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Scott B. Williams
The James Wharram designed Hitia 17: Segundo Vez
Built by Scott Williams
I built this 17-foot Wharram catamaran in 1997-98 for my own use.  The Hitia 17 is a beach-cruising multihull,
suitable for daysailing or multiday trips with camping gear.  With a beam of 10'3", and widely flared hulls, it is
extremely stable and a good load carrier for its size.  The boat is trailerable when disassembled, and set up and
launching takes one person about one hour.  
James Wharram is known in the multihull world for his efforts to introduce Polynesian-styled "double canoes" to
the Western world.  Wharram sailed across the Atlantic in the 1950's on a self-built plywood catamaran
measuring only 23-feet long.  He has since designed a wide range of voyaging catamarans, and sold thousands of
sets of plans, resulting in hundreds of his boats being built by their owners.  Many of these have circumnavigated,
and can be found in all corners of the globe.  
I built Segundo Vez for coastal cruising and island-hopping in such places as Mississippi's Gulf Islands National
Seashore and the Florida Keys.  This boat has proven quite seaworthy and fast, capable of 12-knots in the right
conditions.  The deep-V section hulls draw only 12-inches, and there are no daggerboards or centerboards to
fuss with, making beach-landing easy. I built mine with a solid bridgedeck between the hulls instead of the usual
trampoline, creating a platform for pitching a tent that allows me to anchor out rather than camp on the beach.  
The hulls are segmented into several compartments by water-tight bulkheads, creating ample dry storage for gear
and provisions.  A 3.5hp Evinrude provides alternative propulsion when there is no wind.  

For more information on James Wharram and his catamaran designs ranging from
14-63 feet, click here to visit his website.