About Wilma and John
We are a couple who are passionate about many things including ocean sailing.
We originally set up this sailing blog to talk about design ideas for ocean going live-aboard sailing yachts as it is our intention to build one. Currently the project is on hold while we have been busy relocating from the city of Auckland, New Zealand to the rural environment of Waipu, Northland. At the same time we are building our online internet business; WomenLikeMe and telling our story on Wilma’s Blog (no boatbuilding project gets far without a healthy and steady cash flow). For a current update of our adventures and preoccupations, visit Wilma’s Blog.
Wilma is the enthusiastic novice who loves to think about how to use limited space optimally and how to make a live-aboard sailing yacht as comfortable as possible.
Being a novice has the advantage that she never takes anything for granted and her “Why is that the way it is?” questions are valuable as new eyes can come up with new ideas.
She also wants to get rid of the scary myths new comers to sailing are bombarded with.
John is the one with extensive experience having built several boats including his own 26 foot wooden junk rigged Frank Blom design in the late 1970’s. After completing the boat John lived on it for 9 years and sailed it from New Zealand to USA, including Alaska and Mexico and back across the Pacific.
John wants to return to the sea in more comfort on a sailing boat built as a collaborative team effort.
His interest is in what a collective design effort could produce and how it can improve on current boat design assumptions.
To read more on John’s adventures visit here.
We are excited to think what improvements are possible when there are different disciplines, non traditional design thinking and sharing of ideas and experiences coming collaboratively together
Fair winds
Wilma Ham and John Channings