Under the category of “interesting people who love boats” and happen to have discovered the FrontRower, Mick Mallon is one of the first to come to mind.

Mick rowing in Vancouver, BC.

For the past several years, Mick has been spending his summers living on a boat in what he calls the “south” (Vancouver, British Columbia) and spends his winters in the “north” on Baffin Island (which is in northern Canada near Greenland) in a land known as Nunavik.

Canada Map

In case you are wondering what Mick does in the “north” in the middle of winter, he is a linguist who has spent many years studying the native Inuit language, called Inuktitut.  He lives in Nunavik with his second wife and teaches at the Nunavik Arctic College.

Mick with his three boats: his live-a-aboard "Slow Loris", his Arch Davis Penobscot 14, and his FrontRower equipped Harbor Cruiser 18. (Note the tee-shirt "Look where you're going").

Born in Ireland, Mick migrated to Borneo before settling in Canada.  He has had an adventurous life and always seemed to involve boats and women in some way.  Fortunately for us, Mick has his own a blog  Belfast, Baffin, Borneo … boats which includes many stories and illustrations about boats and life in exotic places.  It’s a good read, don’t miss it.

"Go where you're looking"

A while back Mick had an accident in the north that almost took his life.  At 21 below zero, he fell down an icy slope, breaking several bones and puncturing a lung.  He suffered severe frostbite before being found by a search-and-rescue party.  In spite of frostbite damage to his hands and feet, he still has his sense of humor and claims that a missing finger is a “chick magnet”.  And he is still able to enjoy rowing.

Follow this link to an interesting article about Mick published by “Up Here” (the Magazine of Canada’s Far North): http://www.uphere.ca/node/256

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

"Rowzilla" (4th from front) at race launching area.

For any touring boat, comfort trumps speed.  But efficiency is always a good thing, and the ability to maintain speed over longer distances is the best measure of efficiency.

With this in mind, I wanted to know how fast we could go for a couple of miles in “Rowzilla”, our 18 foot touring rowboat.  So I talked Elizabeth into entering a two-mile race with me so our doubles rowing speed could be documented.  Elizabeth is opposed to racing on principals, so training was out of the question, but we regularly row a fair amount for fun, so we were already in good shape.  I told her that all she had to do was row a little harder than normal for about 20 minutes, and she agreed to do this.

The race was the 2010 Slocum River Regatta, near Dartmouth, Mass.  This is a two mile measured course (one mile up the Slocum River and back down to the starting line).  This is good for documenting speed because variables such as current and wind tend to cancel themselves out. It’s the kind of race where you start one boat at a time, so you don’t know how well you’ve done until you get your times.  We were classified as “mixed masters double fixed-seat” which means male and female over 50 (our combined age is 126 years) two rowers.

At the awards ceremony, we were rewarded with gold medals and found that we had set a new class record, with an average speed of over 6 mph.  Our time was 19:48.

This made us happy, because this is just the speed for which our boat was optimized, and we hit the target.  We bettered all the mixed boats in the race of any age group (except for one elite double racing shell).  This included all the multi-oared boats including the 6-oared pilot gigs.  So Rowzilla proved herself to be very efficient for a touring boat, and I think Elizabeth and I proved ourselves pretty efficient, too.

By the way, I can solo sprint Rowzilla at 7-1/2 mph.  To put this in perspective: my top walking speed is under 4 mph, and 7-1/2 mph is faster than I can run.

Rowzilla in solo touring mode.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

Scale model row boat from kit.

Here’s an authentic scale model of the Odyssey 18 touring rowboat.

If you have ever thought about building your own rowboat, building this scale model first shows you how it’s done, and will give you a good look at the design inside and out.

You can build this model in a couple of hours.  You will be able to study the design better than with any set of study plans, and you will have an interesting piece that will be almost as much fun to look at as the full sized version.

You can order this scale model kit from Ron Rantilla Rowing Systems www.frontrower.com

FrontRower owner Axel rowing his new kayak trimaran.

FrontRower owner Axel Ziegler wanted a kayak-like rowing boat that he could also sail on Lake Constantine near his home in Switzerland.  His solution, working with German boatbuilder Jurgen Volker, was this innovative kayak hull with repositionable amas. With the amas (pontoons) in the inboard position, there is room for the oars to swing.  For sailing, the amas can be extended to give additional stability.

