Launch for coaching rowers (Crew)

I am a rowing coaqch in the UK and am in search of the ultimate design for a coaching launch. The spec should fulfil the following criteria:

• Minimal wake at speeds up to 10 knots – a racing eight travels at about 20 Km/hr, but most training boats travel at much less. Inflatables we have tried in the past push a lot of wake at low speeds, though this reduces on ‘the plane’.
• Reliable
• Economical
• idiot proof – most rowing coaches have their minds on their crews, and only notice the launch if it goes wrong
• Easy to get on and off the water from a landing stage (pontoon)
• Steered by wheel, not tiller steered (had some scary moments with tiller steered launches on the Thames)
• Capable of carrying up to 5 rescued rowers to safety.

Any suggestions?

 

why don't you make a catamaran out of 2 older training boats. joined by aluminum sections with a plywood platform on top?

 

catamaran out of 2 older training boats

Hm.. nice idea, have my questions about manoeuvrability of such a craft though. And even training boats are very light in construction.

Hm.. with a tiller you can move you rudder from port to starboard in a smaller instance then with a wheel. Suppose the wheel steered boats you are using steer an outboard engine instead of a rudder.

 

As a former coach, I've wrestled with the same issues. There are catamaran launches made that are quite popolar. I think that Pocock makes one (Seattle) and that there's another model made by some of the fellows at the Sacramento State University Aquatic Center. (I've done a quick look for links for this, but haven't found the launch - if I do, I'll re post) -these have been advertised in the USRowing magazine, so if you've got access to any issues you might find it there.

The catamaran is very stable (rescue) and low wake. A drawback, however, is that they are quite wide and it can be more difficult to nuzzle up to a shell between two oars for swapping oarsmen or doing a fix.

I've seen some cathedral hull shapes used in coach launches that were a good compromise.

-JPC