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Rowing the spindrift 12


hangflydany

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    I would like to know if anybody has rowed the spindrift 12 with two adults ( about 200# each) for any extended period. Can it be trimed properly? I imagine i would have to add an extra seat forward of the middle seat for a new rowing position, but I really dont' know.   

   My dad and I are planning to navigate the Rideau Canal from Kingston Ontario to Ottawa, about 200 km. The canal connects a series of lakes and rivers with a system of locks. The prevailing winds will allow us to sail downwind or on a broad/beam reach when going through the lakes or wide areas of the canal but we will have to row when things get too narrow or the wind does not cooperate.

     

   Would the Spindrift 12 be suitable for this adventure?

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For a good way to balance when rowing, I like a fore-and-aft seat [long ways] instead of the traditional side to side seats. Then you can easily add a couple of oarlocks for a different rowing position. This also allowed the passengers to adjust their positions for better trim.

Below is a pic of the 8 ft nesting pram I used to have with fore-and-aft seating. The rear part of the seat was removable for nesting.

original.jpg

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I take it you are considering building a Spindrift 12? If you already have one, you would know better than anyone how well it would row for your intended trip.

I'm sure someone with more experience than me will chime in, but for 2 adults at 200# each, going nearly 100 miles in a Spindrift or any other dinghy sized boat sounds extreme. Like I might do it if I wanted to prove it could be done and you were willing to make sacrifices to enable you to do it......but of the B&B boats, I'd think the Bay River Skiff or even one of the Core Sounds would be a better choice.

Draft is about the same and they can be rowed in tight areas. A bigger boat would also enable you to take food, shelter and water for that long of a trip, which depending on conditions could take from 2 to 3 days on the short end to as long as a week if you hit the weather wrong. 

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    Yes, last year I bought the plans for the Spindrift 12. I really like the look and lines of the boat and building it is withing my budget. I did not buy the plans with this trip in mind, I just wanted a little sailboat to sail singlehanded by myself. A bigger boat would be great, maybe in a couple of years.

    The adventure is not as extreme as it initially sounds. All along the coast, one after the other, there are marinas, provincial parks and little towns with places set to camp, shops to get groceries, little restaurants etc. It's a very popular route for canoes and kayaks. We'll only be making maybe 20 km a day and then set up camp ( a little camp that is).

    We'll have two weeks to complete the trip and if we don't finish it a quick telephone call to my wife and she'll go pick us up where ever we are.  In fact my Dad is doing this right now in a little dory 11 feet long and took my mother with him. Now that's extreme! LOL. He's got my sisters scared to death and I've been calling them on their cell phone several times a day to check on them.

I plan to buil the Spindrift over the winter. I have several months to mature this idea in my mind and see if it's feasible or not.

Any more suggestions are appreciated.

   

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  The reason I asked about the Spindrift 12  being used for rowing longer distances is because of my Dad. He loves rowing, Dories especially. In fact I built him a little 11 + feet Dory.

    His boats have to have very narrow transoms. So when I show him pictures of a Spindrift he immediately points to the transom and says

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I have a fair bit of time rowing many designs.  A Spindrift 9 (mine) is used as a tender and daysailer.  It sails very well!  It rows like a lightweight broad bottom well designed dinghy, not like a deeper and heavier dory.  I would not build one if rowing were my hobby or means of exercise.  But you can keep it going straight and you can maintain a reasonable speed rowing.  If 12 feet is the right size for your adventure, and the trip is as you have described; I would surely consider a Spindrift 12.  Your Dad probably won't be thrilled with how it rows, but he may appreciate it when it comes time to pick it up.

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    Thanks everybody for your input. It really helps me to analyse things and put them in perspective. The idea of going for one of the bigger B&B boats it's very tempting. If I do that I also know that at one point I will have to build the Spindrift as well. I mean, how long will I be able to stare at the plans I already have and not do anything about it? 

        Wow, boat building is addictive.  :D

Thanks again

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Dan,

Go ahead with the Spindrift 12. My CS 17 rowed remarkably well and I'd expect the Spindrift to be much better. At 12 feet it's much larger than most dinghies. Of course a larger boat would have advantages but would also have more problems. If you did go larger I'd look at the CS 15. It's lighter than the BRS and has a deck. Then after having it for a while you might want a CS17...or a CS20 or a Belhaven....

H*ll, just build the Spindrift!

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You're right Ray. The BRS is lighter. I seem to remember it being built with thicker plywood, but the CS15 is a bit longer and wider and has the decks. On the surface it looks like we have a classic choice of a great row/power boat that can sail and a sailboat that can be rowed or powered. In this case, however, we have two boats that do everything quite well.

I've sailed a BRS and a CS 17. The difference I noticed most was the side decks. They give a place to sit when sailing really gets interesting and give a little more secure feeling when burying the rail. They would probably get in the way a bit when rowing. It didn't seem a problen on my CS 17.

If I lived on a lake and wanted an all around boat for fishing, sailing, and towing an inner tub around the lake the BRS would be tough to beat. For sailing/camping the CS series is close to perfect.

Dan, if you have room to build and store you might consider one of the 15 foot boats. If you have your heart set on a 12' boat go ahead. You'll enjoy building it and I think you'll be surprised at how much it can do.

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