For several years I was a rowing coach in competitive sweep oar and sculling boats, with the simple objective of pursuing anything that would make the boat go faster. The long hours of training and intense competition finally took their toll despite the considerable rewards and enjoyment of such a robust and unique sport, but the fascination for rowing stayed with me. Now retired, with a lot more personal time available, I started a quest to find the ideal rowing expedition boat, which would take me to all of my favorite places on the water. My home town of Nelson, located at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, offers a wide variety of nearby row-cruising environments including mountain lakes, spectacular coastal bays and beaches, navigable rivers, and the nearby Marlborough Sounds. Even though the RowCruiser has protected sleeping quarters, it has a low profile, keeping windage to a minimum.
Photographs by Lloyd Houghton
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I built one of the first Row Cruisers Colin Angus produced in kit form and in subsequent years rowed it through the Florida Keys in winter. Then 3 years ago I trailered it to the North West Territories of Canada and then rowed it from Hay River along the south shore of the Great Slave Lake and down the MacKenzie River, 1300 km through the arctic and across the Arctic Circle. That boat was my only friend and companion as I rowed through the great empty land which is the Canadian north. Through rapids, storms and out of control wilderness fires the boat never let me down. Can’t say enough good things about this fast stable rowing machine which carries 10 weeks of food and gear swiftly through the water.
Denis and Greg, thanks for the good words about the Row Cruiser and her capabilities.
The Row Cruiser is on my short list of boats to build. As somebody who rowed competitively in school all those years ago, a CLC Expedition Wherry is currently keeping me amused, but the idea of having a similar sized vessel I can actually do a weekend or longer on intrigues me greatly.
Seeing articles like this do not help in the slightest.
Great write up and great work on the RowCruiser! Awesome paint job! Im just about finished building my sailing RowCruiser. Can’t wait to get it on the water. Glad to see a new article about boat. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can you put a little tiny outboard on it?
Un ami breton en a construit un exemplaire.
Il l’a adapté à son programme de navigation en réduisant la cabine avant pour permettre de nager à 2 personnes, ou en solo ou solo avec barreur. Pas de raid mais des navigations à la journée en participant aux nombreux rassemblements de bateaux traditionnels en Bretagne.
Mon épouse et moi allons l’essayer prochainement.
Nous enverrons un commentaire
Online translation:
A Breton friend built a copy.
He adapted it to his navigation program by reducing the forward cabin to allow swimming with 2 people, or solo or solo with coxswain. No raid but day trips by participating in the many gatherings of traditional boats in Brittany.
My wife and I are going to try it soon.
We will send a comment