Row Boats, Sculling Boats, and Sailing Rowboats from Whitehall

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July 15th, 2008 Newsletter

In the last Newsletter I asked if anyone has had any sailing stories they would like to relate. Steve Hodges sent along this delightful true tale.

On the last weekend of April, I took my nine-year old daughter Claire on an overnight camping trip with my 14' Whitehall Spirit (named Polyhymnia). We put in at the youth camp boat ramp in St. George Island State Park, which comprises the east half of a sand barrier island just south of Apalachicola Bay in the panhandle of Florida. The weather was warm, but not hot, and there was a nice onshore afternoon breeze. We threaded the oyster bars at high tide and headed out across the wide mouth of a shallow inlet east towards a sandy primitive camp area under the pine trees. We packed in the front third of the boat a screened tent, sleeping and cooking gear, plenty of food and drink, and my daughter's teddy bear stuck in the bow.

We sailed across smartly and pulled up next to the beach. After throwing the anchor out, we claimed our camping spot on a dune, and set up camp. As the sun set, we cooked a dinner of noodles and chicken, and I sipped some Kentucky bourbon while sitting under the screen tent. The evening was warm and relatively bug-free, although the sand gnats were out in force and we resorted to applications of bug juice.

After a slow breakfast and breaking of camp the next morning, we set off for the north shore of the island, which also forms the south shore of the wide, shallow Apalachicola Bay. The breeze was light, but sufficient to push us along smartly. We again set up against the sandy shore and broke out the camp chairs and snacks under the shade of a set of pine trees. We watched a flats fisherman in the distance. A small shark was feeding in the shallows nearby, and the water was clear enough that we could see the quickly moving dark shape break the surface. A bald eagle flew by to its nearby aerie.

Finally, we cast off to head home to a perhaps slightly anxious mother. We had a wonderful sail back to the boat ramp, and slid up to the sandy shore after threading through the oyster bars. Claire had a really good time, and I enjoyed the sail and knowing that the boat was stable and seaworthy as it carried my most precious cargo.

BTW, I've made a few slight modifications over the years to adapt my boat to local conditions. I installed a small cam cleat on the side of the rudder above the waterline, and with a small line, I can easily release the rudder when the water gets shallow, which is common in coastal Florida, instead of reaching over with one hand to try to pull the brass pin out. I've also installed a block with an adjustable cam cleat on the boat end of the mainsheet block tackle so that I can set it and have a free hand for the jib sheets and tiller. I've also installed bronze jamb cleats on the inside of the gunnels for the jib sheets--I appreciate the intention of the fids, but never could manipulate them underway while paying attention to the mainsheet and the tiller and the rudder at the same time. I've also installed a small teak flagpole and bronze holder on the aft teak knee just to make it a bit more yachty. Pretentious perhaps, but it's less tacky than a lapel flag pin, doncha think?

Steve Hodges
Tallahassee, Florida

On another front Chris Creekmore in Morristown, Tennessee is building a residential development called Windswept. This is a 400 acre waterfront paradise forming a peninsula offering eastern sunrise views, western sunset views, northern views of the rippling Cumberland mountain chains and southern views of the city lights of Morristown, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Windswept extends out to the most center location of Cherokee Lake. Whitehall Row boats are perfect for exploring the 400 pristine miles of shoreline and multiple islands.

“Lake Developers II, a Tennessee lake development company is proud to join efforts with Whitehall Rowing and Sail. Lake Developers takes great pride and exhaustive efforts to insure every residential community they create exceeds the standards set by other developers. For that reason, we have selected Whitehall Row as valued partner in building the healthy lifestyle at Windswept. Our residents demand quality. Whitehall Row provides the absolute best quality row and sail boats on the market. Period.

We appreciate the accolades very much. Of course Windswept can be seen online at http://www.lakedevelopers.com/cherokeelake

Gigantic Walleyes are biting in Wisconsin

Just in from fishing guide Ron Meltze he and his fishing partner Scott Knepprath have be trailering their Tyee Spirit 14 all over the place around Eagle River Wisconsin and landing some really good sized walleyes.The boat is in prime shape and standing up to lots of use. They will be sending along some shots in the near future.

Lastly I have to mention that the strange increases in the cost of pretty much everything is catching up with our classic boat production and that price increases are going to be necessary in early fall. On the other hand there’s not many things or even boats, that a person can own that will last a lifetime, keep them healthy and doesn’t – and I love this part – burn any fuel.

If your boat requires any special handling or is in a location that causes concern please give us a call and we can bring a lot of our own and other Whitehall owners experiences and solutions to the table. The boat slider tracks are one example of launching and retrieving that save your back and the boats bottom. Anyone, including Marie Hutchinson shown below, who is in reasonable condition can easily launch and retrieve their boat across most rocky beaches all by themselves.

The Boat Slider tracks are at http://www.whitehallrow.com/accessories/hauler.php



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