B D L Muscle power and wind are all you need · 2013. 4. 15. · smacking against the fiberglass...
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WWW.SOUNDINGSONLINE.COM AUGUST 2010 6 DIETER LOIBNER MA I was at Gig Harbor, Wash., on southern Puget Sound about to try one of the rowing/sailing skiffs built in the Pacific Northwest. To someone who’s been prejudiced against rowing as “sitting down and going backward as fast as you can,” it was a big leap of faith. It was also a date with the past since rowing and sailing as combined modes of propulsion have been employed for centuries, long before internal combustion. Nestled in the bucolic settings off Peacock Hill Av- enue, the Gig Harbor Boat Works shop radiates the charm of a family venture. Founder Dave Robertson, his son-in-law Falk Bock and two other employees work here to turn out about 100 salty little boats from 8 to 17 feet per year, which they sell across the country and around the world, mostly by word of mouth and on the Internet. Models include a Jersey Skiff, Whitehall, New Eng- land dory, Melonseed, Maine lobster boat and whim- sical tenders. “It’s a niche industry,” Robertson says. “There are perhaps 10 manufacturers in North Ameri- ca who are serious about this business and committed to craftsmanship.” By that he means neat hand-laid laminates, practical details, quality kit and good sails to bring this ancient style of boating up to date. SIMPLICITY AND VERSATILITY All of the vessels can be rowed, most can be sailed and some can take a small gasoline outboard. Alterna- tively, Robertson offers a rudder-mounted electric drive. But it’s really the rowing part that intrigued me, with bench seats that roll on custom wheels in grooves at the top of the buoyancy tanks. For sailing, they can be locked into position with pins. Are these rowboats that sail or sailboats that row? “It is what you want it to be, because they do both well,” Robertson says. It is a delicate compromise because, typically, an efficient rowboat is not a good sailboat and vice versa. To row fast, you need to be in a narrow craft that’s low in the water. To be dry and stable under sail, you need freeboard and beam. In a world that thrives on specialization, Robertson’s field of play is defined by the space between these two parameters. Refusing to call his boats hybrids, he stresses two enduring qualities: versatility and simplicity. Ditching a corporate career and the associated has- sles, Robertson simplified his personal life by turn- ing his hobby of building small vessels in his garage, which he’d practiced since age 12, into a livelihood. Expressing his life’s philosophy, he shuns the “creep of technology” as he calls the proliferation of expen- sive and often unnecessary gadgets. His boats use muscle power and wind, the most fundamental modes of propulsion. They are also light enough for trailering behind a compact car. From a short row across the harbor to an after- noon sail to multiday trips and expeditions, they ap- peal to different tastes. Many customers, Robertson says, are reformed kayakers, but few are first-time boat buyers. “They made their mistakes before they come here,” he chuckles. In no time flat, we drove down the hill from the shop to the sparkling bay of Gig Harbor, rigged and launched a 17-foot Jersey Skiff that was equipped with a sliding bench and oarlocks. I was baffled by the quick assembly of the parts that all fit inside the boat: The two-part aluminum mast, the tie-down shrouds that are fastened to a cleat on the gunwale and the custom-made mast hoops that hold the sail’s luff to the spar. We shoved off, lowered the centerboard and sheeted in. With the pleasant sound of waves smacking against the fiberglass lapstrake-style hull the skiff gently heeled to the breeze, moving at hull speed. It was a gentlemanly pursuit, but near shore it became sticky as the flood began to impede our progress. Instead of shifting gears, we shifted modes by furling the jib, dousing the main and shipping the spruce oars. My moment as a rower had arrived. CARDIO, NOT CARBON With my feet strapped to the footstop, I tried to plant the slim blades squarely without digging (or “catching crabs”) while skipper Robertson steered us past the current rips. When I managed to coordi- nate my stroke with the sliding seat, the power of my leg muscles drove the boat nearly as fast as a cruising boat under engine on a parallel course. This efficiency is a tribute to the lightweight compos- ite materials (all-up the skiff weighs only 360 pounds) and the hull’s fine entry and a clean exit. “It is a shape that evolved over centuries and was dictated by pur- pose,” Robertson points out. These skiffs were used for fishing, surf rescues, even ocean crossings. Our goal, of course, was more modest. We wanted to beat the ferocious current to get out of the bay and that was good exercise, yet gentle on my bat- tered back. As we rounded the sand spit and poked our bow into the Tacoma Narrows, we entered a churning river. Forget sailing, the only way to go upriver was by oar close to shore. On the way back, under canvas again, we scooted “downhill” toward the lovely town, past cruising boats that sat unused at their moorings. Quite a few showed the rot of neglect. “It’s symptomatic for our time,” Robertson says. “People have boats they don’t use because they can’t fit it into their schedules or they are tired of sailing in the same place all the time.” Sailing and rowing a small craft might be a throw- back to the past, but in the light of reality its future looks increasingly bright. n Muscle power and wind are all you need Small boats built at Gig Harbor Boat Works are a throwback to another era — and maybe one to come BY DIETER LOIBNER ON SAILBOATS Dave Robertson reaching across the bay of Gig Harbor in his 17-foot Jersey Skiff; (inset) Gig Harbor Boat Works founder Robertson with his son-in-law/employee Falk Bock. C 06 On Sailboats 6/17/10 9:38 AM Page 2
Transcript of B D L Muscle power and wind are all you need · 2013. 4. 15. · smacking against the fiberglass...
