Monday 19 October 2009

A new rowing boat design in Water Craft magazine


Water Craft dropped through the door today, bringing with it a particular treat - a new design for a rowing boat by Paul Gartside, the Cornish-born Canadian designer who has created some highly-regarded rowing boat designs including the 'tortured ply' Flashboat (drawn from the famous Cornish racing boats) and the open water cruising skiff 'Bob'.
The sweet-looking double ender is only 12ft long so it won't be suitable for long expeditions or racing, but it would be lovely for just pottering about in.
I lust after it, but it would have to be made for me as the traditional carvel construction would be completely beyond my basic bodging skill level. Paul goes into some detail about the challenges of building a carvel hull with thin planks, which are essential in a boat as small as this to keep the weight down, and it sounds like a professional job to me.
There are a lot of builders who would be capable of doing it, however. Must start saving...

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