...but a training boat, not a fine or best boat. John Welsford, the Kiwi designer who knows a lot about fixed seat rowing, has designed a sliding seat double scull for Lake Rotorua so they can go out in sea states that would prevent rowing in fine boats. It may technically be a tub but it looks smart and elegant.
The idea is to provide a kit so clubs and individuals can build them themselves at low cost - all the details are on John's excellent blog here.
The chap who commissioned the design, Alistair Riddle, says the next prototype will have a fast derigging system to make the boat a bit lighter for loading onto the roof rack on the car. John says he knows of a way of doing it that 'won't bust peoples boilers', but I would say that removing the riggers before loading onto a car is very desirable as it avoids many horrible scratches in the paintwork caused by the gates gouging the metal. Don't ask how I know this.
I don't have to ask! Unfortunately...
ReplyDeleteMy rowing buddy, Mike Huntsinger, acquired a boat through Rowable Classics that was built by Brown's Boathouse in Durham. Mike restored the boat and calls it a "tubbing gig", which I understand means it was meant for training. He added decks and flotation bags, and we have been racing it as a double in open water competitions on San Francisco Bay. In last month's Bridge to Bridge race held by the South End Rowing Club we managed third place in the classic wooden doubles, not bad for a "tub".
ReplyDeletePicture of Mike and his tub: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricks_boats/22801646761/in/album-72157660842994901/
Rick Thompson
I am glad to read that others have scratched their car paintwork, I was beginning to think I was the only one! I scratched my car about a year ago trying to get my kayak up onto the roof rack. The car was a new / second hand car and I wasn't impressed with myself at all. The incident prompted me to build a set of rollers to help get the kayak up and down from the roof rack - something I should have built in the first place if I had been a bit more sensible.
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