Wildling Sailing
This channel seems to be growing fast, and it’s easy to see why. Mark is a hard worker, that’s for sure, and he’s is going full steam ahead fixing up a decrepit Wharram Pahi 42. He’s getting good at video editing too.
Wildling Sailing YouTube Channels
Previously on the channel he fixed up a Sailcraft Cherokee 35 with Nadiyana. But that was then and this is now. Wharram it is!
This is one of the most genuine channels out there – just Mark, his tools and some serious **** to fix!
Down to Earth
Among the glitzy sailing channels that fill YouTube with turquoise anchorages and drone shots, Wildling Sailing stands apart by covering the hard, dirty, unfiltered work of making a boat seaworthy again.
At the centre of it all is Mark, a determined and skilled sailor who was previously based around Amsterdam. He’’s not buying a shiny new catamaran or sailing off into the sunset — he’s ‘s resurrecting a Wharram Pahi 42, a Polynesian-style double canoe design that spent a decade neglected before he took it on. His project is part restoration, part engineering experimentation (with the help of his mum and dad occasionally), and full persistence.
“Join me as I sort a decrepit Wharram Pahi 42, Polynesian double canoe/catamaran, into something that can sail the oceans again.”
That captures his tone — modest, practical, and focused on the job.
The Story and the Boat
The Wharram Pahi 42 is a distinctive craft, built on traditional Polynesian principles and designed by James Wharram, a cult figure among catamaran fans. When Mark found his Pahi, it was a wreck. Rot had crept through the structure, the systems were shot, and years of neglect had turned it into a daunting project.
Mark chose to take it on and document every step of the rebuild. His videos show the process of repairing bulkheads, replacing rotten beams, building a new mast step, welding fittings, and designing his engine pods. It’s the sort of work that many sailing channels skip entirely — the stuff that happens before the sailing begins.
That’s what gives Wildling Sailing its edge. It’s not an escape fantasy; it’s a reality check on what it actually takes to bring a neglected boat back to life.
Notable Videos and Themes
Several videos mark key moments in the project’s evolution.
- “Undoing 10 Years of Neglect” captures the grim starting point — peeling away layers of rot and decay to reach a solid foundation.
- “My Ocean-Going Catamaran Gets Powered!” follows the installation of the boat’s propulsion system, a milestone that transforms the project from dream to reality.
- “I Finally Made This Catamaran Liveable” celebrates a quieter moment: turning a cold, half-rebuilt hull into a space you can actually live in.
There are over three hundred videos now, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers following the journey. Some episodes focus on technical work; others capture reflections on his frustration with the project, perseverance and the reality of long, solitary labour.
What Makes It Stand Out
What’s different about Wildling Sailing is its authenticity. There’s no polish here, no hired camera crew, and no product placement. Mark’s channel is a diary — filmed between bouts of sanding, gluing, or grinding and now moving into the sailing phase.
It fills a gap in the sailing-YouTube world. Most creators skip directly to the cruising (Parlay Revival excepted), showing off sunsets and anchorages but offering less about the real work needed in rebuilding and maintaining a boat. This channel is more about the reality: rotten plywood, seized bolts, epoxy dust and the satisfaction of making things work.