Hi Everyone,

I just found this site after a lot of googling around - It looks like a good place to get some advice on what type of boat to buy and where to find it.

I'm new to open-water rowing and here is what I'm looking for: I'd like to get a boat I can row around Block Island sound - I live in Westerly, RI and I foresee myself rowing in the areas between Mystic, CT, Charlestown, RI and Block Island. In addition to rowing adventures I would also like to fish from this boat. I have a twelve year-old son I'd like to take along occasionally as well. I would be most interested in getting a used boat at this point - nothing too fancy and something I wouldn't have to worry about getting a little banged-up. I would also want a boat that could handle rough water, especially if I were to row out to Black Island.

If anyone has any suggestions on what type of boat I should consider and where I might be able to find a used one I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Larry Burns

-- Larry Burns (larry@edwardblack.com), March 11, 2005

Answers

You might want to consider a Dory. They are great for rowing in rough stuff. They are not the fastest but they are known for getting you home when the weather starts to turn for the worse. The ones that row best don't have a lot of initail stability so they are hard to stand up up. If you are OK with fishing from a seated position they have great final stability and rough water ability.

-- Frank (Frank.ladd@bradyservices.com), March 11, 2005.

Hi Larry, Yes this site is a great place for information on boat for what you would like to do. I won't try to repeat it but if you are interested in more information on dories there is also a Yahoo group that specializes in dory information. (links and owner discussions)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DoryBoat/

as well as my own site

http://www.geocites.com/garyLambda/SwampscottDory.html

But there are other boats that can handle that water as I'm sure you'll see from reading the other messages on this site. Note, I'm going to be accused of coastal boat chauvanism, but I think a Swampscott style dory would be an excellent choice for what you want.

Anyway you should read the "What kind of rowboat" "Is a Guideboat the boat for me?" "Considering loudon rowboat"

Among others as they have a discussion on the merits of the boat as well as other types.

Locally the best source of used boats has been the Newspaper. Craig's list and ebay have not quite caught on with the boating crowd. However sometimes the kind of boat that you are looking for shows up here too. You might have to wait a bit though.

Yours, -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), March 13, 2005.

i cut and pasted this from the "best boat for fishing" thread originally started in March of 02 - this boat wouldn't quite be as seaworthy as the above dories but faily close... but would be a faster boat..

i built myself a herreshoff rowboat ala one of Gardner books on classic small craft... it has a narrow flat bottom (16 inches)and is pretty tender but i am able to gingerly stand and flycast provided i am casting out the stern of the boat. BUT the feature i like best is the seating arrangment (four seats) and the fact that it's double ended and how these two features interact ...basically i've got one seat dead center amidships and two more out in the bow and stern .... my oarlock sockets about 14 inches ( further than what most recommend but it works very well ) from the stern edge of the middle seat... the last (fourth) seat is located 14 inches to the other side of the oarlock sockets... so if it's just me fishing/rowing i sit in the middle seat ... if my son joins me.. i row/fish out of the fourth seat... using the same set of sockets as before but now the "bow" becomes the stern and that's where my son sits.... If my duaghter joins us i sit in the middle with a child at each end...

add my wife ... i go back to seat four... she goes way back in the stern ... both kids can go on seat four or one there and the other in the bow...

Anyway it all boils down too... you can trim the boat for rowing by who sits where and the boat will row well........ and 3 people can fish ...

Actually i just installed a second set of oarlock sockets (again 14 inches on the other side of the middle seat... so now two people( or four kids sharing seats) can row but you need a body/wieght in the stern.

Mike Reiner

-- Mike (reiners@telus.net), March 16, 2005.