18′ 6″ Ruth Wherry

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Sliding-seat rowing is a great exercise; it is good for building strength in the muscles and flexibility in the joints. Racing shells are fast, but they require a refined technique and smooth water, so for recreation we’d enjoy rowing more in a boat that offers a bit of stability and seakeeping ability without giving up a lot of speed. Ruth, Dave Gentry’s rowing wherry, is 18′ long and while it has a maximum beam of 33″, it’s appreciably narrower at the waterline. Those dimensions add up to a good turn of speed. Its light weight, 45 lbs, will be quick to accelerate and reward good rowing technique.

Skin-on-frame construction keeps the weight low. The keel, chines, and gunwales that support the fabric skin take their shape from the six plywood frames. The keel and the lower chines give the hull a shallow-V cross section, and combined with the skeg they give Ruth good tracking abilities. The transom sits well above the waterline so the underwater shape of the hull is fine at both ends. There’s a thwart for a passenger in the stern and it’s set at the aft frame, not at the transom, to keep the additional weight close to the center of the boat. The aft ends of the chines, spread apart by the transom, contribute some reserve buoyancy to keep the boat in proper trim if you choose to take a friend along. Floorboards slipped through slots in the frames provide a place to step aboard.

Line drawing of Ruth Wherry design.Dave Gentry

Ruth, the Dave Gentry rowing wherry, is 18′ long and while it has a maximum beam of 33″, it’s appreciably narrower at the waterline. Those dimensions add up to a good turn of speed.

The wherry will take a drop-in sliding-seat rowing rig with outriggers. The plans show a Piantedosi rig bolted in place for rowing, and make the attachment easy to take apart. It’ll be a lot easier to car-top the boat and carry it to the water’s edge without the extra weight and width of the rowing rig. The plans provide the option for fixed-thwart rowing with simple plywood outriggers. They only need to be about 11″ long to provide a good span between a set of standard oarlocks to suit 7′ oars.

Skin-on-frame construction is very economical and with the money you can save building a Ruth, paying for a sliding-seat rowing rig and a pair of sculls is not going to make a big dent in your checking account.

Plans for Gentry’s Ruth Wherry design include a 22-page illustrated manual and templates for the stem, frames and transom.

Ruth Wherry Particulars

LOA:  18′ 6″
Beam:  33″
Draft:  Minimal
Weight:  About 45 lbs

Ruth Wherry Design Plan Details

DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Round-bottomed, transom sterned
Construction: Skin on frame

PERFORMANCE
Suitable for protected waters
Intended capacity: 1-2
Cartoppable or trailerable
Propulsion: Oars

BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Basic
Lofting required: No

PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 1
Supplemental information: 22 pages
Level of Detail: Above average
Plans Format: Print or Digital
Cost per set: $65

Completed Ruth Wherry Images

The author's Ruth is rigged with a homebuilt rowing rig for solo rowing and is without floorboards and a seat for a passenger. A False transom covers the edges of the fabric skin for a tidier appearance.Jim Dumser

The author’s Ruth is rigged with a homebuilt rowing rig for solo rowing and is without floorboards and a seat for a passenger. A False transom covers the edges of the fabric skin for a tidier appearance.

Man rows a Ruth Wherry.Kyla Dumser

While this Ruth isn’t equipped with a seat for a passenger, the reserve buoyancy created by the transom will support the additional weight without putting the hull well out of trim.