Stretched Shenandoah Whitehall vs. Shenandoah Peapod

[wend]

I'm wondering if anyone here has opinions between these two designs. I know that the stretch whitehall is pretty proven, but I suspect at 15' it's a heavier boat than the peapod version. Boat is largely for exercise and occasional family trips, beach launched on a large, windy bay.

Mostly looking for opinions on the pros and cons of the double ended vs. transom designs.

https://duckworks.com/shenandoah-whitehall-plans/
https://duckworks.com/shenandoah-peapod-plans-pdf/

[pez_leon]

I row a spec Shenandoah Whitehall on that very bay. I have never regretted the transom. Sternsheets provide far more room for passengers and stuff than the cramped bow seat.

I imagine you're aware already, but conditions on the central Bay get real serious real fast. I enjoy rowing at the edges on nice days but wouldn't dream of taking that boat out all that far. Within those limitations the Shenandoah Whitehall is a great, great boat.

Check for a PM about a possible visit to see one of these boats in the... skin? Some less creepy term must be available.

- James

[wend]

Thanks for the PM, I tried to reply, but I am far from expert at working this particular forum software. You may have 0 replies or maybe 4?

Yes, I had mostly intended to work along the coast, I don't have any illusions of making it over to Angel Island or anything. Mostly I just wanted a light boat that's easy to store and take places, and that I can, on nice days, ride down to Albany beach and row up and down the coast. Your comments about the stern sheets make a lot of sense.

[overland]

I built a Shenandoah Whitehall last year and like it quite a lot. I'm going to try to attach a photo here. It's a stretched version--I was aiming for 15' but ended up a few inches longer. I worked hard to keep the weight down, including installing plastic oarlock sockets from Gaco (an Australian cottage business). The boat ended up about 55 pounds. It rows exceptionally well. But being so light it bounces around quite a bit in waves. I also have two CLC boats, a Northeaster Dory--about 100 pounds--and Chester Yawl, about 90. These are harder to move about, but they're a little steadier on the water. If transportation was not a problem, I'd go with one of them. But the Shenandoah Whitehall is unbeatable for a lightweight boat that rows extremely well and is light enough to carry around by myself and put on top of the car. As a sidenote, I'm experimenting with the use of a sliding seat, using the regular fixed oars. I think that's the way to go. I might add that I don't think you're going to save much weight by going with the peapod over the whitehall. The whitehall has a lot more capacity and is probably about the same at the waterline, maybe even a little bit longer.
Please note that the photo shows the earliest version of the boat. I've made a few changes, as I've suggested, to make it a little lighter. In fact, it's become an obsession. Red Boat Launch 3.jpg

[wend]

Thanks, Overland. I think that you all have sold me on the whitehall. I had seen your build before, and your bike transport setup was what sold me on SOF boats, since I wanted to take mine down to the water on my bike, and it's hard to get a ply boat, even a simple one, below 100 lbs, which is the recommendation for the wike cart that I have been looking at. Would love to see some new photos of your sliding seat setup once you have it dialed in.

[WI-Tom]

I built a Shenandoah Whitehall last year and like it quite a lot. I'm going to try to attach a photo here. It's a stretched version--I was aiming for 15' but ended up a few inches longer. I worked hard to keep the weight down, including installing plastic oarlock sockets from Gaco (an Australian cottage business). The boat ended up about 55 pounds. It rows exceptionally well. But being so light it bounces around quite a bit in waves. I also have two CLC boats, a Northeaster Dory--about 100 pounds--and Chester Yawl, about 90. These are harder to move about, but they're a little steadier on the water. If transportation was not a problem, I'd go with one of them. But the Shenandoah Whitehall is unbeatable for a lightweight boat that rows extremely well and is light enough to carry around by myself and put on top of the car. As a sidenote, I'm experimenting with the use of a sliding seat, using the regular fixed oars. I think that's the way to go. I might add that I don't think you're going to save much weight by going with the peapod over the whitehall. The whitehall has a lot more capacity and is probably about the same at the waterline, maybe even a little bit longer.
Please note that the photo shows the earliest version of the boat. I've made a few changes, as I've suggested, to make it a little lighter. In fact, it's become an obsession. Red Boat Launch 3.jpg

Are there any threads on the WBF about your build? Or photos somewhere else? Looks like a beauty. A light-weight rowboat with a set of wheels would suit my situation in Poland very very well right now.

Tom

[overland]

No, there's no thread on building. I built it in a parking lot over winter--it was a covid project--and it's far from perfect. If you got up close you would see. I used to tell Dave that I was building a boat, not a work of art. I wanted it to float and go straight. The trick of course is to keep everything straight and fair, and to do what the plans say to make sure you have enough sheer. Mine is close, but not quite enough. However, the construction is very forgiving. The frame is wood, after all, and if you screw up you can undo what you did and try it again. It took me a couple tries to get the stem vertical, for example. And when I finished I realized I had screwed up the measurements and the frame was six inches longer than I wanted. The problem was at the nose (you might be able to see in the photo that the bow is a little bit elongated). So I ended up installing a mini frame near the bow to give extra support there. That seems to work. Dave's plans are great. My only real advice is to make sure the strongback is straight and firm and stays in place. I placed mine on sawhorses but the sawhorses were prone to shifting. That caused headaches. The other thing is to do what you can to keep it light. There's not a lot of leeway here--the boat is pretty simple--but one thing I did was to use 1/2 inch cedar pickets, glued together, for the seat material. I took out a couple of the floor boards so the floor is not as wide as in the photo. I replaced the brass oarlock sockets with strong plastic ones from Gaco (available at Duckworks). Little stuff like that saved me a few pounds. But for me there's a big difference between 60 and 55 pounds. I wish I could get it down to 50, but I probably would have had to do that in construction, not afterward.
The best thing of all is that the boat is a fast build. Maybe 40 hours if you're handy with tools. You can always build something else if you don't like it.

[wend]

Tom, I will probably be starting my build shortly and will attempt to document it in reasonable detail.

[JamesCaird]

HI Guys- I support your idea to add a sliding seat to the boat. Although it adds some complication it also provides for a better workout and brings your legs into the process. I have commuted for many years to my island home by rowboat. A Gloucester gull has been the workhorse. For short rows the fixed seats are fine but if you get into some long cruising rows for hours being able to move your legs is a big plus. Lots of power there , too, so helps the back as well. I used 7.5 ft oars with the regular fixed oarlocks. Cheers/ JC

[Ian McColgin]

I love the notion of sliding oarlocks but that's a lot of complication for a working boat that must come alongside a dock or another boat.

I've always used the 'doryman's stroke' on a fixed seat. There's some leg action but not much. Still, when I rowed to Nantucket I found that all my muscles were well used. I suspect that the sliding seat really comes into its own with an easily driven hull, not so much for a work boat hull that is easily rowed at three knots but real work faster.

You all know the three knots story:

Johnny left the hills and hollows of Kentucky to join the Navy. After basic he came home on leave to swagger up and down with his two fly plants. So he took hold of the town pump and retired with her to her place over the bar and got busy.

After a bit Johnny roared out, "Yo baby. How'm I doin?"

"About three knots," she answered.

"Three knots!?" Johnny sputtered. "Three knots is Navy talk. How's it you a gal from the hollers never seen salt water knows what three knots is. Do you know?"

"Sure do hon," came the reply.
"It's not hard.
"You're not in.
"And you're not getting your money back."