Even when retracted, the amas give added stability.

We really like the paint job, which reminds us of the old “woody” station wagons.  Rowing or sailing (or even on car top), this boat will be an attention-getter.

Kayak trimaran.

Axel’s boat is based on Jurgen’s “Razor” wooden kayak design, modified to accept the FrontRower and the amas.  Jergen’s web site is www.riversandtides.de .

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

Chester Yawl with FrontRower installed.

Ron,

The boat handles great.  I was surprised at how little effort it requires with the frontrower to get it moving along.  The seat is very comfortable.

Despite the 42″ beam I did not have any issues.

It is set up for conventional rowing as well. I wanted that for when I take a passenger out for a short trip so that they could occupy the rear seat and I could row from the forward position. I did not put risers under the front row lock sockets as this might have caused interference with the frontrower.

I will be taking my wife and daughter out in it. My 2 dogs will be going as well as soon as I clip their nails!

Lynda and I just got done putting the name on the transom in gold leaf. I named at after my daughter, Paige.

Feel free to use the picture. If you need any more just let me know.

Mark

Frontrower equipped Chester Yawl.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

Rite of Passage participants near Ketchikan, Alaska.

Dear Mr. Rantilla,

My people are from Southeast Alaska, Tsimshian Tribe.  As time went on, we began to lose our cultural ways, specifically a way to help our young people make the transition between being a child and being an adult.   I’ve thought long and hard about this and came up with the idea to build a boat with my son,  and then we will circumnavigate Revillagigedo Island (150 plus miles) in my home town of Ketechikan, Alaska.  I was searching the net for a dory, thinking it was the best design, and became convinced by your web site and DVD that your boat (the Harbor Cruiser 18) and rowing system would be the best way to go about this.  As it turns out, the kids in his classroom want to do this, too.  They want to participate in an Alaska Native rite of passage to learn to become a human being in the modern world.

Doug Modig

At the dock in Ketchikan.

Dear Mr. Rantilla,

My name is Charlie Modig.  My Dad and I built a touring rowboat from your kit in the winter of 2007.  We also helped our friends build another touring rowboat.  All of our Moms helped us too.

We took the two boats to Ketchikan and with one other Dad and two friends we rowed around the Revillagigedo Island which is about 156 miles in July 2007.  My friends, Mathew and Ian, and I were all 12 then.

This last June we were invited to demonstrate the touring rowboat’s speed and maneuverability in Kodiak at a statewide gathering.  People were very impressed.

Thank you for your design of the kit and especially of the rowing machine.  I am including some pictures of the trip.

Sincerely,
Charlie Modig

Building one of the rowboats from a kit.

Under way, coming of age trip.

Cruising along.

A plane brings a food delivery.

Going over the maps.

Loading up.

One of our campsites.

Charlie, age 12.

Doug.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

]]> http://frontrower.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=153 2 http://frontrower.com/blog/?p=115 http://frontrower.com/blog/?p=115#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 13:39:59 +0000 ron http://frontrower.com/blog/?p=115

FrontRower equipped kayak and innovative dock.

Fredrik from Sweden  sent us this photograph and the following explanation:

Now I have the opportunity to test the FrontRower in our kayak.  The function is great, and people here who have seen it are very impressed.

The kayak is 5,5 meter long  (18 feet) and has 65 centimeters width. Flat bottom, so its quite stable. Tried it with a GPS, and it felt like you could keep 5 knots with it for long distance (but sweating after a while). Had a maximum of 6,5 knots, but I think that was very momentarily.

My intention is now to soon start building the Odyssey after your plans.

I made that dock for easier access to kayaks for an old person.  Here we don’t have ebb and flood, but the water level can change 30 to 40 centimeters, which is why it is tilted.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

New 6-oared Cornish gig

A new rowboat showed up on the Warren, Rhode Island waterfront this winter.   It’s a 6-oared Cornish gig built in Warren by Don Betts and friends.  This is the third gig in the casual community of rowboats currently plying the Warren River.   The other two gigs are 4-oared Whitehalls, which were brought here from New York City two years ago.

