Daggerboards are an option for the Wharram Ariki. The Ariki sails to weather without daggerboards and in less than 3 feet of water but daggerboards will make sailing to weather even easier for those who like to sail fast upwind.
They have been designed here to intrude minimally into cabin space by running along the outer side of each hull opposite the companionway. Another great feature in their design is that they will simply break away without causing damage to the hull in the event that they strike bottom.
Because the Ariki sails fine without daggerboards, breaking the boards poses no danger and is not a cause for concern on a trip. The Ariki is designed to sail well in shallow water so that you have as much flexibility as possible exploring tropical coastal waters and charting fast courses while island-hopping.
In addition to providing the reassurance of a shallow draft, the Ariki is designed so that bottom encounters will cause the minimum stress to the boat and the crew. When you run aground, props and rudders will not be damaged because the heavy-duty keels are the deepest points of the boat.
This video previews the Ariki's cockpit configuration and massive deck space. It shows what a great layout the Ariki offers. The cockpit is protected and in a very comfortable location on the boat. You have a 360 degree view of your surroundings from any spot on the deck or cockpit. There is no fiberglass wall obstructing your view anywhere on the deck.
We built this mock up to be able to work out the cockpit configuration and make sure everything on the cockpit flows well. The helm station will feature an instrument panel for all sorts of instrumentation and a great wide diameter wheel for steering.