Preview: Sliding Seat Rowing In A Wherry

16 Responses So Far to “Sliding Seat Rowing In A Wherry”

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  Tim Callaghan says:

  For a boat that doesn’t plane I thought the general rule applied based, the based on the laws of physics and testing. Design speed in knots equals square root of waterline length X 1.25. So can a fixed seat rower using good form row the boat as fast as the sliding seat rower? The answer is yes based on this 2018 article at least where fixed seat and sliding seat capable rowers raced in identical boats but for fixed or sliding seat.

  “Fixed vs. Sliding Seats in Recreational Rowing Craft” by Andre de Bardelaben–https://tsca.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/spring-2018.pdf.

  I’m thinking from all the stuff I’ve read that the difference is how long one can keep it up. Sliding seat uses more leverage and more muscles so a person may be able to keep to a certain speed for longer than a fixed seat rower. Anyway that’s my hypothesis–I don’t know for sure does anybody.

  But I really don’t know much about rowboats. I certainly have not built one or designed one. I did learn quite a bit by writing an essay for course I was taking from Mel Allen about a group of retired guys spending their retirement days on the Finger Lakes building and restoring wooden boats and along the way starting a boating museum in an old winery complex. Their work on Trout Rowboats opened my eyes to elegance, beauty and boats built to purpose–trout fisherman in the age before motors.

  Tim

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  Wes Reddick says:

  It may be true that “you still do not incorporate the full power of the legs in a fixed seat boat.” however, the woman demonstrating the styles of rowing never Incorporated the full power of a proper fixed seat rowing style. Otherwise, good looking boat and good video. Thanks.

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  Stuart Webster says:

  Just finished constructing my Annapolis Wherry Tandem and expect to launch it next week. I have decided to have only a single rowing seat so my wife can ride along. The experience of building this over the past months has been the single most enjoyable thing I have ever done! If rowing it is half as much fun as building it, I will be ecstatic!

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  Tom Chantler says:

  I am considering building the Annapolis Wherry but given some of the comments above, am wondering if it’s too short. I’m about 215lbs.. I built a CLC kayak years ago and found it to be a very well made kit and the help from the factory was invaluable. The Kayak puts me too low and my legs fall asleep despite much tinkering. So the Wherry seems as though it would solve this by putting the CG a bit higher and the feet a bit lower.

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    Jerry Rose says:

    Hi Tom, I’m sorry to be so long in responding to your question and perhaps you have already had answers to your question. I weigh 200 lbs and the CLC wherry handles that weight easily.
    I think you are right about your leg problem and I suspect the the sliding seat which would fully incorporate your legs would keep your legs from falling asleep not to mention the added speed. By the way people have added sliding seats and sculling oars to kayaks for long distance kayaking.

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  George Kruzynski says:

  At the risk of being branded a heretic, I plonk an Alden Oarmaster onto a rubber mat on the bottom of our Gulf Island glass (with enough wood trim to give it “soul”) peapod..13’3″ x4′ @ 95lbs MT. Leave the riggers at home and use 8′ Shaw & Tenney spoon oars in the peapod oarlocks. All my rowing is strictly recreational of the gunkholing variety among the southern BC Gulf Islands near where we live. Crew comprises two Portuguese water dogs (sum of 120lbs) and we pause to take photos of ducks, munch an apple and bribe the dawgs for good behavior. On an average 1.5-2h row we’ll cover between 4-5 nautical miles, average speed in the 2.4-2.7 knots range with a maximum burst, if I feel energetic, of about 3.5. No hobbyhorsing, a psychologically-rewarding carry of about 30′ between strokes, with most of the work being done by leg muscles. For the same route in the Alden (double) with just me rowing sans dawgs average will be about 3 knots with a max of about 4.5 knots.The point is you don’t need a super lightweight craft to have fun rowing..unless your background is racing and you just can’t shake that mentality. I’m not… will be 70 in a few months and row for fun :)

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  Martin Herbert says:

  In the video you can see the mild hobby horsing as the commentary talks about the wake. This is to be expected as the crew weight goes back and forth. Perhaps on shorter boats a sliding rigger could be used. There are some good videos of a rigger on this site:
  http://www.clovellysculls.co.uk/index.php
  The hull shape of the boat used reminds me of an International Canoe, which gives me some ideas for mine now that I am so slow moving that tacking becomes problematic.

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  Joe DiDomenico says:

  Who’s design is this wherry?

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Joe. Check in the additional resources for Chesapeake Light Craft’s link. It’s their Annapolis Wherry.

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  Jerry Rose says:

  Jim while I’m not familiar with the wherry you are describing I would agree with you on 14 1/2 feet being too short. You are right in that a full grown male weighing in at 150 to 200 lbs. is too much of a weight shift into the bow and stern and would create a lot of wave making energy or to put into layman’s terms – hobby horsing. You’ll see in many of the well thought out designs for sliding seat the boats length has been stretched to support this shifting of weight. Racing shells are from 25′ to 27′ for a single rower – the heavier the rower-the longer the boat. A racing single weighs around 30 lbs. Recreational shells are from 18′ to 22′ for a single rower and weigh around 40 to 60 lbs.

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  Jim Stiefvater says:

  I am thinking of converting my Cosine Wherry to sliding seat. Has anyone tried it? If so, what seat? I thought I read awhile ago that the 14.5′ Cosine is too short for effective sliding seat, as it would tend to rise up on the power stroke and sink on recovery, causing a less than fluid cycle.

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  Tom Speyer says:

  I built one a few years back, and added the sliding seat two years ago. I second all the observations here – the boat is enjoyable to build and a pleasure to row.
  One thing I can add is that due to its stability and substantial “rocker” – fore and aft curvature- it’s good in water much choppier than shown in this video. I row on the Hudson River, and rarely have the mirror-smooth conditions shown here, but no problem!

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  Jerry Rose says:

  Clint, I read your response and I do not agree. I have spent the better part of my life in rowing skiffs of all designs and many were well designed and relatively fast but you still do not incorporate the full power of the legs in a fixed seat boat. It would be like saying a 5 hp engine is as fast as a 15 hp in the same boat. It’s just physics. I would encourage you to try some good, well designed sliding seat boats. You will be amazed at the increased speed and ease of achieving that speed.

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  Clint Chase says:

  This video is not demonstrating well the comparison of a fixed seat and sliding seat boat. Her demo of the rowing with no sliding and arms only is much slower and less efficient than a good rowing skiff or fixed seat boat. These guys know sliding seat rowing, but his comment that a good fixed seat design would not be as fast is incorrect.

  Nice video thought!

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  Geoff Kerr says:

  In spite of having “built” dozens of these boats in classes that I have taught I had never rowed one until this past Fall. I was gobstruck by how smoothly this set up rows in the hands of a novice.The video makes it look so effortless…and I really felt that way too. Pay attention to the wherry leaving the photo boat behind when the full slider kicks in!

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  Kevin Ross says:

  This is the boat that I lust after!