with great interest.

[CaptDavidRyan]

This is very exciting that you are getting a Wharram design in compliance with USCG regs. Is J. Wharram and company a part of the effort? What other forums are you active on ? Do you know Teddy Charles who owned and ran the schooner Mary E for many years out of Greenport ?

Best Wishes and I will be following your work with great interest.

JWD has been very supportive of the process, but the actually engineering calculations, scantling modifications, and MSC presentation is all John Marples. It was his insight that wooden catamarans could be built to the ABS cold-molded rule that made it possible for wooden Inspected Passenger Vessel sailing cats. The only alternative for a wood IPV is the ABS plank on frame rules, that would be a big rib every 9" and 1.5" planking. Not a way to build a cat! (We have a 9mm hull and frames every meter.)

We're also working with Colligo Marine to put together a presentation for their Dynex Dux and dead-eye system in place of stainless steel for our standing rigging. Like using meranti ply, we'll have to have independent lab tests to show it's up to the task, and also work with our Coast Guard inspector to develop a maintanence regime that accounts for UV wear, but I'm optimistic it will all come together.

I'm pretty excited about the blend of traditional and cutting edge on this project, and especially that our materials choices all bend towards affordiblity and/or self-fabricatablity. There's hardly going to be anthing on this boat that we didn't make with our own hands. That's going to be great as a selling point for the business, and for keeping running costs down and profits up!

Speaking maintanence and of the Mary E, our local inspector comes by the shop every week and knows the Mary E well. He said she went across the sound for a major refit and (IIRC) is sailing out of CT now.

[George Ray]

Again this is an exciting notion that a Wharram can go commercial. John Marples I know from his association with Jim Brown of SeaRunner trimaran fame, also a couple of his/their designs have been built in Charleston, SC, USA by Mark Bayne @ SeaIsland Boatworks. ( www.seaislandboatworks.com/ )

What does it look like the mods will do to $$, build time and weight and what will your COI allow for ## of passengers and operating waters,..... inland, near coastal, ocean?
You are investing $$$ in the engineering to get it sanctioned by USCG, so what will be available to the next builder and at what cost?

Great Stuff !!!
Do you know Ann and Neville on Peace_IV (Wharram 46' hull#1)?

[CaptDavidRyan]

Again this is an exciting notion that a Wharram can go commercial. John Marples I know from his association with Jim Brown of SeaRunner trimaran fame, also a couple of his/their designs have been built in Charleston, SC, USA by Mark Bayne @ SeaIsland Boatworks. ( www.seaislandboatworks.com/ )

What does it look like the mods will do to $$, build time and weight and what will your COI allow for ## of passengers and operating waters,..... inland, near coastal, ocean?
You are investing $$$ in the engineering to get it sanctioned by USCG, so what will be available to the next builder and at what cost?

Great Stuff !!!
Do you know Ann and Neville on Peace_IV (Wharram 46' hull#1)?

As it happens we met Ann and Neville in March of 2008 on our first cruise of our recently purchased Catalina 38 S/V INTEMPERANCE. We were anchored in the bight between Manjack Key and Crab key when this wild looking schooner rigged Tiki-style catamaran came in. Of course I had to take a closer look. Here's a photo of Annie and my youngest (two at the time) on Annie's friend's porch on Manjack Key.

I ended up seeing Annie/Neville/Peace a month later when my friend and I were bringing INTEMPERANCE home. I saw a familiar profile in the anchorage in Bellhaven, and a day later Annie and Nevelle served us dinner on a breezy April evening holed up in the Alligator River. Lovely people, lovely boat!

As to the rest, cross you fingers that the changes we've had to make are it, and so far they've not been too costly in time or materials; certainly nothing compared to the fire, life-saving and other requirements of an inspected vessel.

If there's a disappointment in teh whole thing, it's that the reqs. are extremely conservative for sail area. I love light area sailing, and operating S/V INTEMPERANCE as a six-pack, I was free to fly as big a sail as I liked. (I had a 1200 sq ft .6 oz bright red asymm that would make the boat go even when the wind was blowing backwards.