The Cornish gig is 31 feet long and has it’s roots in the Scilly Isalnds, Cornwall, England, where they were used as pilot boats.  It has 6 rowers and a steersperson.  The Whitehalls are 27 feet long and have their roots in New York City where boats of this type were originally built at the foot of Whitehall Street.  They have 4 rowers and a steersperson.

Don and friends row their gigs several time a week, and invite others to join them.  They are a casual group, so if you want to join them, just show up on the Warren town dock (at the foot of State Street) at 4:00PM on Tuesdays.  The group has some planned excursions on the weekends, including racing the Cornish gig, named Cady (after local marine artist Henry Newel Cady).  The mostly female racing team they have put together is called the Whirligigs.  They entered their first race, The Snow Row in Hull, MA on March 6, 2010.  This was also the maiden voyage for the Cady, and they turned in a very respectable  time of 39:52 for 3rd place in the 3 3/4 mile race.  Not too shabby for the first time out.

The Warren River has always been one of our favorite places to row, and was one of the reasons I located my business here.  The river is visually interesting because it has a working waterfront on the Warren side and some beautiful residences on the Barrington side.  The town wharf is only about 1/2 mile up the Warren River from Narragansett Bay.

Out in the Bay, Hog Island and Prudence Island are within easy rowing distance.  The river is tidal and reverses its flow four times a day, which keeps things interesting.  Sometimes it’s dead calm and other times it’s flowing at 2 or 3 miles an hour in one direction or the other.   Farther upstream you have the Barrington Yacht Club, with hundreds of moored boats which can be surrealistic to row through, especially on a calm night.  Of course for us, the FrontRower’s forward facing position helps a lot.  (Elizabeth and I usually row two solo boats each equipped with FrontRower rowing systems.)  There are several bridges to row under, and that can really be fun when the tide is running fast.  However, I should warn that this can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Another thing that makes the Warren River interesting is that there are several restaurants that you can row to for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  One of our favorite outings is to row up to Tyler Point (restaurant) for dinner out on the porch and then row back after dark.  We used to bring our  golden retriever Zak along and he was allowed on the porch.   We had to cover his ears with our hands at sunset when the yacht club shot off their cannon.  We miss Zak, (he passed away 2 years ago at the ripe old age of 17 1/2).  We took him everywhere with us, and only went to restaurants that would allow him, which usually meant eating outdoors.  We have come to prefer dining outdoors in nice weather, and sometimes  feel sorry for those who are inside.  Thank you, Zak.

Another favorite outing involves rowing up river to the bike path just past the first bridge, where we beach the boats and walk along the path about a mile to Starbucks for coffee.  This stretch of bike path is completely shaded with trees, so its really nice on a hot day.

We are really happy to see other rowers enjoying the river.  For many years we were the only human powered boaters out there.  I guess the tides and afternoon winds discourage most canoe and kayak paddlers.  But with rowing you have much more power and control, and winds and tides are not that much of an issue.  The rear facing direction of conventional rowing makes navigating the Warren River difficult, but the multi-oared gigs always have a steersman who faces forward so its not a problem for them.

There are at least 26 gigs in use in New England.  Plus there are whale boats and other seaworthy multi-oared boats around.   Rowing them all is increasing in popularity.

For more information you can contact Don Betts hecticbunny@hotmail.com.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.

The race was 2 miles out to a stake, around the stake, then back to the starting line.  Stake races were popular in those days, because the spectators could see both the start and the finish.  Davis won by a large margin, and the results were challenged with a claim that Reagan was fouled at the turning stake.  Fights broke out, but eventually the bets were paid.  Reagan had bet all his family’s assets on the race and was now broke.  Sick with exhaustion from the race and with the knowledge that his family lost everything, he was carried back to the train.

That evening the train filled with passengers including Reagan headed back to Boston, while Davis stayed behind, celebrating his victory with friends and admirers.  An open switch at a sidetrack caused the returning train to derail.  Railroad employees on a freight train waiting on the sidetrack saw the accident happen and sped off toward Boston to get help.  To get more speed, they unhitched their freight cars.  The unhitched cars rolled back down the tracks, smashing into the derailed train, compounding the disaster.  Reagan and 18 other passengers were killed, and more than 190 others injured, making it the worst train disaster in New England history.

Ron Rantilla makes forward facing rowing systems and touring rowboats in Warren, RI.  Click here to visit his web site www.frontrower.com.