“People of The Sea” James Wharram’s Autobiography

You can usually find them in out of the way places rather than glossy marinas… Up a branch of a little known river, or in the back yard of a semi derelict factory. Slab sided, held together with tensioned ropes, with cabins that look like an afterthought.

Wharram Catamarans have always held a fascination for me. Not because they are objects of beauty…let’s face it they are generally outright ugly… but because they reek of the promise of adventure. And not a modern day adventure clutching a GPS and Sat Phone, but a 1960’s hippy adventure with free love, tropical islands bare tanned skin, and the rejection of boundaries imposed by a disapproving society. So when I found out the James Wharram had written an autobiography I took notice. And then I found a wonderful review by Charles Doane which he published on his fascinating website which he describes as follows.

“Stifled by magazine editors and publishers for much of his career, Charlie now seeks to pollute the Internet with his unfiltered musings on cruising sailboats, the sport of sailing in general, and the very watery planet we live upon, which for some weird reason everyone calls Earth.”

Here at SWS we can relate to those sentiments. To read Charlie’s full review of Warram’s Autobiography, click here.