Rowboat designs

[Kevin Squires]

I have been looking for a simple-to-build, decent-to-row boat, to be used mainly by one person, for both exercise and simply messing around in an evening. I recall seeing a design by Steve Redmond called "Whisp" in Woodenboat, but haven't seen the ad for some time. Any opinions on this design, or information on how I might locate it?? Thanks, Kevin Squires

[skuthorp]

Heaps of beautiful craft about, try www.duckflat-woodenboats.com.au (http://www.duckflat-woodenboats.com.au) for a start

[Bill Dodson]

With the same ideas in mind, I've elected to build a Gloucester Gull dory by Bolger (also called the Gloucester Light Dory). I'll let you know if it was the right choice for me at a later date ;)

Plans and a how-to-build book are available from Payson at Gloucester Gull (http://www.instantboats.com/ggull.htm). There are also full-size patterns available for almost all of the boat's parts.

Good luck with deciding, building, and rowing smile.gif
Bill

[skuthorp]

Is'nt this a lovely place, Nova Scotia, SE Aust. and Maryland, USA, allin 3 brief posts AHHHH!

[Bruce Hooke]

Steve Redmond appears to have dropped out of sight and taken the Whisp design off the market. There have been long discussions about this in the past so for more details search the forum archives. However, the short story is that things will be a whole lot simpler for you if you can find another design that you like. The Gloucester Gull is a fine design by all reports but if it doesn't strike your fancy there are tons of other designs out there. What sort of waters will you be rowing in and how much of a 'performance' craft are you looking for?

[AngWood]

A flatiron skiff is easily built (without too much messing around with goopy epoxy) and makes a good rowboat. You can use solid strakes and a cross-planked bottom, or use plywood. Either way it's a classy-looking craft. I recommend Gardner's (sp?) Building Classic Small Craft (exact title?) and/or Rabl's Boatbuilding in your Backyard (exact title?).

[JimConlin]

If you want some serious exercise, consider a sliding seat boat.
Next step up from a slippery fixed seat boat might be Ken Bassett's 'Firefly'.
Plans are available from our good friends at WB.

[Dave Carnell]

I converted Sam Rabl's "Uncle Gabe's Flattie Skiff" in "Boatbuilding in Your Own Backyard" from lumber construction to ¼" plywood and built it in lengths of 10, 12, and 16 feet very successfully. You have to get the curve of the bottom of the side plank forward just right to avoid some peculiar bottom curves.

I built the Gloucester Gull tack-and-tape. I believe I got it too light, though Bolger says you can't. Anyway, it was impossible to keep headed in any breeze.

[TomRobb]

Ian Oughtred's two Thames Skiff look-alikes, 19' Badger and 16' Mole, or his Acorn 15 (streachable to 17')are seriously nice row boats and can be built either glued-ply lap or traditional clinker.

[Roy Morford]

I have plans for "Joansa" by John Welsford. It's 15'6" by 3'10" and is lap ply construction. I think it will be a nice rower, it certainly looks nice. You can see it on the Duckworks site. Also take a look at Pygmy Boat Works Wineglass Wherry - it's only available as a kit though.

[garland reese]

Tom Hill used to advertise in WB classifieds, but I've not seen the ad for some time. He used to sell the Redmond Skiff plans, I think. I don't know how to contact Tom though.

Take a look at the www.clcboats.com (http://www.clcboats.com) website

The Annapolis
Wherry is an absolutely stunning little wherry, that can be set up for both fixed seat or used with a drop-in sliding seat unit for a really good fitness work out. Unfortunately, the boat comes only in kit form...............too bad for those who don't wish to build from a kit.

The Jimmy Skiff may also be something close to what you're looking for. These two designs are very different from each other. But both I think would make a nice row boat and would be easy to build. The Jimmy Skiff can be sailed too!!!

Garland

[Dave Fleming]

Dunno, how much help this is towards getting a set of plans but this fellow has built at least one Whisp.

http://www.cullisonsmallcraft.com/pastpage.htm

[Steve Paskey]

Like they said: more info re your wishes! There are lots of designs out there. For example, in addition to Bolger's light dory, there are rowing dory designs from John Welsford, Jim Michalak (both available at www.duckworksmagazine.com (http://www.duckworksmagazine.com) ), Sam Devlin ( www.devlinboat.com (http://www.devlinboat.com) ) and Paul Fisher ( www.selway-fisher.com (http://www.selway-fisher.com) ).

John Welsford also has a very nice slim 16-foot flat-bottomed rowing skiff called the SEAGULL, with built-in bouyancy tanks. (She'd be high on my list if I wanted a simple fixed-seat boat for exercise and mucking about.) And Michalak has several multi-chined designs for stitch and glue ply (ROAR 2 and ORACLE).

At the other extreme (i.e. less than simple), Bolger has a stunning clinker-built boat called SPUR II, and volume 2 of John Gardner's "Building Classic Small Craft" includes a very fast 17-foot Herreshoff rowboat.

[Keith Wilson]

If you're looking for something easy to build, Bolger's Gypsy makes an excellent rowboat, pretty and somewhat quicker to build than Spur II. For rowing only, you'd probably rearrange the seats and leave out the daggerboard. Really needs a small skeg, though.

http://www.instantboats.com/images/gypsyst.gif

[ 08-01-2002, 11:43 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]