RoyDesignedThat
  • BOAT DESIGNS
  • KITCHENS
  • BATHROOMS
  • FURNITURE
  • Composting Toilet
  • Today's Project...
  • Blog
  • PRODUCT PAGE

DIANNE'S ROSE

Articles on DIANNE'S ROSE and more...

Row, Row, Row, Your Boat! by Roy A. Schreyer

4/15/2014

3 Comments

 
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat?                                                                        What better way to start a discussion on the subject of rowing! Although “just” a child’s song, one I think most of you will know, it depicts what fun it is to be merrily rowing, gently down a stream! While it does ignore the hard work of rowing upstream, there is still a life lesson in there somewhere. I’m on the subject because I decided to make a set of 10 foot ash oars for DIANNE’S ROSE so she could be a “true” Shanty Boat! I hoped to leisurely guide her downstream without the noise and cost of the outboard. Maybe we’ll even drift down the mighty Mississippi one day! I will not throw away the Iron Lung but keep it for the upstream legs! There are also lakes where engines are forbidden and a leisurely row could place your “Cabin in the Woods” in paradise lost!  Also if that new motor we bought gets old and quits, we have a real chance getting somewhere safe without making it a big deal!                                                                Rowing fell out of favour this past century as motors became more powerful and reliable (not mine so much, but I remain optimistic!). Time progressed and hull shapes mattered less, you could just get a bigger motor to push your wedge through the water, why bother designing an efficient hull. Yeah, I’m not a fan of today’s plastic! I may risk losing half my readers but I suspect many of you agree. Truth is, today’s boat hulls simply can’t be designed for rowing. They need to support ever increasing weight and horsepower. While rowing could still move a powerboat to safety when the motor fails, safety regulations typically require only a single paddle as a backup! Why is that? This is a joke waiting to be played on anyone trying to paddle a motor boat any distance in wind, wave or current! Most people therefore dismiss human power altogether as a practical option. We may also be in too much a hurry and have forgotten that “life is but a dream”! Times change and I believe more efficient hulls and even rowing are making a comeback. Gas prices are a factor but we are slowly realizing life goes by too fast and there are special places where slowing things down a bit makes better sense. Being on the water, in nature’s back yard is one such place!                                                                                                                                      When I designed our Shanty Boat, DIANNE’S ROSE, the plan was to mount a trolling motor on the bow, to maneuver in shallow waters, like fishing boats do. It was also going to serve as back up to the Big Push. I’ve predictably changed my mind as a romantic image of Old Shanty Boats sunk deeper into my brain (my best ideas need time to percolate, another reason to slow down!). Last season, while using our newly built Camp Boat I had the chance to experiment sculling from the bow, managing to move her around quite easily to new fishing spots. A loop of rope on the middle, front cleat, secured the shaft of a single oar. Worked back and forth, twisting the blade on each stroke it pull the boat forward. Working better than expected, I was convinced a good set of oars would work better still. I was fortunate a neighbour had a cracked Ash tree, a while back, needing to be cut down. I struck a deal to do the work for free if I could have the wood. A portable mill cut it into 1” and 2” planks. I used it for the boat’s flooring, runners and rub rails. It would also be the perfect wood for the oars.                                                                              The wood had been air dried, better than kiln dried, which makes wood brittle, air dried maintains the woods flexibility so is ideal. But as always use what you have if you want to make yourself a set. I created a cool jig to turn the handles down to 1 3/4” radius (a router bit could also be used to knock off the corners and hand tools could finish the round). My system involved a strong drill (old with a broken switch), a 2”hole saw, a shaper and a wooden jig. The jig was key, made of plywood it allowed the square stock to be turned with the drill through a large diameter hole (to fit the 2 X 2” block). The hole saw, having screws into the wood through its slots, prevented it from slipping as the blank was spun and moved forward into the spinning shaper blades. This cut away the corners leaving a round shaft. The back part of the jig had two more holes spaced apart to receive the finished 1 3/4" rounded stock. In theory these two holes would tame any vibration! Well not so much! We ruined the first attempt because the stock was so out of balance it almost shook my arms off! It didn’t help that I had to plug my drill into a power bar to turn it off and on. I was in trouble because I had walked past the power bar that sat on the floor so couldn’t reach its switch. My helper, Ben, “helped” and unplugged me before things got too exciting! Our first blank had good sections so we proceeded, learning from Ben’s error (blame is important in woodworking!), this time I selected straighter material. Success!!! If I had to make more than two oars, I’m confident we would be able to perfect the jig and cutters to get perfect results every time. Needing only two, I was happy to do a little planning and sanding. The last 2’ were left square, to epoxy on more ash for the blades. When cured the blades were cut thin on the band saw and shaped.  The previously mentioned jig was also used for the handles but with a router instead of the shaper. Again some hand work was required. This process too could be perfected. Another cool jig was used to finish sand the shafts. Using an inside-out belt from a belt sander. The blades after band sawing thinner were further shaped using a power plane, spoke shave, belt sander and then a random orbital sander. Wow, we had a beautiful set of oars! They became more beautiful when they were oiled (1 part RAW Linseed Oil/1 part Turpentine). Allow it to soak overnight, then wipe with a rag to remove excess oil (dispose of the rag safely). Three coats of varnish and since I like the look of painted tips we did this as the varnish cured. That’s it! I was so excited with the results I thought I’d let you all know about it.                                                       Since we’re all friends now. I will tell you that when my son was young I would sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat for his bed time. I made up a bunch of verses to stretch it out hoping he’d fall asleep.                                                                                                                Row, Row, Row your boat gently down the Ditch. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life can be a “blank”! For my young sons ears I’d simply click my tongue to finish this verse.                                                                                                                                                        Row, row, row your boat gently down the Creek. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life will make you speak!                                                                                                                                                      Row, row, row your boat gently down the Stream…you all know this verse.                                                                                                Row, row, row your boat gently across the Bay. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, what is you have to say?                                              Row, row, row your boat gently across the Lake. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, be careful for goodness sake!                                      Row, row, row your boat gently across the Sea. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, to see what you can see!                                            Row, row, row your boat gently across an Ocean. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, that’d be quite the notion!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               There you have it, I’ll spare you my many verses of “Incy Wincy Spider” but as a teaser I will tell you the last verse has tickles from foot to head but the poor spider ends up dead(…              Best/Roy                             

