Hymn to the Adirondack Guide Boat

The legendary Adirondack guide boat is a thing of beauty. It seems to inspire awe in people. Here's a homage, almost a love letter, by Willem Lange, a man who has spent most of his life in the Adirondacks doing most things from labouring, carpentry, teaching and managing an outward bound school. These days he talks on local radio and writes books, and for the first time rows his own guide boat.



I have always wondered how such a narrow boat is rowed, and the video makes it clear - simply a matter of moving one oar well before the other to avoid clashing the highly-overlapped handles. Feathering is not a problem because they can't - the looms are mounted in a sort of gimballed oarlock. The oars look too long for the beam of the boat, but the looms are square and heavy and the shafts are long and thin, which means they are properly balanced and nicely flexible.
Willem's guide boat was made by the Adirondack Guide Boat Company of Vermont, who make a range in various sizes in both kevlar and traditional cedar. They also make kits.
Paul Fisher of Selway Fisher has designed a 15ft Adirondack guide boat for stitch and tape or clinker ply construction. This one is by Colin Wragg.