fishing offshore in a rowboat.

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by coopscraft, Dec 6, 2013.

  1. frank smith
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    frank smith Senior Member

    I second the sealing skiff, but would go foam core glass construction.
     
  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Maybe a larger Pea Pod would be a better choice, but having a boat that can take most eventuality, most of which will never occur, while you're aboard is just a burden that your crews arms will have to bear.

    Sam and Moe are correct, much more then the boat is responsible for getting you home, when the weather takes a dump on you. A poorly suit craft can find it's way, with a good skipper and crew, while a well suited vessel will founder with an inexperienced skipper. Simply put, people give certain boat types reputations, which usually belongs to the breed of skipper that maned them, more so than that particular hull form.

    This is especially true of low power and people powered craft in rough conditions.
     
  3. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

  4. frank smith
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    frank smith Senior Member

    blah, blah, blah.
     
  5. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Frank you've been asked not to post photos of my basement activities (only on the weekends).
     
  6. messabout
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    messabout Senior Member

    Small pulling boat..... 8 foot surf..........2 HP engine.......say your prayers well and often.

    Not impossible, but far, far, from practical.
     
  7. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I recall as a kid seeing beach seine netters using rowed net dinghies ( maybe 18-20 feet) to run their net around schools of mullet or tailor (bluefish in the USA), but the surf had to be a lot more manageable than 8 feet, even half that would have been out of the question. In more recent times they would use an inboard motor turning a prop inside a small tunnel, but the idea of traversing high surf would not be countenanced.
     
  8. viking north
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    viking north VINLAND

    Gravels Beach, Rocky Point, Hynes Beach, Romaines Beach, Kippens Beach, are the beaches I fished with my father from the time i could crawl into a big Newfoundland Rowing Dory (18 to 20ft,) None of these beaches had harbors, we launched and retrieved our flat bottom dories on rollers from the cobble/sand beaches. If there was a heavy sea(4 to 6 ft) rolling,only the young daredevils would choose to launch. Those that stayed ashore would help launch those that dared to go' if for nothing else than a good laugh. We'd turn the dory end for end with the bow pointing seaward. Run her out on 6 to 8 in. dia. wood rollers just to the point where the incoming surf didn't float the bow. One or two fishermen (depending on the normal crew of that particular boat) would get into the dory and at the right timing three of four hangashores would push like hell. I might point out the curling short wavelength seas would break about 75 to 150 ft. out. You had to launch just before the surf started it's retreat otherwise you would run out of water and be a sitting duck for the next on rush of foaming sea which generally drove the boat sideways and fill it to the gunnels or worst yet drag it out with the outgoing surf and roll it over on the next incoming sea. If timed right the outgoing surf along with the occupant(s) rowing like a mad man got the 600 to 800 lb. waterlogged beast up to a good speed. It had better be because the true test of endurance was about to happen. If you got thru the first sea all was generally ok. If not you usually got half filled with water and spun sideways and you best get her pointy end homeward bound, row like hell and be ready for a wet rough landing. The laughing pissing in their pants boys on the beach were always ready with rollers and a helping hand to save your ***. All this and I don't think we ever carried life jackets until motors came in vogue. Can't recall anyone ever getting drowned launching or surfing in (beaching). Those were the days of true water sports, :) I think we were a bunch of crazy risk taking fools but as I type, what great memories.
    Almost lost the point of this post--Oh! rowing thru 8 ft. seas you best have an old style surf/lifesaving craft(My present conversion) and a trained crew of rowers interested in fishing. An 8ft. sea has not twice the power of a 4 ft more like a charging elephant verses a charging goat.

    A yacht is not defined by the vessel but by the care and love of her owner ----
     

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  9. bregalad
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    bregalad Senior Member

    Not directly related to the requirements of the OP, but this thread reminded me of the picture of Chris Duff rowing his modified Merry Wherry Two through the surf during trials at Crescent Bay. Gotta be exciting in such a lightly built boat.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. coopscraft
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    coopscraft Junior Member

    Love the drekar! Now I just need a small militia to help with the rowing:) it looks like the oceanic rowing boats are like a dory or seaybright with aerodynamic cabins for flotation and shelter. That might be a good start point. One thing that bugs me a bit is the wide diffetence between a good boat for four and a good boat for one. I left the size limit blank to see what the experts thought would be necesary. I have every intention of choosing conditions cautiously, but I don't want to be caught unprepared and offgaurd. The idea is a practical rowboat for daytrips offshore that is safe beyond the worst I want to see. Not intending to be a bold sailor. Could this be done in eighteen feet? My mommy says santa doesn't exist and I'll have to build this one myself. Boo hooooo :(
     
  11. coopscraft
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    coopscraft Junior Member

    Looks like a refinement of the requirements is needed. There are two primary goals. 1 to enjoy the process of building the boat and 2 to enjoy bottom fishing in it. I am not a top athlete and not interested in spending time in heavy surf. sounds like being good at avoiding rough weather is more important than having a boat to handle it. What do you think of using a whitehaul or long peapod with generous floatation decking and flare. Perhaps changing the ocupancy to one or two would allow for a smaller boat that would be easier to manage.
     
  12. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Once you remove the heavy seas aspect of the requirements, your options open up tremendously. A good rowing Whitehall is a pretty tender beast, so I'd still favor a Pea Pod. Decking the ends isn't a big issue. Maybe two abreast rower positions, so you can keep the 4 man team, though this could cause issues as a solo. The problem with a 4 man boat is if the rowers are tandem, it's a long boat, for all the elbows and knees, making for a tough boat to solo, simply because of it's size. 2 abreast positions, means as a solo it's shorter, but now solo seating may be difficult to arrange and different oars are probable as well, just to have the reach necessary.

    With modern weather forecasting available in several formats, there's really no reason to get "caught". Having minute by minute updates, just means you have to pay attention or setup some alarms. Navigation and weather prediction have made huge advances in the last two decades, so frankly the only excuse is you screwed up. Don't get me wrong, a crew can find itself weather impacted, but not those rowing near shore. This doesn't mean you need a radar dome, but an app would be a real good idea, if venturing farther from shore then you can swim back to.
     
  13. Jacques B.
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    Jacques B. Junior Member

    I'm with Coopscraft & Par on this one: Slightly smaller seas, lower expectations, and a tandem 20-ft Whitehall or DuckTrap wherry is the way to go. Personally, I prefer the DuckTraps, but both are light, fast, beautiful and riggable.

    I was going to build a 14-footer as a tender, but then I got old and lazy.
     
  14. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Keep it narrow for easy propulsion, and away from breaking waves, they'll kill it.
     

  15. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

    A problem with multiple rowers might be getting multiple rowers that will have the time or inclination to go out when you want to or even want go out at all. Even with a regular boat and motor, it is hard to find people to go fishing, usually.

    So changing the occupancy to 1 or 2 is good. You could build a smaller one and then a bigger one for when there are more people.

    Is it that you just don't want a motor or it's too much money? Motors are a wonderful thing.
     
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