Thread: Building a Wharram Hitia 14 in Bangkok, Thailand

Hello everybody. My name is Marcel. I recently moved to Bangkok, Thailand. My hobby is sailing and many different things related to sailing and the sea. I am now building a Wharram Hitia 14 in Bangkok, Thailand. Finished it will look like this:


If you are interested to follow the build, you can watch my build videos in this forum thread. Please feel free to ask me questions and I will do my very best to answer them.

Here is my first Building a Wharram Hitia 14 video:


This is episode 1 of the Building a Wharram Hitia 14 series. I receive and check the delivery of wood and I start drawing on the waterproof 4mm plywood. Two children from the neighbourhood come to check what I am doing and talk with me while I am drawing lines on the 4mm plywood. Since my last building video I moved to Bangkok, Thailand. This has always been on my mind, I imagined it in detail and now it is current reality. I am very happy. But with that move I had to make the decision to stop working on the Wharram Tiki 38 build, I miss my beautiful large workspace in Belgium. I also miss my friends in Belgium. I have made the decision to restart building Wharrams in Thailand and begin with a smaller Wharram, the Hitia 14, in order for me to learn techniques on a smaller scale and also have a small boat to sail with on the weekends.

On this new day I continued with drawing on the plywood. I am really taking my time here to make sure I am doing this correct. It's very warm in my workspace. I have a ceiling fan, but I ordered another ventilator. In my workplace in Belgium it was too cold and here it is too warm. But anyway I prefer the warmer climate here in Thailand.

Welcome Marcel. Looks like a fascinating project.

I sailed a wharram for about 6 months , but it was a 51 and carried 50 tourists on day sails out of horseshoe bay

it was not especially comfortable in short chop , but not many boats are

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Welcome Marcel. Looks like a fascinating project.

Hello nidhogg, thank you. I am really happy to be working on this project in Thailand. I am here now for almost 3 months and until now feeling very good.

Yes, fascinating. Why did you choose Bangkok to build a boat, Marcel?

Originally Posted by baldrick

I sailed a wharram for about 6 months , but it was a 51 and carried 50 tourists on day sails out of horseshoe bay

it was not especially comfortable in short chop , but not many boats are

Hi Baldrick, the largest Wharram I have been on is a Wharram Tiki 38 in The Bahamas. The name of that boat is Luckyfish, owned by Stewart and Zaya. They are on YouTube.

In this video I am cutting pieces out of the plywood with the jigsaw. I connect the jigsaw with the vacuum cleaner so that I need to clean up less and there is not too much fine dust in the air. Normally I also wear a respirator, but I am waiting for it to be delivered.

Another day of cutting plywood. I also received my respirator which I start using in the video. Some people have asked me why I am using a respirator when I am just cutting pieces of plywood with a jigsaw. I am very concerned about my health while building sailboats. I just want to prevent the amount of wood dust, epoxy fumes, glue dust and more that I inhale. I can't protect myself at all times, but most of the time. I not only want to build sailboats, I also want to sail and enjoy them and for that I need to be careful.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Yes, fascinating. Why did you choose Bangkok to build a boat, Marcel?

Hello Neverna, I wanted to live and build boats near the sea in Thailand. I had Cha Am area on my mind. My (thai) wife and son prefer to live in Bangkok, so that's it for now. Step-by-step

Today I am cutting parts out of the thicker 12mm marine grade plywood. I change the blade on the jigsaw. I also sand smooth some of the sides of the parts. I am starting to realise the usefulness of a band saw in a work shop.

In this video I start by putting the parts that I already cut on a new sheet of plywood and draw the shapes on it. The building instructions provide drawings on how to get the most out of a sheet by drawing/placing the parts at certain locations on the sheet of plywood. I feel very happy and relaxed when I am working in my workshop.

Damn interesting project. Good on ya Marcel. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Luigi

Damn interesting project. Good on ya Marcel. Thanks.

Thank you Luigi, all your kind comments cheer me up.

Looking forward to the development of this project Marcel.

Where do you plan to launch the vessel?

Originally Posted by david44

Love Wharrams used to visit his yard on the Fal while messing about form Restronguet.

Only one comment make it clear its a hobby or better helping Thai son lest anyone you fall out with accuses you of "working" sounds like you have it sussed would love to see it one day

I understand what you mean David44. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Looking forward to the development of this project Marcel.

Where do you plan to launch the vessel?

Hello Loy Toy, I am planning to launch it on a quiet beach in the Cha Am area. I will find a place to store it in the Cha Am area and come 2 times per month to sail with it.

Where do you plan to keep and use it once finished?

Will you keep it in the Bkk shophouse and trailer it to Pattaya/Cha-am/HH etc at weekends?


(never mind, above post answered it. )

Originally Posted by Building Wharrams

I am planning to launch it on a quiet beach in the Cha Am area.

A bottle of Chang off the nose?

Originally Posted by Luigi

Damn interesting project. Good on ya Marcel. Thanks.

Yes, I would say so.

Have to admire and appreciate those who wish to pursue such.
Talented craftsman are a rare commodity these days.

Originally Posted by Luigi

Where do you plan to keep and use it once finished?

Will you keep it in the Bkk shophouse and trailer it to Pattaya/Cha-am/HH etc at weekends?


(never mind, above post answered it. )

I can say something more about it. It is possible to trailer it to Cha-am or any other area. But after finishing the Hitia 14 I need the space in the shophouse to build a larger one.

Originally Posted by Luigi

A bottle of Chang off the nose?

Hahahaha, that video is funny. I think a bottle of Chang will do similar damage to my boat.