Tahiti Ketch Archive
The Tahiti Ketch is one of the most prolific designs for a blue water cruising yacht. Originally designed over 100 years ago, it is one of the most common home built wooden boats. Due to age and the rise of inexpensive fiberglass boats, it is getting harder to find information on this design, as well as almost impossible to find complete plans.
Through a stroke of luck I was able to find a complete set of full sized plans. The smaller drawings as well as table of offsets are easy enough to get through the 1935 edition of How to Build 20 Boats. This was the only full set of mail-order full sized plans that I was able to find reference of online.
This is the culmination of my ongowing efforts to archive information and articles that pertain to the Tahiti Ketch, as well as her designer John Hanna
Before Tahiti
Earlier iteration appeared in the April 1925 edition of ‘The Rudder’, an american yachting magazine. Most articles and books that I found mistakingly state that it was published in the April 1923 edition. Hanna’s origional 30 ft ketch is nearly identical to the Tahiti, just designed around what was available at that time. The Main differences are a smaller engine, different storage tanks, and a larger sail plan.
Appearance of Tahiti
he first publication of the Tahiti was in the 1935 edition of “How to Build 20 Boats” a yearly publication of Mecanix Illustrated. It was a continuation of the Neptune, with improvement to the design as well as additional construction drawings. This article also contained pictures and advice from the first 5 vessels built.
The name Tahiti was chosen as a way to envoke hope and dreams during the onset of the Great Depression. “In short, whatever it takes to get to Tahiti and back, this ship has.”
Resources
If you would like the scans of the full sized plans, send me an email @ nikkpedersen@gmail.com
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