New Year Resolution

This picture is my secret shame.
This lot of wood is a kit boat for a Woods Bee that Alec Jordan cut for me a loooong time ago, which I have failed to even start to build. It should be a rowing/sailing dinghy by now, looking something like this:

Progress of a sort has been made - one of the sheets of exterior grade ply that the kit came packed in were made into the washing-up bowl shaped boat in the front there. As Simbo, she has won me the title of Biggest Bloke in the Smallest Boat 2010.

So I hereby resolve that the kit will be built in 2011.
Although first I have to transform the other packing sheet into a cordless-drill-powered boat for the Water Craft competition at Beale Park (I will use another of Hannu's brilliant designs, Prism).
And then there is this, which will occupy a good deal of my time I hope >>>------->
And there is another building project looming, training for the Great River Race, and I am hoping to cash in on some invitations to go sailing this year as well.
So perhaps 2012 is a more realistic aim.....

Noah's Ark

I have to thank Tillerman at that Lasericious blog Proper Course for two things. One is naming Rowing for Pleasure 'best rowing blog on the planet' (Ta very much!) but mainly for drawing my attention to a discussion of Noah's Ark at the National Center for Science Education.
The story of the Flood presents something of a problem for creationists, because the story told in Genesis has quite a lot of detail that can be examined scientifically. Stuff like: "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female." This implies, according to NCSE calculations, a manifest of nearly four million creatures, all of whom would have to be loaded in just one day (Gen 7:14).

But the thing that really surprised me was how big the Ark was. Genesis 6:15 specifies a length of 300 cubits and a beam of 50 cubits. It is impossible to give an exact conversion to today's units as the Standard Cubit was obviously washed away in the Flood, but creationists agree that it would have been something like 450ft long by 75ft beam.
That is a stupendous size. The Ark would have been the largest wooden ship ever constructed in the history of the world by a very big margin.
Even the monster six masted wooden schooners built at the beginning of the 20th century topped out at about 330ft by 50ft. They used to flex visibly in any sort of sea, the leverage of their enormous length forcing the planks apart so severely they had to be pumped out continously. The biggest of them all, the Wyoming, was lost in a storm on the New England coast despite having anchored to shelter from the blast.

Even the 'replica' Ark built in the Netherlands and shown in the pictures is only 150 cubits long, so it can tour the canals. And is not actually a wooden boat at all, but is supported by a steel barge. Could Noah really have built an Ark that size that could have carried the world's life safely through the worst storm of all time?

Liz in Massachusetts

I had a bit of a double-take when this picture slipped into my in-tray from Jim Brousseau, longstanding friend of this blog. I thought it was the same design as a boat currently under construction in which I have a personal interest.
But it turned out to be completely different. Jim explains:

Chris,
About two and a half year ago I bought a Ken Bassett designed boat, the Liz. Around 18' by 36", 90 lbs. I put the Piantedosi row-wing in it and I love it. But the boat was designed and built as a fixed-seat rower. The thwart is removable. I can use it as a fixed-seat boat but much prefer the sliding seat row-wing. Why throw my legs overboard?
Anyway, I have a real two-for-one boat. First time I used it with the slider, it just went so smoothly I said to myself, this thing glides. Hence the name of my boat "Glide".
I now notice with "Glide" that I seem to be pulling a stern wave. Is this good or bad, is my weight distribution wrong? I felt that if I went fast enough I would put up a rooster tail. Never had any of this with my 15'6" dory. What do you think?
Take care,
Jim Brousseau
Westport, Massachusetts

One odd thing: I pull a slight 'rooster tail' in my 15ft sliding seat skiff Snarleyow (the boat pictured on the blog masthead). However, it is only visible on the return, when I am shifting my admittedly substantial weight towards the stern causing it to dip the triangular transom in the water. Being three feet longer, Glide should not hobbyhorse so much but she will a bit.

You feel that 'if you went fast enough you would put up a rooster tail'. Well, because the boat is longer you are going faster. Perhaps that is the reason.

I am particularly interested in this question because a boat of very similar dimensions is currently under construction and I am looking forward to rowing her a lot. Here's a sneak preview >>>------>

Rowing with Santa

The Langstone Cutters Boxing Day bash pitted Santa against Santa in races for presents. Great fun.

Rowing Down Under

Jamie Brown makes Ocean Boats in Evans Head, New South Wales, and emailed with a kind offer to take me rowing in one should I make it to Australia any time soon.
Now, I really shouldn't like this boat. I like long, thin, elegant wooden boats with lots of gleaming varnish and a bit of brasswork. The Ocean Boat is plastic and its bulbous bow is a bit Budgie the Helicopter. Its very narrow waterline and flaring sides indicate a boat that will feel very tippy, though this is done to make the boat easy to drive but with a wide span.
But I really, really want to take Jamie up on his offer because you can do this in it:

Snow

The boat was snowed under this morning, iced on so hard it survived the tow to Dell Quay.

Some hardy souls were racing. They looked freezing - I was lovely and warm due to extra jumper and new Thinsulate lined fingerless gloves with leather onlays in the palm for a better grip.

Rowed down to Itchenor and back. Taking out at Dell Quay, saw most of the ice was still in place.

Winter rowing without pain

 rankly

Frankly, this is my ideal of winter rowing. Warm, no chance of getting dunked in cold water and a tutor who is hot as dedamned. From the Whitehall Spirit newsletter:

It’s winter here now and although it’s really a great time for rowing out on the water when it’s quiet and still, not too many people know about this. So we find ourselves promoting the Whitehall Spirit™ Rowing Club™ at the local pool. Kids and parents alike were impressed as Andrea Guyon deftly spun them around in a Solo 14 and did a few laps up and down the pool.