[M]y “gateway drug” into boatbuilding was that innocuous fitness device, the rowing machine. Whenever our CrossFit coach incorporated rowing in our workout of the day, most people groaned. I celebrated. My love of stationary rowing led me to sign up with a crew program on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. I’d forgotten how I loved spending time on the water, and rowing on the river is sublime. I wanted a boat of my own, but sliding-seat shells are expensive and of limited use. A friend mentioned the ease of stitch-and-glue boat building, which triggered my optimism, and in no time, without any fine-woodworking experience, I began scouring the Internet for boat plans. Weighing just over 50 lbs, the bare hull can be carried solo. The blocks that anchor the outrigger provide handholds.
Photographs by Suzanne Eggleston
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Bob, Steve Ross here. Hope you guys are hale and hearty! Retired June 30. Joanne and I were on the Willamette this afternoon in my boat, OBAN. It was supposed to be a sail trip, but the forecast winds of 6-9 mph never materialized. Still a nice day on the water. Hope the wooden boat school is soul-nurturing! I’ve just purchased plans for a Shenandoah Whitehall skin on frame. Plan to build it this winter so Joanne and I will have a car-topper for our camping trips.
I would love to see a comparison between this boat and the Annapolis Wherry by CLC, not so much in building each, but in how they handle in various conditions, glide, speed, quality etc. I know the Annapolis Wherry weighs more due to its 2′ extra length. Since these boats are so similar in so many ways, I think future as well as current owners would be quite interested in how they differ.