Looking for a lapstrake rowboat for fishing, duckhunting in the Olympia,WA area. Tired of unplanned swims out of my canoe. Want something no more than 160 lbs as I want to truck-top it. Have looked at a ridiculous number of websites and find that buying new is fairly expensive and may come with prohibitive shipping costs. Anybody have any suggestions where I might find a used one?

-- Mark Mercier (mfmercier@yahoo.com), June 24, 2004

Answers

Once in awhile I've seen an ad in the Seattle Times/PI classifieds ( http://www.seattletimes.com ) for a Merry Wherry. Also the kits aren't too expensive.

http://www.pygmyboats.com/mall/WGWSPECS.asp

A Gig Harbor Whitehall also might do. The last reasonable used one in the paper was about $3k in March. Also the builder sometimes knows about used ones or has them on consignment. ( http://www.ghboats.com ) -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), June 24, 2004.

there's a book by john gardner - classic small craft -

first boat is a herreshoff rowboat but at the back of that chapter is a shorter wider variation ... that is if you want to build one yourself.

also has a lot of other designs at well.

a shell back might work for you as well maybe even payson's cartopper wooden boat can provide plans for both.

am thinking you want something wider. BUT all these would be more suitable for fishing that duck hunting. am only guessing that that's where the unplanned swims are happening.

Mike

-- mike reiner (reiners@silk.net), August 05, 2004.

Have you looked into Adirondack Guide Boats? I haven't actually used one but I have had the same problem as you discribe with duck hunring and fishing with canoes and kayaks and have begun to look into them. One problem will likely be shipping for you in Washington but you might still want to look into them. http://www.adirondack-guide-boat.com/

-- Chris Wilson (cwwilson99@yahoo.com), September 20, 2004.

Hey, I took cartopper plans and modified them a little...I made the transom 3 inches wider, then I put in the interior from Glen-L's Bulleye...I also made the gunnels and inalls to look like a lapstrake whisp...the boat is still quick, it's sturdy enough to handle moderatly rough Cheasepeake Bay and James River days...I use it to Hunt,fish (I stand up and fly fish from it, on calmer days)and my wife sails it....

It weighs 105 lbs, and I use a 5 hp evinrude to push it, with another hunter and a dog...AND last fall it was myself , another hunter and a big 6 pointer.....

As you can tell, I haven't got a single complaint...except for the requests to build one for each of my buddies...

OH, and it took 23 days to build (an hour or three most nights)....start to finish, including paint...I had pressure though...I built it in my wife's part of the garage...

-- Jim DiSomma (Cricket468@MSn.com), September 22, 2004.

Thanks for the suggestions. Saw and rowed a nice pygmy wherry at the Pt Townsend wooden boat show a couple weeks ago. Extremely light and fast, but not quite as stable as I hoped. Also, it seemed to me that I'd ruin it in a single duck season. I should have added in my first request that I'm not a carpenter at all. I cut twice and it's still too short. I have seen but not rowed the alden boats. Believe me, I've seen all the websites. Like the great island boat and also Hilford Burton's boats but I don't want to buy new and destroy a good looking boat if I can avoid it. Still looking...

-- Mark Mercier (mfmercier@yahoo.com), September 23, 2004.