Romeo
Well-Known Member
Am I the last person in the uk who enjoys going out in a rowing boat simply for the pleasure of rowing? No other rowing boats left in the harbour now, where there used to be many.
The lost art of rowing
- Thread starter Romeo
- Start date
fluffc
Well-Known Member
It's probably linked to the demise in dinghies / tenders that are actually a joy to row.
I'm looking at getting a tender for my boat, but would really like something that is (a) cheap and (b) nice to row. Seems a bit of a struggle, as manufacturers push inflatable hulls, dory hulls, and hulls-optimised-for-outboards /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I'm looking at getting a tender for my boat, but would really like something that is (a) cheap and (b) nice to row. Seems a bit of a struggle, as manufacturers push inflatable hulls, dory hulls, and hulls-optimised-for-outboards /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
aztec
Well-Known Member
love rowing on the river. but alas, not many decent rowing boats about anymore.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
There are lots of decent rowing boats around - trouble is, they are all generally far more expensive than the little rigid bottomed inflatable bathtubs so favoured as tenders these days.
And these bath-tubs row about as well as a um, bathtub, hence why everybody buys outboards for them.....
There are many lovely designs by Selway Fisher, Paul Gartside, Iain Oughtred and Andrew Wolstenholme, to name just a few of the more well known designers.
"But we have no room to stow a 'hard' dinghy on deck" I hear you say.
Sometimes a little ingenuity (and maybe some lateral thinking?) is required.
F'instance, I saw a 'little' cruising yacht (32' on deck) some years ago who had a 16' Gloucester Gull dory as (one of) her tenders - this was a 'nesting' dory where the stern section stowed inside the bow section, and the whole lot then stowed upside down on the foredeck in a tad more than 8' overall.
This cruising yacht was Wylo II, designed, built and owned by Nick Skeates. The Gull's crew rowed two pairs of oars and could overtake pretty much any other tender that was under power and not on the plane.
And these bath-tubs row about as well as a um, bathtub, hence why everybody buys outboards for them.....
There are many lovely designs by Selway Fisher, Paul Gartside, Iain Oughtred and Andrew Wolstenholme, to name just a few of the more well known designers.
"But we have no room to stow a 'hard' dinghy on deck" I hear you say.
Sometimes a little ingenuity (and maybe some lateral thinking?) is required.
F'instance, I saw a 'little' cruising yacht (32' on deck) some years ago who had a 16' Gloucester Gull dory as (one of) her tenders - this was a 'nesting' dory where the stern section stowed inside the bow section, and the whole lot then stowed upside down on the foredeck in a tad more than 8' overall.
This cruising yacht was Wylo II, designed, built and owned by Nick Skeates. The Gull's crew rowed two pairs of oars and could overtake pretty much any other tender that was under power and not on the plane.
Ifraser
Well-Known Member
Steve, when I have finished doing my boat up I am planning to build a small rowing skiff to use on the Frome from one of the many plans around..selway fisher for example....seeing how you are getting on with Fast Monarch that would just be a small time filler project for you...you'd end up with a nice little skiff for under £200...cheers Iain
Rum_Pirate
Well-Known Member
I built one of these
http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm have a look at 'plans'.
for my 10 year old son to learn row in.
and I am preparing (awaiting plans) to build a Penobscot 17 which can be sailed AND rowed.
http://www.by-the-sea.com/archdavisdesign/davis_penobscot17.html
http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm have a look at 'plans'.
for my 10 year old son to learn row in.
and I am preparing (awaiting plans) to build a Penobscot 17 which can be sailed AND rowed.
http://www.by-the-sea.com/archdavisdesign/davis_penobscot17.html
Skents
Well-Known Member
Row it, stow it...no problem
An Ian Oughtred design you can have built or build yourself.
An Ian Oughtred design you can have built or build yourself.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
Blue Iguana's tender is a work of art - and I am sure she is a joy to row as well!
And she does not take up a lot of space on your foredeck - and I guess you can stow extra water containers underneath in the shade.
Fluffc has noted above that he would like a tender that is 'cheap and a joy to row'...... the Walker Bay dinghies are relatively cheap, and more fun to row than inflatables so they might be a compromise?
Nowhere near as much fun to row though as a proper pulling boat - although saying that, I have only rowed the rather tubby smaller (8') WB dinghy - I am sure that the bigger one would be much nicer to row.
And she does not take up a lot of space on your foredeck - and I guess you can stow extra water containers underneath in the shade.
Fluffc has noted above that he would like a tender that is 'cheap and a joy to row'...... the Walker Bay dinghies are relatively cheap, and more fun to row than inflatables so they might be a compromise?
Nowhere near as much fun to row though as a proper pulling boat - although saying that, I have only rowed the rather tubby smaller (8') WB dinghy - I am sure that the bigger one would be much nicer to row.
burgundyben
Well-Known Member
My father is a member of St Denys rowing club on the river Itchen in Southampton, he's been a member 40 years and I think he's one of the younger ones, most of the skiffs were built about the 30's, we often row up to Woodmil.