But no such foolishness on an inspected boat. We get about 600 square feet, and that's it. Not a scrap more no matter how light the wind. But I have two ideas:

Our normal 2 hour route is an reach out and a reach back. So I'm going to have a couple of very light reachers made; full shape and v. light cloth to make max use of the wind on light days.

I'm 94% sure our aux power is going to be electric (just on the phone with Torquedo today.) Most days we won't need aux power for anything more than getting off of and back onto the dock. But on those really light days, just a kiss of throttle will have us motor-sailing with no engine noise or smell. Not quite like flying that grand ol' red asymm, or at least not for me. But I know that on a quite day people love the quiet of making even just 2-3 knots through the calm.

Can you tell I'm excited? Glad you are too!

[sailboy3]

If you're thinking about electric, have you looked at http://www.ngcmarine.com/index2.html?

[CaptDavidRyan]

If you're thinking about electric, have you looked at http://www.ngcmarine.com/index2.html?

The Tiki 38 is designed for a pair of 9.9 high-thrust outboards slung from under the bridgedeck.

From a regulatory standpoint this arrangement has a lot to recommend it. Once you move engines into the hulls, the regs for fire/vapors detection and supression become quite expensive!

And inboard drive system would also entail a substantial redesign and loss of interior space. For all these reasons, whether we end up with a IC system or electric system, it will be in the designed mount location.

[CaptDavidRyan]

Upper Bulkheads!

[CaptDavidRyan]

We got our structural certification letter from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center!

[George Ray]

30 passengers and 600 sq ft. in "Partially Protected Waters".... that would be the 'lakes, bays and sounds' routes you are planning for.

Any idea what the sail area and the passenger count would be near coastal ???

Which rig are you planning on using. Your blog show single and twin mast drawings and refers to s/v Pilgrim which is a schooner.
Are you shortening the spars or only cutting a suit of sails for charter that are permanently reefed.
Great Stuff, Best Wishes.....

[CaptDavidRyan]

The standard JWD schooner rig is 600ft, and that's what we submitted.

The water north of Montauk Harbor and east to Block Island are considered partially protected aka lakes bay and sounds. The Coast Guard uses these two *almost* interchangeably, but not quite, and their official instructions for the boundaries of our area were a little unclear, so we had to go up the chain of command for clarification.

RE: Near Coastal

There are intersecting requirements to be certified at the different levels of exposure. I don't *think* anything will change if we applied for a near coastal endorsement, except that we'd need more comms gear and lifesaving equipment (The scantlings of hulls and akas conform to ABS offshore racing yacht specs.) Since it's not something we're planning this year, we applied the KISS principle and went for what we need to run the boat.

Also, as far as I'm concerned, 30 is a private party barge number, like if someone wanted to book the boat to watch fireworks in Sag Harbor. For the sake of my own sanity, and customer experience we're going to self-impose a lower number for daily operations.

[CaptDavidRyan]

We got the upper hull sections planked this week. Hopefully by the time we shut the doors tomorrow they'll be glassed!

[CaptDavidRyan]

Four weeks of building in a four-minute, narrated slide show:

[CaptDavidRyan]

Today is moving day at The Montauk Catamaran Company.

Today is moving day at The Montauk Catamaran Company.

This is the port hull getting strapped onto its dollies:

We made a plywood railroad:

One hull completely out of the barn (my wife was pressed into service for the move):

Both hulls roughly positioned:

[Woxbox]

I'm impressed.

[CaptDavidRyan]

thanks! it was a pretty exciting day here at teh boat shop. Most of the deck piece are cut. We can't wait to start assembling and fitting!

[CaptDavidRyan]

A video slide-show of the move. Might be encouraging/helpful to anyone faced with moving a medium sized hull!

[botebum]

Well done collage in the video!

It would seem that getting the two hulls in perfect relationship to each other would be difficult. Is that the case or does the fact that the cross beams span each hull negate the issue?

Doug

[CaptDavidRyan]

Well done collage in the video!

It would seem that getting the two hulls in perfect relationship to each other would be difficult. Is that the case or does the fact that the cross beams span each hull negate the issue?

Doug

I was pretty intimidated by the idea of squaring and leveling the hulls, but it turned out not to be that big a deal. We had 6 ton bottle jack, but ended up mostly using a 4x4 beam to lift and shove.

