- River Miracle Rescue
Fear gripped Brett and his stomach heaved as he realised this could be the end. For ninety minutes he had endured seasickness, fear and abandonment in the mountainous seas. All attempts to re- enter the kayak … - Whaleboat Heresy – Bay Whaling at Twofold Bay with the Davidson holdouts and their killer whale friends.
A south going current along the east coast of Australia compels the whales travelling north to stay close inshore to minimize its effect. Around Twofold bay (on the SE coast of Australia) killer whales would herd … - Versatility – The Swift Dory
Enter a world of fun and exercise with the Swift Dory. More versatile than a canoe the Swift Dory opens a world of sociable sport and exploration. Rowing is a more comfortable exercise as it utilises … - What is a traditional boat?
I have noticed a recent trend of oars swiveled till the handle is outboard and the blade rests on an inboard seat. Let us call this technique “swiveling oars”. It creates the following problems: It deposits … - The Turbo Oar
Attacked for failing to discover a light filament after 1000 tries Thomas Edison famously replied; “But now I know 1000 materials that don’t work.” I’m in a similar boat. I have tried two known oar theories, … - The Clunking Rowlock
A lifetime of rowing has left me dissatisfied with the oarlocks I have been using. Some broke, some bent, most wore out the oar, all wore out the socket and pin, some were easily lost and … - Stuck in the MudSome years ago it almost seems like another lifetime now – I lived in a boatshed on the southern beach of Dangar Island on the Hawkesbury River. I had a dory in which I used to …
- Plans for making oars
Lighter & Stronger Oar Shaft It is more by accident than design I have arrived at an efficient and radical way of making a stiff, light shaft. The cross sectional shape goes by the rather awkward … - Nelson
Nelson is a fascinating character and was far from a perfect person, as are most great men. He had decided early in his career to be a hero. As he was being repatriated to England after … - Origin of the Herreshoff Rowboat
L.Francis Herreshoff is most famous for designing the H28 cruising sloop and the beautiful and successful Ticonderoga. The latter was designed as a 72 foot cruising boat which went on to become a famous racer that broke … - Rowboat design
The science of rowboat design is easily understood. Once mastered it can be used to improve choice of craft and rowing technique. John Gardner in his excellent book “Building Classic Small Craft” does not include science … - Make a Mudskipping Tender
Eccentric people live on average three years longer than conformists, or so it is said. I suppose there is a stress in conformity that has a subtle effect on health. This may be of some comfort … - Make a Carbon Fibre Blade
The following article describes the advantages of the carbon fibre blade and how to make one. Not for everybody, but, there are those who will enjoy the creative activity. It may seem a lot of work … - The Kiss Dinghy
(Keep It Stupid, Simple.) My friend Caravan had been using the prototype for a year when I asked him how it was going. “ It is phenomenally sensible.” He replied. “John is crippled with a bad … - Guns on Boats
Malcolm regarded me, a shipwrecked and broke sailor with some disdain, but nevertheless found me sufficiently interesting to invite to his barbecue at Loloho. All did not go well. An uninvited degenerate, half-dressed alcoholic, Steve, tussled … - Dynamite Don and his rowing problems.
I had read that Don was building boats with dynamite in the nineties. He was out in Woop Woop welding the hulls into the approximate shape and then blowing them into a perfectly moulded shape with … - Efficient Rowing
What if I were to tell you that everything you believe about rowing is wrong? Some things you read in the following article may seem counterintuitive, but they derive from observation and theory, have been verified … - Car Topping
The following article describes the rationale of cartopping, and, two simple methods of loading the swift dory (aka Herreshoff rowboat) on and off station wagons, hatchbacks, and sedans. It also describes a simple dolly to enable … - Drownings
Introduction Many people in yachts drown in rather predictable ways, so, I have written this precautionary tale. It is worth considering some of the observations made by individuals that have suffered near disasters, so that drownings … - Bad Timing
The following event occurred June 28, 2014 at 1620 hours on an attempted rowing trip in a Herreshoff rowboat (alias “Swift Dory”) from Dangar Island to Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River near Sydney. The wind strength … - Born to Row
Not quite, at the age of five I struggled to paddle a canoe made by my Dad from the wing tank of a WW2 fighter plane. Not long after I found myself straining to row clinker … - A Superior Oar Shaft
Lighter & Stronger Oar Shaft It is more by accident than design I have arrived at an efficient and radical way of making a stiff, light shaft. The cross sectional shape goes by the rather awkward …