Rushton pulling boat launched

[Rich Jones]

This is the culmination of my thread; 15' Rushton "Just Enough" pulling boat.
I launched her for the first time this weekend and was very happy with the results. She rows very well and is very fast, even with two people on board.
The 4 mm ply planking worked out well. The floors that I added eliminated any problems with oil-canning in the bottom of this very lightweight boat. Only 82 lbs. Still too heavy to car-top, so I bought a small trailer.
I got my ego stroked quite a bit by onlookers. Seems like they'd never seen a wooden boat before.
First picture is the proud builder with his boat. The detail isn't very good, but I am wearing my WoodenBoat cap, mandatory at all wooden boat launchings!





http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/vtlady/Sept2010PullingBoat036.jpg?t=1285090844

Bow-on shot to show the beam. Boat is 14' 10" by 3' 3". 8' Shaw and Tenney oars. Oarlocks are also from Shaw and Tenney.


http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/vtlady/Sept2010PullingBoat015.jpg?t=1285091047


Does that PFD make me look fat? Maybe I should take up rowing... Actually, with my blown left arm rotator cuff tendons, paddling a canoe is hard, but rowing seems to be OK.


http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/vtlady/Sept2010PullingBoat010.jpg?t=1285091154


My brave crew, my daughter. My wife decided to keep her feet dry and just take pictures.
This will be my last boat-building project for a couple of years. Moving to Vermont next summer and have a zillion other things to do. Like finishing building our retirement home.

http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/vtlady/Sept2010PullingBoat034.jpg?t=1285091462

The boat balances well and is no problem with two aboard. Once I get my wife in there, we'll see how it handles a full load. (although she's only 115 lbs). The two rowing stations, depending on number of passengers, works out well. I followed the original dimensions from the plans from Adirondack Museum, but I wish that the oarlocks were about 2" further aft. A bit tight right now. Folks must have been smaller then, or had smaller bellies!
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/vtlady/Sept2010PullingBoat004.jpg?t=1285091250

[Thorne]

Sweet!

[DGentry]

Truly fabulous!
Is the sheer strake stained, or what?

[Rich Jones]

Truly fabulous!
Is the sheer strake stained, or what?

The planking is 4mm occume ply. It took the light cherry stain very well, but when I tried to stain the sheerstrake a red mahogany, it came out uneven. I decided then that a nice wine-red paint would look great!

[James McMullen]

I like it very much! Yay for lapstrake double-enders, the world's prettiest sort of boat!

[G. Schollmeier]

Fantastic, great job.

[Rich Jones]

I like it very much! Yay for lapstrake double-enders, the world's prettiest sort of boat!

They just slip through the water and the sound of the water gurgling along the laps is wonderful.

[John Meachen]

Congratulations on a nice looking boat and a very individual one.The onlookers at the launching recognised an unusual event but I doubt that any of them had any idea about the Rushton heritage.

[gibetheridge]

That's a fine looking piece of work. If you trailer it up to VT. you're going to see a lot of thumbs up on the highway, and rightly so.

[Gerarddm]

Veddy nize!