Classic Whitehall Spirit® Westcoast 11.6 Sailing Rowboat

The Whitehall Spirit® Westcoast 11’6” Sailing Rowboat is known as the “Adult Sailing Dinghy”. This is because there’s room for one large adult seated comfortably aft, and one or two more, and perhaps a picnic basket or the family dog up forward.

This rowboat handles and performs superbly under sail in both light and high winds. The fuller hull shape produces a lift effect when sailing hard on the wind. This keeps the boat very dry and stable. Off the wind, the Westcoast 11.6 sail scoots along and is a joy to be aboard. Owners report that they have gotten it up on a plane under sail in the right conditions. If the wind drops, it’s a pleasure to row home with the boat gliding along at 3 to 5 knots under oars. Sometimes owners opt to fit this boat with a small outboard motor. The Torqueedo Electric Outboard is a popular choice.

The Westcoast 11.6 sailing rowboat is rigged with an attractive 56 square foot standing lug mainsail, plus a jib together with a removable bowsprit. This efficient and easily-handled rig sets up in less than five minutes. The mast simply lifts out of its socket to stow within the boat. The mainsail can be tacked across in full control using only the mainsheet. For handling the jib there are optional gunnel mounted Jib Jammer Racks. Or go to the Sailing Gear Page for other optional accessories.

The large kick-up rudder and cast bronze pivoting centerboard is standard. The boat requires only 6” (15cm) inches of water to float with the centerboard and rudder fully retracted. This boat can sail in quite shallow water and is very easy to land or launch on a beach.

The low integral centerboard trunk containing the solid cast bronze centerboard allows the boat to be fitted with an optional sliding seat sculling unit, complete with hinged bronze outriggers and optional 9’6″ open-water sculling oars. Conversion back to a traditional rowboat or a sailboat takes only minutes. It’s fully beachable and so is ideal for use as a ships tender on a large sailboat or motor yacht. It’s a perfect boat for a waterfront home or at the cottage or parked on a small trailer outside exposed to weather with its Cover Battens installed and Sunbrella Waterproof Cover in place.

If you require traditional oars we supply the best available. There is a choice of Spruce/Carbon Traditional Oars with Leather collars and pressure cast oarlocks or all Carbon Fiber Traditional Oars with plastic collars and offset oarlocks.

This Classic Whitehall Spirit® Westcoast 11.6 sailing rowboat comes complete with solid teak woodwork, copper riveted gunnels, custom cast bronze fittings, an impeccably finished lapstrake fiberglass hull, bilge drain/plug, and a bronze builder’s plaque. All the features are standard except for an Factory Optional Solid Teak Floor or the Ocean Tender Fully Buoyant Floor. Thus floor adds substantial extra reserve buoyancy to the boat, great for when the boat is used as a ship’s tender or shore boat. With no one aboard, simply pull the drain plug and the boat will self-bail. When it rains, with the plug pulled the boat also self-bails. Other Factory Options include a Stainless-Steel Keel Strip or a Custom Name. Check out the sailing options on the Sailing Gear Accessories Page.

The Westcoast 11.6 is right at home on the deck of a yacht, at the cottage, parked on a dock on a Dock Bunk or stored on a Boat Dolly or a small boat trailer in the garage. If the boat is going to be stored outside, we recommend adding a Sunbrella cover and Lexan battens to keep it pristine. If tying up to a dock is part of the scenario, consider adding a set of tie-up lines and fenders to your order.

Maintenance involves cleaning the teak and applying a coat of exterior teak oil and requires only about three hours per year. See the article on Care, Storage & Maintenance of your Classic Whitehall Spirit® boat.

This boat is custom made by our master craftsmen in our shop in Victoria, BC and is a sailing rowboat built to last 100 years or longer providing sailing and rowing pleasure for generations of rowers. Our commitment to the highest quality plus superior design makes this the best boat of its type and size in the marketplace. It is CE certified plus Canadian and US Coast Guard approved. Built-in buoyancy makes it virtually unsinkable.

There are videos on How to Sail and How to Slide Seat Scull and How to Row Fixed Seat available for those who may want to teach themselves.

Call or email to get a quote for a Classic Whitehall Spirit® with accessories delivered to your driveway or cottage anywhere in Canada or the mainland USA. We also ship crated boats worldwide via ocean cargo. Whitehall Spirit® rowing boat owners are now located in over 52 countries.

How to Order

Many customers first print the “Pricing and Accessories PDF”, in the “Pricing” tab above, for the boat they are planning to purchase, and then check-off the items they are interested in before calling or sending it to us. This is a good way to begin the process.

Alternatively, you can call to discuss your options, especially if you are unsure about what Whitehall boat model you are interested in. Your order may be as simple as a basic rowing model with oars, or as elaborate as a slide-seat rowing & sailing model with accessories, delivered to another continent.

Ordering/Delivery Details & Policies

Please read complete details by clicking here.