Also had 50' of clear plastic tubing to make a water level. Very Egyptian and very helpful!

In the end we were dead level at every beam-through, within 5mm bow to bow and stern to stern and within 12mm on our "X" (bow of one hull to stern of other and visa versa).

Close enough!

[CaptDavidRyan]

MON TIKI is out of our potato barn boatshop in Bridgehampton and in the shipyard at Montauk Marine Basin. Excited!

[Woxbox]

Cool.

[CaptDavidRyan]

Just a heads up that if the survey and insurance gets squared away, we're looking a launch this weekend.

By the time all was said and done MON TIKI measured out for a COI of 49, quite a bit more than we had hoped for. We don't intend to run her packed to the rails, but it'll be nice to have the extra passenger capacity if someone wants to have a floating cocktail party or some such.

[P.L.Lenihan]

A well documented and thoroughly well executed build,David! Congrats on the building and may you have the very best weather for what will certainly be a successful lunch this weekend.


Cheers!



Peter

[Woxbox]

Great. And more photos, please.

[CaptDavidRyan]

More outfitting to do, but she floats and moves under her own power.

[Hwyl]

How did I miss this.are you taking her South for the Winter?

[CaptDavidRyan]

We took MON TIKI out into Block Island Sound yesterday to give her engines a workout, look for seals and enjoy the mild weather.







Next up on the fabrication list is the 40" high railing we need to satisfy the USCG T-boat regs.

We've been in touch with the folks at Pacific Voyagers. I really like the way their "patio railing" looks. It will fit nicely with the look of MON TIKI and it satisfies the regulation too.

[StevenBauer]

How did I miss this.are you taking her South for the Winter?

I missed this, too. But very nice! Congrats on the project.


Steven

[CaptDavidRyan]

Hello Wooden Boat Builders! Some exciting news!

On Friday April 26 Mon Tiki received her US Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection (COI) as a Small Passenger Vessel (SPV aka T-boat). This makes Mon Tiki the first Wharram boat to be built to plans certified by the USCG Marine Safety Center and the first lashed hull and aka boat ever to be certified by the USCG as a Small Passenger Vessel!

Riggers will also be interested to hear that Mon Tiki is the first T-boat to be certified to use Dyneema Dux line in her standing rigging. We worked with Colligo Marine to develop a proper textile plan for her stays and bridle. The result is rigging that is lighter, stronger, less expensive, more corrosion-resistant, and easier to fabricate that the ferrous equivalent.

The COI represents the culmination of a great build and MON TIKI has already begun to earn her keep, making day-charter trips out of Diamond Cove Marina in Montauk NY. If you're on Block Island Sound this summer, keep an eye out for the tanbark schooner sailplan and the Polynesian sheerline. That will be us!

[Woxbox]

Wonderful. Congrats on a great project. I'll be looking for you next time I'm sailing over that way.

[StevenBauer]

Great news!



Steven

[George Ray]

WOW !!!!! Great Fabulous Wonderful Exciting Sweet and Neat, I'm so happy that you have broken a trail for the rest of us to follow, no small thing you have accomplished. Now I hope you will write up the story and publish on Amazon Kindle so I can buy a copy and dream about doing something similar.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Tiki 38 in the water sure beats an Insolent 60 hanging fire! Fantastic good news David,you deserve it!!

All the best to you,her crew and her ventures!!



Cheers!


Peter

[George Ray]

http://thesailingpodcast.com/boatbuilding/

"Episode 17 of The Sailing Podcast is an interview about boat building with David Ryan who has constructed a James Wharram Design Tiki 38 in Montauk, NY. with modifications to meet the requirements for Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs).
David shares some of his passion for building boats and reassures us that the skills and level of ability to build a boat are within reach of the average person, and although there are often risks that you will make a mistake or do the wrong thing, the reward of success at the end at the end of your project far outweighs the minor setbacks you might experience during your boat building."

David Ryan comes across as a VERY VERY IMPRESSIVE builder operator.
Lots of interesting details in this conversation.
************************************************** **************
I subscribe to the Sailing Podcast on iTunes and happened to hear this episode.

Link to the The Sailing Podcast on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t...4883?mt=2&uo=4