Rowing is alive and well in our family!
Rowing is alive and well in our family!
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Lots of it going on on Windermere. Many of the Char fishermen still row . Some have outboards in case a headwind blows up. I row my tender, which has been a sailing dinghy at some time. Sometimes I just go out for a row and a bob about.
This is a guy I know who fishes and sometimes just goes out for an hour or so rowing.
In fact when I refurbed my tender I towed the launch trolley (which was bouyant due to the pneumatic tyres) behind the tender to a suitable landing.
Boy that was difficult. It created an enormous amount of drag.
After
This is a guy I know who fishes and sometimes just goes out for an hour or so rowing.
In fact when I refurbed my tender I towed the launch trolley (which was bouyant due to the pneumatic tyres) behind the tender to a suitable landing.
Boy that was difficult. It created an enormous amount of drag.
After
graham
Well-Known Member
Thats a cracking looking tender Lakey,any idea what design she is?
I think the main reason people tend not to have decent tenders anymore is that in a lot of clubs there isnt enough space allocated for them so they get tossed around and generally mistreated.
Someone (who should have known better)recently dragged mine upside down on the top edge of its transom over rough concrete. Transom cracked glue lines broken away etc etc .The attitude was that its only a tender,true enough but it happens to be one I designed and built myself about 10 years ago to be a VERYstable workhourse when we had two preschool age kids to carry in it.
If strong headwinds I row out to the mooring if not I scull it out with one oar over the transom,another dying skill I think.
Theres a not very funny joke about the guy who uses an outboard on his tender so he can get ashore quickly and on to the leisure center before it shuts to get some in on the rowing machine /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I think the main reason people tend not to have decent tenders anymore is that in a lot of clubs there isnt enough space allocated for them so they get tossed around and generally mistreated.
Someone (who should have known better)recently dragged mine upside down on the top edge of its transom over rough concrete. Transom cracked glue lines broken away etc etc .The attitude was that its only a tender,true enough but it happens to be one I designed and built myself about 10 years ago to be a VERYstable workhourse when we had two preschool age kids to carry in it.
If strong headwinds I row out to the mooring if not I scull it out with one oar over the transom,another dying skill I think.
Theres a not very funny joke about the guy who uses an outboard on his tender so he can get ashore quickly and on to the leisure center before it shuts to get some in on the rowing machine /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Don't know what it is. I bought it for £50 from a bloke who thought it was too heavy and then bought a Bic plastic thing.
I did stick my Heron rig on it to try it out. It was a bit over-canvassed as it's only 9ft long and not really stable enough for a bloke leaping about.
I did stick my Heron rig on it to try it out. It was a bit over-canvassed as it's only 9ft long and not really stable enough for a bloke leaping about.
srp
Well-Known Member
The Joel White Nutshell is good for rowing, much better than any other pram I've rowed, due to the clever design of the forefoot - and it looks good towed behind a gaffer too. Mine always attracts comments when I use it on the river. I built mine from the Sept/Oct 1984 back issue of Wooden Boat magazine about 12 years ago and it still looks as good as new.
fishermantwo
Well-Known Member
I bought a 14 foot fibreglass catamaran on a galvanised trailer off Ebay for $80. No rig. Its an off the beach windrush cat made in fairly large numbers here in Australia. I intend buiding a SS frame to fit on the tramp beams to convert it into a rowing boat. I will use it as a yacht tender and also just for rowing about and casting lures etc. Very little drag and large carrying capacity.
Commercial boats similar to this are on the web.
Commercial boats similar to this are on the web.
cliffordpope
Well-Known Member
I built a 7 foot flat-bottomed plywood dinghy last autumn, to my own design. It is intended as dual purpose tender and rowing boat for messing about in.
It rows surprisingly well, or will take an outboard.
It rows surprisingly well, or will take an outboard.
Katomi
New Member
Hi Folks;
rowing as a scout leader we teach scouts to row in a virity of size boats. As a skipper I have an 18ft sail boat (http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b36/skipper999/?action=view¤t=sjyellow.flv) and I have boat a grp tender that I row and a rubber duck as they are called locally.
I have taken both out at different times to see which is best as I tow then behind the boat and the traditional row boat is much better.dont worry about keeping it on the boat tow it behing you, the rubber ducks have a tendcy to fip, hope this helps
experence is learning the hard way
rowing as a scout leader we teach scouts to row in a virity of size boats. As a skipper I have an 18ft sail boat (http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b36/skipper999/?action=view¤t=sjyellow.flv) and I have boat a grp tender that I row and a rubber duck as they are called locally.
I have taken both out at different times to see which is best as I tow then behind the boat and the traditional row boat is much better.dont worry about keeping it on the boat tow it behing you, the rubber ducks have a tendcy to fip, hope this helps
experence is learning the hard way
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
I experienced a rubber duck behind Slippy when I launched her for the new owner on Ullswater. What a drag! It was trying to submarine and when I tried to shorten the tow line the drag was amazing. My grp tender pulls up to the stern with hardly any effort.
