I'm shoping for plans for a 19' - 20', 3' beamed, sliding seat pulling boat for use in the protected waters of Puget Sound Washington. One of the boats I'm considering is the Liz by Ken Bassett which I would build in plywood using the lapstate method. Does anyone know of plans for a Wherry style boat similar to the Liz? Please contact me at kim.morgan@gte.net.

-- Kim I. Morgan (kim.morgan@gte.net), February 15, 2001

Answers

If "similar to Liz" includes plywood construction and home-buildable then you might consider the 17' "Oarling" which can be seen on the websites of Devlin Designs and Clark Craft. There is also the 19' Alden Wherry from Alden Boats, and the 17' Chesapeake Wherry from Chesapeake Light Craft, both on the Chesapeake Rowing website.

-- Kim Apel (kapel@ucsd.edu), February 16, 2001.

Kim, I am presently building Liz and think it is a kick butt design. My original plans were to build it lapstrake but I sold my house and shop and am building it at the school shop where I teach. I am building it with African Mahogany 3/8" strips that are 1-1/4" wide. The keel and other parts are white oak. I think WoodenBoat gives Liz a bum rap when they say it is difficult to build. I recently finished a Catspaw Dinghy which is pictured in the most recent WoodenBoat under Launchings. I think the Catspaw is a much more difficult boat to build and also more labor intensive. Don't know why you are looking for another design but thought I would mention the above. I can put you in contact with a gentlemen on the east coast that is building LIZ plywood lapstrake. Bob Mann

-- Robert Mann (wallywoodcutter@frontier.net), March 16, 2001.

Dear Robert,

I've never built a boat to the "Liz" design, but I have a friend who has. He built his out of 1/4"x3/4" cedar strips. He made a beautiful job of it and his "Liz" is a very sleek, pleasant and sturdy rowing craft. I'm sure you will do a good job on it too, but without a lot of details on your methods, I'm concerned that your choice of woods and the thickness of the planking might yield a boat too heavy to perform at the design's potential.

Yours,

Andre de Bardelaben

-- Andre de Bardelaben (middlepath@aol.com), March 16, 2001.

Kim:

I considered building the Liz, but I felt the shapely hull, built traditional lapstrake, would be just too time consuming. I had only a limited window of opportunity to do the project. I opted for the Anapolis Wherry by CLC. I used the plywood lapstrakes of their kit, but cut my own transom, seats and frames from solid honduras mahogany. A little heavier, perhaps, but much prettier varnished up. When rowing, you're going to be staring at that transom a whole lot! (In between seeing where you are going). Bottom line: I'm very happy with the wherry. Rows like a dream (with drop-in slider) and is relatively sea-worthy (compared to an open-water shell anyway). One last thought: Pete Culler designed some very pretty gigs--you can see them in his books, and I believe the designs are still available through ads in Woodenboat mag. Good luck!!

-- Jim Tolpin (tolpin@olympus.net), March 31, 2001.