Wharram Hinemoa Catamaran (sprit rigged sloop)

Description

The Wharram Hinemoa is a classic 24 ft (7.3 m) Polynesian-style cruising catamaran designed by James Wharram in 1969 and built by amateurs worldwide in plywood/epoxy from his famous plans. With a beam of 10 ft 6 in, low bridge deck clearance, and two slim V-section hulls carrying 5 ft 6 in draft (with low-aspect fixed mini-keels), the Hinemoa is lightweight (around 1,800–2,200 lbs. complete) and easily beachable or trailerable. It carries a simple, low-stress sprit-rigged sloop on unstayed alloy masts: a large leg-o’-mutton mainsail laced to a diagonal sprit boom and a small jib, giving very easy handling and respectable light-air performance (SA/D ~20–22). Accommodation is basic but ingenious: a small central plywood pod amidships plus a full-length tent or flexible shelter stretched between the beams and masts, creating a layout that sleeps 4 comfortably on the bridge deck floor. Built by hundreds of owners from the 1970s through today (plans still in print), the Hinemoa remains one of the most successful and beloved of Wharram’s smaller “coastal trekker” designs – rugged, inexpensive, seaworthy for its size, and perfect for adventurous couples or young families exploring shallow bays, rivers, and protected coastal waters.