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Large rowboat for large family
Can anyone recommend a design?
I want to build a boat my wife and I can row with our whole family aboard. It is a large family - 2 adults, 5 children (ranging from new-born twins to 8 years) and 2 dogs of 20kg each. So we need a rowing boat carrying almost 300kg of biomass plus lunch, drinks, spare clothes, towels, rain coats, toys, outboard, first aid kit, flares, fuel, sun umbrellas, anchor, chain, etc, etc ... That is a lot of weight but it is also a lot of feet, knees, elbows and paws - which add up to a lot of space. It will be a ply sharpie. I like the flat bottom for initial stability and the ability to put a window in it (I have visions of the toddlers peering delightedly through it at the teaming marine life below. I like the relatively narrow waterline for efficient rowing and the avoidance of excessive heal induced by beam seas. I like the single side-plank for ease of construction. We don't plan to be out in bad weather but getting caught happens to the best. The boat needs to be able to handle estuary and coastal conditions. John Welsford's Mollyhawk (http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans...index.htm#mlhk) is attractive but, I suspect a bit small. I have Carlson's design software and could build a boat from the offsets it produces and would do if I felt capable of getting the design compromises right. In particular the compromise of initial stability vs excessive, sudden wave-induced heal vs efficiency under oars needs an experienced designer's eye to my thinking and I have never built a boat to my own design before. John thought his Walkabout design would be perfect and he is probably right. However, the multichine construction is more complex than I have in mind. Furthermore, as a decked sailing and rowing design the plans are more complex (and therefore expensive) than I need. It seams a pity to pay for the design of a sophisticated camp-cruiser then build it without decks, centrecase, rig, tent etc. etc. So I am open to suggestions for a basic flat-bottomed, single sideplank rowing sharpie, probably about 20' long. Paul. |
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