Row Boat
More pictures from the Classic Boat Festival of a week ago. This is one of my favourite boats that I saw. Look at those details – down to the leather collars on the oars, and the leather sheath to protect the boat rubbing by the bow line.
I think it was my favourite not just for the details (all the boats had great details) but mostly because I grew up rowing in the summer – at the lake in small row boats, at Friday Harbour labs in boats nearly this size, and at home once we moved to the coast. I like rowing, and a boat like this would be perfect for an outing, with a friend and a picnic, to a small offshore island, or around the corner to a nice beach, or just about anywhere.
In fact, I once saw a boat rather like this in size but with a bit of a deck and a canvas cover up in Haida Gwaii. The guy rowing it was doing a coast-wide row having come up from the BC south coast and then I think he shipped his boat across Hecate Strait to Haida Gwaii to continue his rowing in the Gwaii Haanas park. He must have covered 600 or 700 miles by that time, if not more. His was a lovely boat, and very serviceable for his solitary task. If need be he could even sleep in it under the cover, though mostly he camped on the beach. This boat might not be quite right for that purpose, but what a great boat for rowing with a friend, or two or three.
Looks like you can put a mast and dagger board in it too, and go for a sail. All round versatile and useful boat that is also beautiful to look at.
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Canon EOS 5Dmkii, SMC Takumar 35mm/f3.5 lens, ISO100, 1/200th, ~f-8
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burnt embers 
Lovely pix (and boat!)
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I agree – this is a terrific boat. Crying out for a row.
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The beauty of the wood in the first photo is extraordinary! But the combination of boat shape and the reflections of water of the second image simply sang!
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Hi Lynn – I totally agree. Its a lovely boat in detail and in whole.
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I love the rich tones and colors in these shots! But I wonder – what would it look like in b&w? Ha! Ha! Not really: I like it just the way it is.
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I think these boats look good in black and white, though the top shot would lose a lot, the forms of the boat in the bottom would withstand conversion, though maybe not that shot, but something from a different angle with a better background.
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This is my idea of the perfect craft. I so want to build one (I even have study plans). It’s just the right size for rowing singlehanded or as a pair, and can even be sailed. Ehpem, these are superb photos…thank you thank you thank you!
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I have David – what a great project that would be – I hope seeing this boat pushes you a bit closer to doing it! If you embark on that project, I hope you photograph it all the way through!
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This boat looks brand new. The wood tones and details are really very nice. I have no experience in rowing but this looks like a boat I could trust.
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Good observation Ken, trustworthy is an apt phrase I think.
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I love, love, love the craftsmanship that goes into the design and creation of wooden boats like this. Well captured my friend!
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Thanks Toad! It is quite the boat.
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Gorgeous. Wow.
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Thanks you! Though I think the compliment goes to the boat and not the photographer in this case.
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To both! Splendid image of a beautiful piece of art.
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Thank you!
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Beautiful wood, fine craftsmanship, but hardly a working boat, you would be worrying all the time about dents and scratches! There is more beauty in beat-up working boats to my eyes.
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Hi Val – I agree in many ways. I think that this may have been a beat-up boat before it was restored to this condition. And perhaps this condition is one it never had when first built. I don’t think of it as a working boat now, but as a recreational boat. It would be a lovely boat for rowing.
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