The blog records the voyages of PicoMicroYacht, a seaworthy small sailing dinghy converted for rowing long distances. This includes the 26th July 2012 crossing of the English Channel, as well as rowing along the south coast of England, down the river Thames, around London and across Ireland. PicoMicroYacht is a converted Laser Pico Sailing Dinghy, with a sliding seat, riggers and cleaver oars, fitted with a shortened main mast and a mizzen mast and can be set up as a reduced rig sailing boat.
In a previous blog, PicoMicroYacht was compared to ocean rowing boats, the point made that the low freeboard of the PicoMicroYacht made it suitable for coastal rowing, with the ocean rowing boats having too much windage.
There is an alternative, including specially designed low freeboard cabin rowing boats. These can be bought in kit form, made of wood. They combine rowing using a sliding seat and a sailing system.
An example is the Fearing coastal cruiser available in the USA and UK.
This is about 23 foot long, double the length of PicoMicroYacht, and well set up for rowing.
Plans for the Faering Coastal Cruiser produced by Chesapeake Light Craft in the USA.
I imagine it would glide along quite smoothly under oar, although in any wind it would tend to be sailed.
The Fyne Fearing Coastal Cruiser
Of course, a boat of this size could not be dragged up a shingle shore singlehandedly, portaged round a lock or turned on it's side and slid through the gap between a gate and a fence, the sort of thing that has enabled PicoMicoYacht to access places that other boats might not go.
If I could buy several boats, this would definitely be on my list.
I have sometimes wondered why the ocean rowing boats are not
seen cruising around the coast, enjoying inshore waters. Occassionally PicoMicroYacht has been out there when they are training, but mainly in a harbour or estuary.
Instead of battling it out in the mid-Atlantic, a pleasant
cruise would be to coastal hop, using the boat’s cabin for a comfortable
night’s sleep in a safe harbour, ready for the next day’s row.
The windage of an ocean rowing boat (James Adair and Ben Stenning's Indian Ocean voyaging boat)
I have come to the conclusion why ocean rowing boats are not used for coastal hopping is that they have too much windage relative to the power generated by rowing.
The hull and the cabin act as a sail and an ocean rowing boat can be quickly
blown downwind.
To counteract this, rowers either make supreme efforts to
row against wind or in strong winds deploy a parachute anchor, using the water to
halt movement whilst resting until the wind is more favourable.
Jamie Fitzgerald’s philosophy is to keep rowing even if your GPS is saying you are going nowhere
But these are less feasible options for inshore waters,
where a boat might be blown onto a lee shore and the safety distances are much
less. Also manoeuvrability is compromised without having substantial forward power.
In reality, ocean rowing boats tend to choose routes in
which the prevailing winds and currents push them forwards. If not, the rowers experience trials and tribulations battling against the wind.
For example, the British pair James Adair and Ben Stenning
set off from Western Australia to row to Mauritius, crossing the Indian
Ocean. They had huge difficulty getting
away from Australia because of the prevailing head winds and only succeeded by very
determined effort.
When they arrived at Mauritius, despite best effort, the wind blew them away from
their port and they ended up being shipwrecked on a coral reef, nearly losing their
lives.
James and Ben had swim for their lives when they hit the
coral reef and their boat was being smashed up. Extraordinarily, they swam through a gap in the reef and were rescued sitting on the coral.
One advantage of the PicoMicroYacht is that it has very low
topsides, such that the windage is at a minimum.
PicoMicroYacht crossing the English Channel - rowing against 10 to 20 mile an hour winds - additionally, small sails help provide lift and counteracted the wind effect
In fact, this made is
possible for a middle-aged, not terrible fit, rower to cross the English Channel,
rowing for seven hours against the wind.
PicoMicroYacht can dodge the rocks without too much danger - in lighter winds.
Of course, there is no comfortable cabin to sleep in at the end of the
day and all the ‘dry’ equipment has to be kept in dry bags.
PicoMicroYacht will not be crossing Oceans but will continue
to enjoy the beautiful waters around the Islands off Western Europe.
