Port Townsend or (probably) bust

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  • cstevens
    Dreaming of a boat
    • Nov 2014
    • 6357

    #31
    Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

    Ok. It does seem like a better alternative to skin cancer. But as John K. points out, they also inspire a sort of "lock up your liquor and women" response on the part of innocent seafarers I'll have to try one for myself and see how I like it I guess.
    - Chris

    Any single boat project will always expand to encompass the set of all possible boat projects.

    Life is short. Go boating now!

    Comment

    • jpatrick
      Measures twice/Cuts twice
      • Jun 2010
      • 4003

      #32
      Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

      Chris, I totally endorse the rear view mirror idea. I recently added one to my HV13 that I row. It helps a lot. I think I can continue to get by with having the mirror on only one side but in a more crowded place I think I'd add a second one on the, now, blind side. Or, go with a high one over the middle.

      Bruce... thanks for the endorsement of the face shield. I must admit my skepticism on their wearability. But your boatyard use is as good a recommendation as it gets.

      Jeff

      Comment

      • cstevens
        Dreaming of a boat
        • Nov 2014
        • 6357

        #33
        Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

        Originally posted by jpatrick
        Chris, I totally endorse the rear view mirror idea. I recently added one to my HV13 that I row. It helps a lot. I think I can continue to get by with having the mirror on only one side but in a more crowded place I think I'd add a second one on the, now, blind side. Or, go with a high one over the middle.

        Bruce... thanks for the endorsement of the face shield. I must admit my skepticism on their wearability. But your boatyard use is as good a recommendation as it gets.

        Jeff
        Any photos Jeff? What sort of mirror did you use? I've been looking at different setups and am leaning toward one that mounts to the oarlock pin on the outrigger. I'd rather have one that mounts to the hull but so far I haven't found anything that seems like it would work. I've thought about just making something using a motorcycle mirror or a towing mirror but it would be great to see what other people are doing.
        - Chris

        Any single boat project will always expand to encompass the set of all possible boat projects.

        Life is short. Go boating now!

        Comment

        • wizbang 13
          Senior Member
          • Oct 2009
          • 24793

          #34
          Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

          This was just before I got one. I passed out twice from dehydration/sunstroke.


          The local guys were using them. Crazy hot nasty dredged yard.

          Comment

          • SeanM26
            Senior Member
            • Jun 2019
            • 643

            #35
            Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

            Another vote for the face shields, or buffs as other companies call them. I have several; light colored single layers for hot weather, and fleece lined for cold weather.

            The hot weather ones do not trap any heat or moisture if there is even a hint of a breeze and keep all the sun off.

            Comment

            • 2dogsnight
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2013
              • 1012

              #36
              Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

              Hi Chris,
              I have been looking at sculling shells for sale, and since you have mentioned about trailer for your rower, here is this very interesting set up as an example. Could be pulled by any car I would think........this boat is 21' long...Pocock Wherry.

              Pocock.jpg

              Pocock 1.jpg
              2016 kayak Mill Creek 13

              Comment

              • rgthom
                Senior Member
                • Apr 2010
                • 3189

                #37
                Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                I think that boat is a great choice for a long open water race. I've done short (8 - 10 mile) races in my much bigger Walkabout, in a separate class but racing with the Maas type shells. The Walkabout does not even manage 5 kts in a sprint, and the in races averages about 4 kts. The shells will blow me away on flat water, but in heavy chop I find we are about the same speed. Their narrow hulls have to punch through the waves, while my boat rises over them. Rowing a shell is also tiring, having to actively maintain balance. Your boat should do well.

                If you have space to store it a trailer makes prep and launching much easier. For a while I owned a SOF LFH17 to car top instead of trailer. I just did not use it much, loading it and getting it in the water took longer than hooking up the trailer and bringing the bigger boat.

                FWIW my exercise is more cycling than rowing now due to time constraint. I have bikes at work to do lunch rides, at home with baskets for grocery runs, and with an electric motor to commute on. Bikes do not work upper body, but since slide seat rowing is mostly leg it is still a really good cross-train if you can fit some rides in.

                -Rick

                Comment

                • cstevens
                  Dreaming of a boat
                  • Nov 2014
                  • 6357

                  #38
                  Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                  Ok then. Seems like the face shields are worth looking into. I'm making a list. Hat, sunglasses, mirror, face shield... And now trailer as well. I have one of the small EZ-Loader trailers that is set up for the Whitehall but it's really too big for Rocinante. I think I need to sell it and get one of these:



                  Trailex aluminum trailer designed for lightweight boats. One of those would be perfect. Light and small enough to move around easily in the shop where the EZ-Loader is a bit unwieldy.

                  And Rick, thanks for the comments about Rocinante in comparison to your Walkabout. I've seen 6 kt in Rocinante for brief periods. I'm guessing I could get up to 6.5 kt, but only for a minute or two at most! Five knots is pretty easy to do for extended periods so I figure 4-5kt will be comfortable on a long distance event. She's pretty stable as well. Not walk-around stable for sure, but still very forgiving. We hit several freighter wakes and many sizable powerboat wakes yesterday and I was able to keep rowing through just about everything.

