A boat that looks back to the past and another that looks to the future were caught on camera by Owen Sinclair at the Rotoiti Classic Boat Show in Nelson Lakes National Park, South Island, New Zealand recently.

The past was represented by a reproduction of an old whaling boat, the future by a dramatically transparent skin-on-frame skiff. Owen writes:

Hello Chris,

These were the two most interesting rowing craft at the show; the whaler was built recently by Ron Perano to the lines of a whaleboat which was built in Tasmania, used for whaling in Cook Strait (I think this was one of the few shore-based whale fisheries  in the world, if not the only one) and donated to the Canterbury Museum in 1926. 

The Perano family was one of several associated with whaling and has many descendants in the area today. Another whaling family was the Guard family and a Guard was on the whaleboat today. 

I was offered a row, an entirely new experience. The oars are long, heavy and flexible and pivot between thole pins. 

Although it was an impromptu crew with half probably aged over 70 the boat moved along really well with six rowers and a man steering with a sweep oar. 

The oars were stowed, once the whale was harpooned, in sockets: one photo shows the sockets and another shows the oars in the stowed position. A wonderful opportunity, completely unforeseen and greatly enjoyed. Thank you Messrs Perano and Guard.

The sliding seat craft is coated with transparent film, secured in place with zips. The frames are plywood, the stringers are alloy tubing. The boat collapses into a bag for transport. This is a prototype and a project of Kent Luxton of KJL Sails, Picton. Full of innovation. I will try to get more detail for you sometime.

Regards,

Owen Sinclair

I don't know which of these boats I want to row more.
The whaleboat looks huge fun and very seaworthy, but the ability to carry a rowing shell in the boot of the car and assemble it into a boat that will attract huge amounts of attention wherever it goes is also very appealing.

Of course, one could own both and carry the collapsible shell in the whaler. Double the fun!

Thanks again, Owen.

Whaleboats

American whaleboats were not the same as British whalers. British whalers were pulling boats carried by Royal Navy warships for training and general use, whereas American whaleboats were actually designed for hunting whales. Both are practically legendary these days, but if the truth be told they are a bit too beamy for club rowing. Too much like hard work.
But they are very stylish and their history has a tremendous allure. So it's great that they are being revived in the US. The video describes the construction of the Nantucket whaleboat, and Craig Hohm is building another for use in the Finger Lakes of New York State.

Inspired by the St Ayles skiff project in Scotland, he hopes that other whaleboats will be built and aims to pass on the moulds to the next builder. His description of the boat is on Duckworks Magazine.