Ode to the people of the sea

Written by James Wharram in 1995

Introduction to James Wharram by Hanneke Boon, Head of James Wharram Designs

James Wharram was the British pioneer of ocean sailing multihulls. As a young man in the 1940s he spent many hours in Manchester Central library reading books about boats and sailing voyages. The book that inspired him deeply was ‘The Voyage of the Kaimiloa’ by French sailor and ethnologist Eric de Bisschop, who after years of exploring the Pacific on a Chinese Junk, built a double canoe in Hawaii and in 1939 sailed it half way round the world to France, demonstrating that such an ethnic craft was capable of long ocean voyages. 

James Wharram sailing one of his boats. © Hanneke Boon

Eric’s book inspired James to further studies into the boats and culture of the Polynesians and in 1955 led him to building a 23’4” double canoe he called Tangaroa after the Polynesian god, and sailing it, with a crew of two intrepid German women, across the Atlantic to demonstrate the seaworthiness of the Polynesian canoe craft, and to show how these craft were capable of making the migrations of the Polynesians across the vast Pacific ocean. 

Map of the Pacific Ocean by Hanneke Boon. © Hanneke Boon

Herb Kane's "Arrival to Hawaii" Painting. © Hanneke Boon

It must be remembered that in the 1950s there still was much debate about where the Polynesians came from and how they had reached their far flung islands. Many scholars did not believe their light double canoe craft were capable of voyaging out of SE Asia against the prevailing winds. Hence Thor Heyerdahl’s theory that they must have come from South America on rafts, following the favourable winds and currents. Thor Heyerdahl’s theory was proven wrong. The Polynesians did sail out of SE Asia, now conclusively proven via DNA and linguistic studies.

In 1965, after four pioneering Atlantic crossings in self-designed and -built double canoes (now referred to as catamarans, or multihulls), James Wharram became a designer of ‘Polynesian Catamarans’ for self-builders, and together with his women partners created a world-wide following, with thousands of designs built and sailing the oceans. In 1994 they sailed to the Pacific in their 63ft double canoe Spirit of Gaia, and with his co-designer Hanneke Boon continued their studies of canoe craft in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

James Wharram and Hanneke Boon with one of their boat models. © Hanneke Boon

James Wharram sailing Tangaroa, one of his boat designs. © Hanneke Boon

This Ode to the Polynesians was written by James Wharram in 1995 and shows his deep respect for the People of the Sea that populated all the wide spread islands of the Pacific. Mare Noka, the 50 year old double canoe sailed across the Atlantic by Women & the Wind is a 40ft early Wharram design. With their voyage and approach to sea living these young women are carrying the sea culture of the People of the Sea into the present.

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Ode to People of the Sea, 1995

Ode to People of the Sea, written by James Wharram in 1995, with designs by Hanneke Boon.