The Oxford Wherry 16 as an Oar Cruiser

Colin Angus offers a beautiful rowboat, the Oxford Wherry, that would make a really nice oar cruiser.

Colin Angus's Oxford Wherry

The specifications show that she is fast (note the bow wake in the photo above) and is capable of handling weight you would need for a weekend cruise.

Specifications:

• Length Overall: 15' 10" (4.9 m)
• Waterline Length: 15' 7" (4.8 m)
• Beam: 38" (965 mm)
• Estimated WLW: 30" (762 mm)
• Est. WLL/WLW Ratio: 6.2:1
• Weight: 53 lbs (27 kg)
• Watertight compartments: 2
• Depth: 11"
• Freeboard at 250 lb displacement: 7.5" (191 mm)
• Freeboard at 600 lb displacement: 5" (127 mm)
• Block Coefficient: 0.39
• Prismatic Coefficient: 0.51
• Sprint speed: 11-12 kph (6.2 knots, 7.2 mph)
• Cruise Speed: 6-8 kph (3.8 knots, 4.4 mph)
• Hull Speed: 5.3 knots, 9.8 kph, 6.1 mph
• Maximum recommended touring load: 500 lbs (225 kg)
• Maximum recommended short distance load: 600 lbs (270 kg)

Colin Angus Comments:

“The Oxford Wherry combines elements of traditional beauty with modern design and construction to create a vessel that is not just gorgeous, but unbelievably fast and functional.  Its design takes the most positive elements of traditional wherries and Whitehalls – wineglass transom, carvel-like construction, and elegant woodwork - while jettisoning the less-than-ideal attributes such as excessive weight and beam… 

…The hull is shaped for true performance without compromising stability.  The Vee bottom is almost flat in the middle further creating stability (a surprising number of designers create deep Vee in similar style vessels which decreases stability and does nothing for performance).  The Vee increases near the stern and bow to assist in cutting through waves and creating lateral resistance to enhance tracking…”

Interestingly, the Oxford Wherry can also be paddled, useful when exploring narrow creeks and marshes.

Oxford Wherry Paddling...

...or Rowed with Sliding Seat...

...or Rowed Fixed Seat

Converting to an Oar Cruiser:

Following are the modifications that could be done to make it an ‘oar cruiser’ (see definition in right column in this blog), without compromising the hull design. 

• Add a water-tight bulkhead, with large access hatch, at each end of a 7’ (2.1 m) rowing/sleeping cockpit, eliminating the designed seats, but retaining the frames.
• Add a cross-planked set of floorboards for the cockpit, spanning the frames, to provide a dry sleeping platform and attachment points for rowing seat and foot rests.
• Add fore- and aft-decks, as well as narrow side decks, using skin-on-frame, resulting in a cockpit opening of 4’ to 5’ (1.2 m to 1.5 m) long. These decks would partially cover the ends of the sleeping area.
• Add a 3-inch (76 mm) coaming around the sides of cockpit to increase freeboard as well as a support for short outriggers (to provide oar lock span of 4 feet (1.2 m)).
• Provide rain protection for sitting headroom and sleeping using some form of shelter.

Colin sells plans for the Oxford Wherry as well as kits. The diagram below shows the panels that are provided in the very complete kit for the boat.

Wood Components in the Kit

Tom Fry has put together a 10 minute time-lapse video of building an Oxford Wherry.

Summary-Pros:

• Proven design by an accomplished designer who has taken his boats on epic voyages.
• Light weight enables car-topping.
• Decking, coaming and light weight provide seaworthiness for inland waters.
• High WLL:WLW ratio (6.2:1) and light weight enable fast cruising speed.

 

Summary-Cons:

• Narrow WLW (30", 762 mm) and low freeboard (7.5", 191 mm) limits displacement.