                  As for rowing vs. bicycling... yes, that makes sense. My problem is that I no longer enjoy riding in city traffic and it takes too long to get out to anywhere that I like to ride. One can only ride the Burke Gilman Trail (the most accessible bike trail in Seattle) so many times without becoming entirely bored with the route and I think I hit that milestone sometime back in 2011. As much as I hate indoor exercise I may just have to break down and start working out on an erg again. It's not fun but it's the most efficient way to put in the time.
                  - Chris

                  Any single boat project will always expand to encompass the set of all possible boat projects.

                  Life is short. Go boating now!

                  Comment

                  • SeanM26
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2019
                    • 643

                    #39
                    Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                    Every fitness center I have been in has had a stationary rowing machine tucked away in some corner.

                    Comment

                    • cstevens
                      Dreaming of a boat
                      • Nov 2014
                      • 6357

                      #40
                      Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                      Originally posted by SeanM26
                      Every fitness center I have been in has had a stationary rowing machine tucked away in some corner.
                      Oh, definitely. The erg is the least-used piece of cardio equipment in every gym. Occasionally someone will sit down and start yanking on the thing like they are trying to rip the chain off the fan but you almost never see anyone who looks like they know what they are doing. The problem isn't finding one - the gym in the basement of the building my office is in has a couple. The problem is that I hate sitting on the damn thing and staring at myself in the mirror (there is always a mirror) for an hour or two.

                      But I timed myself yesterday. It takes me 15 minutes to load or unload the boat what with rolling the boat out of the shop, removing the drop-in seat unit, putting the boat on the rack, putting the seat unit into the boat, strapping the boat to the rack and then putting the oars in the boat. (Don't forget the oars! Did that once already. Fortunately they were still sitting where I left them when I realized my mistake and went back for them. Also fortunately I hadn't left them where I would drive over them when I pulled out.) Then you have to do the same thing in reverse to launch the boat. And do it all over again to put the boat away. So I am spending a full hour just fussing with the boat each time I go for a row. A trailer probably cuts that time down to maybe 10 minutes total but until I get that sorted I'm only going to have time to row on weekends. So the erg may be the best way to get training time in during the week.
                      - Chris

                      Any single boat project will always expand to encompass the set of all possible boat projects.

                      Life is short. Go boating now!

                      Comment

                      • rgthom
                        Senior Member
                        • Apr 2010
                        • 3189

                        #41
                        Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                        I have one of the slightly larger Trailex trailers (SUT-500-S). They are nice and light, can work as a dolly. Springs are better matched to light boats than most other trailers. Rust resistant aluminum is good. On the down side, prices are high (especially for do it yourself assembly). Be careful of the sharp edges on the lead-on roller bracket, that can do some damage if the boat is not aligned (DAMHIKT). Lights are minimal, hard to see if a long boat overhangs the end. And, the small wheels are not highway speed balanced.

                        Comment

                        • BBSebens
                          No Member
                          • Jan 2008
                          • 3872

                          #42
                          Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                          No trailer needed.

                          On-top of the existing cross bars, add a lengthwise beam. Mount your existing mount at the front crossbar, and put a Thule Hully Roller at the aft end of the beam, as far back as possible without interfering with the hatch.

                          Then, loading the boat is as simple as setting the stern on the ground and setting the bow in the rollers. Pick up the stern and roll it forward. This way you only have to lift half the weight of the boat at a time up to rack height.



                          Or put it in the back of the Studebaker.
                          There's the plan, then there's what actually happens.

                          Ben Sebens, RN

                          El Toro Dinghy Springline
                          12’ San Francisco Pelican Sounder
                          Laguna 18

                          Comment

                          • rgthom
                            Senior Member
                            • Apr 2010
                            • 3189

                            #43
                            Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                            Having tried something like Ben's plan may I just say that's fine if the boat is quite light compared to your lifting ability (my lifting ability is low due to back injury). First, you still have to get the boat from the water's edge to the car. Lifting the bow up onto the roller means all holding friction is on the stern, which tends to slide back on grass or dirt and scrape on concrete. The whole boat can take a slider and fall off on an angled ramp, unless you have another person to block at the stern. It's possible, but not slam dunk simple compared to trailer.

                            Comment

                            • cstevens
                              Dreaming of a boat
                              • Nov 2014
                              • 6357

                              #44
                              Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                              I like Ben's plan and I really wish I thought it could work for me. But my experience doing something similar is much more in line with Rick's description. A couple of years ago I got one of the roller thingies that attaches to the rear window with suction cups and tried loading one of the wooden kayaks we have with it. It worked ok the first time, although getting the bow up onto the roller without the stern sliding around was tricky. But then I tried it again just for practice. That was once to many as the bow slipped out of my grasp and plunged right through the rear window. At which point I found that my auto glass coverage deductible is so high that it would have been less expensive to just buy the trailer...
                              - Chris

                              Any single boat project will always expand to encompass the set of all possible boat projects.

                              Life is short. Go boating now!

                              Comment

                              • rgthom
                                Senior Member
                                • Apr 2010
                                • 3189

                                #45
                                Re: Port Townsend or (probably) bust

                                You mentioned a mirror Chris. This comes up a lot, some rowers like bike style eyeglass mirrors but most of us use a mirror-on-a-stick, attached to the boat. What kind of mirror? I have tried flat (not enough field of view) and curved motorcycle (too curved, objects are too hard to see until you hit them). The goldilocks for me is a ski boat mirror, it's wide to start and mildly convex, gives a good view with enough time to react.

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