3 Comments
Chris Morton
9/15/2014 10:10:57 am

Very intriguing looking little boat that should go well in the sheltered waters of our d'Entrecasteau Channel here in Tasmania

What is the weight of the boat, also towing weight (including trailer)?
We would like to order a set of study plans. Please advise cost including airmail to Australia. I will supply card details when you reply.
Thgankks

Chdris Morton

Reply
Roy Schreyer link
9/16/2014 10:17:09 am

Hi Chris, the boat is 1500 lbs empty/2000 with gear and about 2800 with trailer. I'll need to look into airmail and will get back to you. Here is the write up I send out to interested persons for the time being....Hi Chris, thanks for your interest! I would like to see builders of DIANNE'S ROSE have the best chance to succeed, so it is important to give you an idea what you are getting into. You should first know the cost of the build, about $4500 for materials. It is possible to save more by painting instead of varnish as then exterior ply and lumberyard cedar can be used (work boat finish) instead of mahogany ply and clear cedar as I did. It would be the cheaper way to go, at about $3000. That style of construction would also lend itself to collecting some lumber for free so could be cheaper still. I would love to find the time to try such a build!!! I do ask a little more for my plans as I've included a detailed "Build Manual" as part of the plans with many photos with the drawings (one client separated the write up and said it amounted to 74 pages of instruction)!......Here is a write up from Tiny Homes on the Move...Wheels and Water... that may interest you. Plan information is after this article....... DIANNE’S ROSE is a small “Tiny” if you will, House/Shanty/Camp boat that my wife, Dianne Roselee, inspired me to design. She never liked the “tippy” side of sailing and one day commented she’d come out more if we had a comfortable boat. This 17’ X 8’ beam, houseboat is the result. Needing only 6” to float, it is perfect for sneaking into shallow coves and pulling up to isolated beaches - a feature we enjoyed in our beach cruising sailboat. A refined barge hull was the solution needed to achieve this draft and the accommodations for Dianne’s comfort. This hull shape also does not limit us to protected waters and has proven quite sea worthy! The cabin, 8’ X 10’, has areas that preform dual function (or more). There are two couches, 62” long, facing each other, that serve as lounge, driver’s seat, dinning and sleeping areas. We have a queen-sized bed when filler boards are in place! These boards morph into the dining table and additional seats and then again into the steps and storage shelves under the decks. There is a small bathroom on the left rear side, 32” X 36”, with full standing headroom. The composting toilet (which does not smell) can slide under the rear deck to create a private changing room. This space is also our coat closet. A kitchenette is on the opposite side, with a propane camp stove (this way we can also cook outside). The space under the rear deck is utilized as a pantry and cooler for food storage. Hang a privacy curtain across the aisle, and the back of the boat becomes a full bathroom. Toilet, sink and bathing. Set up camp style of course, using a basin to stand in and a pitcher to wet and rinse. Hot water provided from a heated pot or solar bag! The front, 4’ X 8’, and back, 28” X8’ decks add livability to the small cabin. Storage is below these porches and the rear porch carries fuels, gas and propane (fuel boxes to come and they will double as benches to sit and fish). The front porch could be tented in to provide additional sleeping space similar to “pop-up” tent trailers. This could make a small family comfortable on extended outings! The boat has had some unforeseen uses at home on its trailer (saving marina costs), as a “man cave,” guest house, and a second bathroom. DIANNE’S ROSE was launched June 15th, 2013, so we’ll get to know her better, but she is already making us very happy. The small size has been a large part of the fun! Our motor is small as well, a 9.8 hp outboard. Fuel costs are not a worry and will not interfere with our enjoyment of the beautiful scenery as it passes by at a steady 6 mph (3/4 throttle). Building DIANNE’S ROSE is straight forward as I designed her construction to be very basic but strong! Flat panels are first assembled on a bench. These panels slip together “egg carton” style or are just butt joined with epoxy and screws. Ply hull panels are then bent on to the frames, marked and cut with no complicated measurements to calculate! The hull combines “stitch and glue” with “frame” construction using each where they are most advantageous! The roof appears difficult but is not hard with templates provided. The curve is broken into three manageable sections and T&G planks follow the shape easily, creating a strong but l

Reply
Bianca M link
11/22/2020 07:17:17 pm

This was a loveely blog post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Roy A. Schreyer

    Having corralled my wild woman, Dianne, I try to find time for my other passions, wood, water and the wild places!

    Archives

    September 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly