New-Old Boat Day

[rebeccmeister]

Pictures, per request of scrottie:





Buying a boat is so very much like buying a bicycle. As with the bicycling market, most of the rowing shells are built for racing, so they are lightweight, made of carbon fiber, and very expensive.

They have also gone through huge changes in materials and construction techniques through time. The Wild Blue Yonder is a wood-fiberglass composite: wooden frame with a fiberglass skin and membrane fabric decking. When I mailed the purchase check to the owner, I also asked for more information about the boat, so I don't yet know year or manufacturer.

Also as with buying a bicycle, the purchases don't stop with the boat itself. I will now suck it up and finally buy my own oars, along with lights, slings, straps, and the correct type of cushioning support for this type of boat. Oh, and fresh oarlocks.

Sooner rather than later, I will also change out the shoes, and I will also either modify or replace the seat.

At least the tracks are in good shape, as are the riggers and footstretcher hardware. Also as with bicycles, components all get exposed to grit and wear out over time.

I'm also going to have to learn a few more things about the care and feeding of boats of this sort.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

Ohhhhhhh! It's a really interesting looking vessel! Congratulations!!!!

[thisnewday]

OMG, in that first picture it looks like an SR-71 Blackbird--or Bluebird, as the case may be--outfitted for the water!

[twoeleven]

I thought something similar: "That's a big knife! ...but where's the boat?" :)

[rebeccmeister]

Ah! I am now learning which out of my readers are unfamiliar with flat-water rowing racing shells.

I should get proper measurements to report, at least. Because yes, racing shells are quite long and skinny. And now you can probably appreciate how much balance is involved in good rowing.

[twoeleven]

Oh, I'm familiar with the basic design, but the bow-quarter shot tends to make it look longer and thinner than it is (not that it's very wide at the cockpit). Just slapping a ruler on the picture and taking a guess based on perspective, I'd say it's 12:1+ aspect ratio, so 20'+ long if it's 20" at the cockpit.

How'd I do?

And now you can probably appreciate how much balance is involved in good rowing.
Reason number #8 on my "why I don't row anything but a machine" list. :)

[scrottie]

Fabulous! Thank you for pics. I'm wondering if the plastic decking might be the same adhesive heatshrink stuff used on model RC aircraft over their wooden frames. If so, clear is a an option should it ever be necessary to replace. Not arguing for/against that, just always have to vomit excessive possibilities. Congratulations. May she serve you well... and you her... bwahahaha!

[rebeccmeister]

Quickly poking around, I suspect it is "gossamer cloth." At least, that's what's mentioned here for Pocock refurbishment:

https://ratislandrowing.com/shells/refinishing-the-hoh/

(things to note: Rat Island is a WA rowing club. "Hoh" most likely refers to the Hoh old-growth rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula, i.e. no relation to the Tally Ho. Instead, it's an acknowledgement of some of the Pacific Northwest cedar that Pocock used to construct his rowing shells.)

[scrottie]

The header photo there shows them ironing it, just like ones does with wooden model RC airplanes that are covered in plastic skins:

https://ratislandrowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Hohdeck10-630x210.jpg

vs

https://www.rotor.sg/home/383-176-iron-on-kote-width-64cm-x-length-2-metre-per-roll-for-rc-plane-use.html

And I'm not finding other real references to this outside that page for "gossamer cloth rowing".

I know this line if inquiry is random, but I expect if you gently thump it, it's firm and feels taut like a drum skin. If that is the case, I'm just surprised but not surprised to see that construction technique used in this case.

[twoeleven]

Also as with buying a bicycle, the purchases don't stop with the boat itself. I will now suck it up and finally buy my own oars, along with lights, slings, straps, and the correct type of cushioning support for this type of boat. Oh, and fresh oarlocks.

Sooner rather than later, I will also change out the shoes, and I will also either modify or replace the seat.
I'm surprised that the old line about a boat being a hole in the water into which money is poured is true about tiny boats without engines. :)

...says the man who hopes to own a hole in the air to pour money into.

[rebeccmeister]

I mean, one could view bicycles from this angle, too. Moving parts wear out and have to be replaced. S has long complained about how quickly bicycling components wear out and require replacement. Owning a bicycle is still far cheaper than owning a car, at least.

If I take good care of my accessories, which is what I plan to do, this will be an initial investment and most of the money bleed should stop after that.

[scrottie]

We all know that money saved by not owning a car is just funneled in to more hobbies. No money is ever actually saved, just moved.

[rebeccmeister]

True. This is all money that has been moved from cross-country airplane travel for 2020.

[threemeninaboat]

Um. All of John's bikes are more expensive than the Spitfire. :)

SHE'S BEAUTIFUL! CONGRATULATIONS!

[ivy]

I love your boat name, and wish you many happy days together noodling around on the water, rowing seriously, being out there in the world, and fine-tuning your kit.

[rebeccmeister]

Thank you!

I didn't name her, but there are plenty of other names that would be far worse. And this one does have some appeal.

:^)

[bluepapercup]

Conboatulations!!!!

What a beautiful boat, and how exciting to have one of your very own! I look forward to hearing about the adventures you and Ol' Blue get up to!

[threemeninaboat]

John: "She got a houseboat!?"
Me: "No, it;s a slightly chunky oar."

[rebeccmeister]

Hehehe, YUP! Did you show him the photos? I think he'd find rowing shells fascinating from a materials standpoint, especially the older wooden ones.