Nobody rows any more.
But it’s important as you get older.
I paddle along at walking pace while RIBs roar past at 12 knots, setting all the boats snatching at their anchor chains and shattering the peace.
But rowing takes a toll as well.
Not on me, you understand. There’s nothing wrong with me – I fully intend to be still at the oars when I’m 100. It’s the dinghy that can’t cope with the strain.
This is my second to be condemned because the rowlocks split away from the tubes. This one lasted two years.
Dinghies these days are not designed to be rowed. I wrote to the manufacturers and complained – all in French with help from Google Translate. The 3D company of Brest wrote back and said they couldn’t understand what I was on about. Now they don’t reply at all.
Everything else about their little 2.3m, 14kg SuperLight TwinAir was great: I could hoik it out of the forehatch, blow it up and flip it over the side all in ten minutes. I rowed it across the lagoon at Barbuda into a 15kt Tradewind (two miles in 1hr40mins).
But in the end, I gave it to Henrik, an impoverished Swedish sailor who swears he can sell it in Colombia (and yes, I did tell him about the slow puncture I hadn’t been able to find).
For a while, I thought I would be condemned to getting an outboard after all (maybe an electric one) and growing flabby with stick-like arms and shortness of breath. But then an inflatable company in New Zealand came to the rescue. They had decided there was a market – maybe a very small market – for a tiny, lightweight rowing dinghy that could get two people and their overnight bags from the shore to a mooring (as long as it wasn’t too far.)
Welcome to the True Kit Stowaway.
It is certainly different. You can’t put an outboard on it even if you want to: It doesn’t have a transom. It’s going to raise a few eyebrows on the dinghy dock – and I very much doubt anyone will want to steal it.
But underneath the undoubted resemblance to a beach toy, this 7.2m, 14kg boat has been very carefully thought out.
For a start it’s a catamaran. The floor is pretty much out of the water so there’s almost no drag. I can row this thing at a steady 2.5kts – whereas 2.3 was top speed with the old one. Also, it’s a lot less effort with the good solid Railblaza rowlocks set at the proper angle so the oars don’t chafe the sides like they used to.
The oars are short which means that, with a passenger or a folding bike and all the shopping, you can row with your knees up. Indeed, the fixed seat is set well forward so there’s nowhere to brace your feet anyway. In the Stowaway, you sit upright and pull long strokes that send the little boat skimming across the water with no apparent effort.
The rowing position does mean that you sit on the bones of your bum rather than having a nice pair chubby buttocks as. cushion but I have found that a folded T-shirt makes all the difference.
I did worry about the amount of spray coming aboard because the bow is fairly low (so you can climb in from the water, a nightmare with the traditional inflatable). But it turns out to be no worse than usual. The main problem is that there’s nowhere for that water to go: Without a transom, you can’t have a self-bailer.
However, with one person, the weight (and therefore the puddle) stays well forward, away from the shopping. With two, the passenger balances the baggage on their lap and just gets their feet wet.
We’ll see how we get on, but the Stowaway does appeal to the singlehander’s “small and simple” principles. I really think this might be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.
The catamaran design of the hull.
A couple of YouTube videos of how well she rows:
Rowing the lagoon at Barbuda: https://www.oldmansailing.com/a-long-way-for-a-lost-hat/
Footnote: 3D did get back to me in the end. No, they can’t sell me a dinghy without rowlocks. But apparently I can remove them by peeling them off with help from a heat gun.
Meanwhile, I’ve taken to rowing the 0.7 miles to the marina to save carrying the shopping. It doesn’t seem to take much effort and it’s only 20 minutes…
I bought one of the first 3D dinghies about 10 years ago which probably doesn’t get anywhere near as much use as yours. Surprisingly durable lightweight dinghy but the rowlocks have come unstuck a few times. Last year I had them professionally re-glued but already one is coming unstuck. We probably row it more than most folk.
Do you mean 7.2 ft rather than ‘M’
Btw, currently reading Faster Louder Riskier Sexier, another great read!
I don’t know about the”M”. Mine was the 230 (2.3m). After a couple of weeks with the True Kit Stowaway, I can say it’s the answer. It rows faster than the 3D but with far less effort. I really feel I could keep going indefinitely and now routinely row th 0.7M to the marina dinghy dock and back rather than walk along the road. It takes just under 20 minutes. If I had a 2hp outboard doing 4kts, I calculate that I would get there seven minutes sooner – but would then have to spend a few more chaining the engine and the dinghy to the dock. The new one doesn’t even have a transom, so you can’t put an outboard on it. I think the only people who would steal it would be kids.
I use a 3D limited use seems ok .. I’m surprised they didn’t send a :
https://www.marinesuperstore.com/tenders-accessories/tender-accessories/3d-v-shape-tender-rowlock-and-plate ♂️ btw great blog love reading it well done mark
Thanks for sending that. Do your oars chafe on the sides of the tubes?
TBH I only row small amount of time but find 3D ok for that, will start more now after reading your ideas but dont think I’ll be parting company with the Honda 2.3 – have you tried electric ? I tried once and weight of battery was too much.
I’ve been looking at the Remigo electric outboard – 12kg, very stylish and, with 1,000W, plenty of range. But also plenty expensive! But I’m now rowing 0.7miles each way most days. It takes me about 20 minutes and I think nothing of it. The rowing position with your feet under you does mean you’re sitting on the bones of your bum rather than having a pair of nice chubby buttocks as a cushion but I’ve found that a folded T-shirt makes all the difference.
I offer this research because the company certainly isn’t going to put it in the instructions…
Like the look of that, how much are they?
https://truekit.net/products/the-stowaway
My last cheapo West Marine kit had mis-drilled oars. I tried to re-drill them but ended up making them worse.
Looks cool. I too, would rather row my inflatable
Maybe they should have designed a little spray hood which could be removed when you need to board from the water…? Would save on bailing…
That thing really scoots along in the water!