Wednesday 5 December 2012

Teifi skiff brushes up nicely

Boat addict Brian Pearson has bought one of my favourite rowing boats, a Teifi skiff. After a bit of a disaster towing it back from Fishguard (one side of the trailer collapsed) he has applied some TLC and it is looking very nice. He writes:
"Very pleased with the boat. I think she is very pretty and remarkably good looking for a single chine two plank boat. Very much in the Oughtred style. I think we will have a lot of fun in her."
I think you will too, Brian. She goes very quickly without too much exertion and is seaworthy with it.
The carbon blades in Langstone Cutters' Teifi skiff Lotty are proving to be rather popular, once people get their heads round the overlapping handles and the need to feather. Anyone know where we can get some more?

4 comments:

Clint Chase said...

Tell me about the thwarts/seats. They look narrow. Are they flat on top? Are they specially designed for fixed seat rowing. I ask b/c I have always thought that thwarts could be made to support the fixed seat rowing style better.

Brian said...

Hi Clint, the thwarts are 6 3/4" wide where you sit on them, 4 1/4" wide either side. Adjustable sliding foot braces run on an alloy centre beam. Nick Newland, of Swallow Boats, wrote this article about sea going rowboat design and rowing ergonomics.
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/articles/rowing/index.htm

Chris Partridge said...

I don't think thwart width has been thought through properly ever. I suspect they are the width they are because that is the width of the planks that happened to be hanging around the boatbuilder's yard.
The Teifis have just enough travel in the footrests to enable taller rowers (ie me) to sit properly on the thwart, but in several of the boats I regularly row my rear end is hanging over the back of the thwart which is uncomfortable, produces nasty welts and reduces potential power output.

Brian said...

A Swallow Boats Forum Member, Jonathan, has kindly posted details about the Skiff that were sent to him by Swallow Boats in 2005.
http://www.swallowboatsassociation.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/TeifiSkiff.pdf