WWW.SOUNDINGSONLINE.COM AUGUST 20106
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Iwas at Gig Harbor, Wash., on southern PugetSound about to try one of the rowing/sailingskiffs built in the Pacific Northwest. To someonewho’s been prejudiced against rowing as “sitting
down and going backward as fast as you can,” it was abig leap of faith. It was also a date with the past sincerowing and sailing as combined modes of propulsionhave been employed for centuries, long before internalcombustion.
Nestled in the bucolic settings off Peacock Hill Av-enue, the Gig Harbor Boat Works shop radiates thecharm of a family venture. Founder Dave Robertson,his son-in-law Falk Bock and two other employeeswork here to turn out about 100 salty little boatsfrom 8 to 17 feet per year, which they sell across thecountry and around the world, mostly by word ofmouth and on the Internet.
Models include a Jersey Skiff, Whitehall, New Eng-land dory, Melonseed, Maine lobster boat and whim-sical tenders. “It’s a niche industry,” Robertson says.“There are perhaps 10 manufacturers in North Ameri-ca who are serious about this business and committedto craftsmanship.” By that he means neat hand-laidlaminates, practical details, quality kit and good sailsto bring this ancient style of boating up to date.
SIMPLICITY AND VERSATILITYAll of the vessels can be rowed, most can be sailed
and some can take a small gasoline outboard. Alterna-tively, Robertson offers a rudder-mounted electricdrive. But it’s really the rowing part that intrigued me,with bench seats that roll on custom wheels in groovesat the top of the buoyancy tanks. For sailing, they canbe locked into position with pins. Are these rowboatsthat sail or sailboats that row? “It is what you want itto be, because they do both well,” Robertson says.
It is a delicate compromise because, typically, anefficient rowboat is not a good sailboat and viceversa. To row fast, you need to be in a narrow craftthat’s low in the water. To be dry and stable undersail, you need freeboard and beam. In a world thatthrives on specialization, Robertson’s field of play isdefined by the space between these two parameters.Refusing to call his boats hybrids, he stresses twoenduring qualities: versatility and simplicity.
Ditching a corporate career and the associated has-sles, Robertson simplified his personal life by turn-ing his hobby of building small vessels in his garage,which he’d practiced since age 12, into a livelihood.Expressing his life’s philosophy, he shuns the “creepof technology” as he calls the proliferation of expen-sive and often unnecessary gadgets. His boats usemuscle power and wind, the most fundamental
modes of propulsion. They are also light enough fortrailering behind a compact car.
From a short row across the harbor to an after-noon sail to multiday trips and expeditions, they ap-peal to different tastes. Many customers, Robertsonsays, are reformed kayakers, but few are first-timeboat buyers. “They made their mistakes before theycome here,” he chuckles.
In no time flat, we drove down the hill from theshop to the sparkling bay of Gig Harbor, riggedand launched a 17-foot Jersey Skiff that wasequipped with a sliding bench and oarlocks. I wasbaffled by the quick assembly of the parts that allfit inside the boat: The two-part aluminum mast,the tie-down shrouds that are fastened to a cleat onthe gunwale and the custom-made mast hoops thathold the sail’s luff to the spar.
We shoved off, lowered the centerboard andsheeted in. With the pleasant sound of wavessmacking against the fiberglass lapstrake-style hullthe skiff gently heeled to the breeze, moving at hullspeed. It was a gentlemanly pursuit, but near shoreit became sticky as the flood began to impede ourprogress. Instead of shifting gears, we shifted modesby furling the jib, dousing the main and shippingthe spruce oars. My moment as a rower had arrived.
CARDIO, NOT CARBONWith my feet strapped to the footstop, I tried to
plant the slim blades squarely without digging (or“catching crabs”) while skipper Robertson steeredus past the current rips. When I managed to coordi-nate my stroke with the sliding seat, the power ofmy leg muscles drove the boat nearly as fast as acruising boat under engine on a parallel course.
This efficiency is a tribute to the lightweight compos-ite materials (all-up the skiff weighs only 360 pounds)and the hull’s fine entry and a clean exit. “It is a shapethat evolved over centuries and was dictated by pur-pose,” Robertson points out. These skiffs were used forfishing, surf rescues, even ocean crossings.
Our goal, of course, was more modest. We wantedto beat the ferocious current to get out of the bayand that was good exercise, yet gentle on my bat-tered back. As we rounded the sand spit and pokedour bow into the Tacoma Narrows, we entered achurning river. Forget sailing, the only way to goupriver was by oar close to shore.
On the way back, under canvas again, we scooted“downhill” toward the lovely town, past cruisingboats that sat unused at their moorings. Quite a fewshowed the rot of neglect. “It’s symptomatic for ourtime,” Robertson says. “People have boats they don’tuse because they can’t fit it into their schedules or theyare tired of sailing in the same place all the time.”
Sailing and rowing a small craft might be a throw-back to the past, but in the light of reality its futurelooks increasingly bright. n
Muscle power and wind are all you needSmall boats built at Gig Harbor Boat Works are a throwback to another era — and maybe one to come
BY DIETER LOIBNER
ONSAILBOATS
Dave Robertson reaching across the bay of Gig Harbor in his 17-foot Jersey Skiff; (inset) Gig Harbor Boat Works
founder Robertson with his son-in-law/employee Falk Bock.
C 06 On Sailboats 6/17/10 9:38 AM Page 2
