FairKeel → Buyer's guides → Wharram Tiki 26
1985–present · designed by James Wharram + Hanneke Boon · built by Wharram Designs (plans) / owner-built
James Wharram + Hanneke Boon Polynesian-inspired small cruising catamaran — asymmetric-hull modern Tiki series. Plywood-epoxy stitch-and-glue construction from plans sold by Wharram Designs Ltd (Cornwall, UK); owner-built by amateurs over multi-year timelines. Open slatted bridge deck (no solid panel), deck-stepped mast, hulls lashed to crossbeams with synthetic line. Wood-composite hull is repairable anywhere with hand tools, epoxy, and glass cloth. Designed for coastal cruising at modest cost; shorthanded operation; trailerable in some configurations.
This is a general read on the Wharram Tiki 26 class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.
Highest-risk system on any Wharram. Inspect epoxy hot-coat condition (UV chalking), plywood-stitch joint integrity, glass-sheathing delamination. Moisture-meter survey of every hull section. Builder logs + materials provenance matter — often missing for older or multi-owner hulls.
Hulls lashed to crossbeams with synthetic line. Annual inspection and replacement every 5-10 years. A failed lashing offshore is catastrophic; consequence is lower in coastal use but inspection regime is the same.
Tiki 26 rig is class-specific in geometry. Consult Wharram Designs or experienced Wharram riggers; generic-yard quotes are often inappropriate. Small rig means refit cost is modest.
Typically a single 5-10hp outboard on a transom bracket or in a well. Outboard wells are a plywood-moisture hotspot; inspect surrounding laminate.
This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Wharram Tiki 26 — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.
It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.
Run a free report on your listing →Other people's videos, not ours, and not endorsements — walkthroughs and reviews of this class that are worth watching before you look at one in person.
See something that doesn't look right? We'd love to know — email us about the Wharram Tiki 26 →