Identify Skiff

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I'm currently rowing a Skiff at the Newport Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, CA. Its a 16ft. Skiff with Wine Glass Transom, 3ft Beam, Fiberglass construction with Wood Trim(Gunwhales,Breast Hook and Transom trim) The boat looks very much like a Whitehall Design but the surface of the boat is smooth not Lapstrake. The ID/#Plate on the stern says GEB... Which I believe is the Manufacturer? The boat is equipped with a Row Wing Sliding Seat unit and has no fixed seats or oar locks. Any thoughts on what this boat might be would be greatly appreciated. No one at the Aquatic Center knows any thig about it other than it was donated to them several years ago and I've been the only one to have an interest in rowing it in the last three years.

-- Scott (esdol@hotmail.com), April 19, 2004

Answers

Scott - You have one of the more elegant boats ever built for the recreational rowing market. It is a Stonington Pulling Boat built by Bob Champlain at Golden Era Boats out of Noank CT. Bob and Golden Era are still in Noank under the name Yacht Aid. In a review of boats published by Small Boat Journal in 1988 Ken Bassett called the Stonington "easily the best combination of hull design and method of propulsion (of the boats tested). - Gary

-- Gary G. Piantedosi (gary@rowingrigs.com), April 20, 2004.

If anyone else would like to see a photo of the photo I found some at http://www.theboatguys.com/stpb.htm It is a very pretty boat. Reminds me a bit of an Adirondac wherry.

Yours, -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), April 20, 2004.


Hi--

I used to own a half-interest in a "Noank Whithall" boat, that I bought from Golden Era Boats in Noank, CT. I went to Noank to pick up the boat in 1978 or '79. It was rigged with a sprit sail, set well forward, like a catboat. It sailed well, and in the process of learning how to rig and sail the boat, I also learned a lot about sailboat design and rigging. It was incredibly rugged, and suffered from a lot of abuse during the ten years I owned an interest in it. I sold my interest in the boat several years ago, and as far as I know, my ex-partner still has it. She lives in Grand Rapids. The builder labeled the boat the "Noank Whitehall." It was 11',3" long X about 4' beam. It weighed about 200#, and had about 55 sq. ft. of sail area.

Paul Cross Drummond Island, MI pinegrove@lighthouse.net

-- Paul Cross (pinegrove@lighthouse.net), June 18, 2004.


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