Wharram Tane
Description
The Wharram Tane is a 26‑foot double‑canoe catamaran designed by James Wharram, one of the pioneers of modern multihull design. Conceived in the early 1960s as part of Wharram’s groundbreaking work blending Polynesian canoe principles with modern materials, the Tane was intended to be a practical home‑build cruising catamaran—larger and more capable than his smaller Hitia designs but still compact and simple enough for amateur construction. The Tane design reflects Wharram’s classic philosophy: simplicity, seaworthiness, and economy. Built from plywood and epoxy on simple stringer frames, the hulls are sharply V‑shaped with long, narrow waterlines for efficiency under sail. The deck structure is open, with light crossbeams and a simple connecting platform or pod for sleeping and storage. The Tane can be rigged as either a sloop or ketch (Wharram preferred flexible options), though most builders choose a single‑mast sloop using a short, easily stepped mast and modest sail area for safe, balanced handling.
Construction Details
| Designer | James Wharram Designs |
|---|---|
| Builder | Home Built |
| Length | 26.000 ft |
| LOA | 26.000 ft |
| Beam | 14.000 ft |
| Displacement | 2000 lb |
| Max Draft | 1.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1962 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Wharram Tane - MAINSAIL
| Luff | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.25 ft - (3734 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.55 ft - (8702 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 28.8 ft - (8778 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 167.36 ft² |
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Wharram Tane - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 22.25 ft - (6782 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.25 ft - (3124 mm) |
| Leech | 18.25 ft - (5563 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | 8.31 ft - (2533 mm) |
| Area | * 92.44 ft² |
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Wharram Tane - GENOA
| Luff | 22.25 ft - (6782 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.25 ft - (3124 mm) |
| Leech | 18.25 ft - (5563 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | 8.31 ft - (2533 mm) |
| Area | * 92.44 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.