Anyone know their Scows?

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Michael4
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Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael4 »

Was this a West Wight Scow or a Lymington Scow or some other scow? It had a blue sail and did not originally come with a stern thwart. I cannot remember any other identifying features.

Imagescow119 by dralowid, on Flickr

Guilt lies heavily upon me. I was responsible for destroying the poor thing. I was being towed at quite a high speed (for a scow) sail up, centreboard down, rudder in place. I jumped up to catch a cheese roll being thrown from the towing boat and everything went very, very wrong.

West Wight?

Michael
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Rupert
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Rupert »

Looks very much like the West Wight scow we had when I was a kid, but then I get a bit confused, there are so many varieties.
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roger
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by roger »

To far in the distant past for me to remember the differences between all the Solent scows. Sorry try one of the Sailing Clubs, Yarmouth, Brading Haven, Bembridge.
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Michael Brigg
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael Brigg »

I thought all of the Solent scows (except perhaps specific designs such as the Porchester Duck) originated from an original design in Lymington. The distinguishing feature generally is their multi-coloured sails.

Interestingly, this "Stebbings Scow " originates from Burnham on Crouch (Essex) and has a built in stern thwart virtually identical to the scow above, as well as a very similar rudder.

Image

Unleess the provenance is well known, or there is a very specific design feature, many of these scows are built to a generic design and there is often a good deal of variation within even local fleets, with most of the local boatyards adding their own little signatures.

I am sure Ed will agree that the old days of wooden rowing boat boats was far more fun when you could see several different hulls in a single regatta, all claiming to be "worth half a length."

Unlike the Scow which is still in abundance, the days of Stamfli sterns, Carlisch Bows, super smooth Doneratico varnish, Phelps Harris, Coley and Sims and the others are long gone and Racing rowing as a sport is the poorer for it.
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Ed
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Ed »

mmmmm...

is it so different in Sailing? Not many wooden 505's at the top of the fleet, but there are still arguable differences between the top plastic boats.

Of course, it is the same with plastic rowing boats. Some designs and builders claim advantages. I saw documentary about Carl Douglas recently where they were claiming a big advantage through using a new shape/design of fin. Well maybe, but it ain't gonna put me in contention with Cracknell or Pinsent :)

Still, I get your point. Lots of wooden sailing boats have survived and we do our best to keep them going, but no-one really cares about the old rowing boats. A few old sculling boats are in the hands of those who value the old wooden boats......but what happened to all those old Donoratico, Stamphli and Karlisch fours and eights. They have all gone, run into the ground by learners and finally cut up and burnt.

It is a shame, but not a battle I can do much about.

eib
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jpa_wfsc
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by jpa_wfsc »

I ponder what the 'design life' of a wooden 8 built light and lean could possibly be? Did the top teams get a new hull every year to have something light and stiff for the main events?
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Michael Brigg
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael Brigg »

What is interesting in rowing is the development of "wing riggers."

In the "good old days," the rigger would be bolted, at 3 or 4 points to the shoulders of the boat.

Image

The "rig" or positioning of the rowlock, (gate) relative to the water, the essential height of the rig that is critical to the "grip" that your rowing blade has in the water, was dependent on the stiffness and strength of the shoulders often needing steel or aluminium, and later carbon fibre structure, all adding to the bulk and weight of the boat. The hull itself, was an important contributor to the overall stiffness, which is where wood as a structural component lost out unless heavily laced with epoxy, or expensively built as a Monocoque structure. (something that is not well suited to wooden building.

The "wing rigger changes all of that...

Image

The rigging stiffness is now all in the rigger structure which simply sits on top of the boat. While at the top level there is still some importance in the hull being stiff enough (especially in an VIII) to ride through rather than over turbulent water without movement, and also not to flex with crew movement as this creates energy sapping waves the need to be strong enough not to "twist" is hugely reduced.

This means wooden rowing shells can be given a new lease of life by retro fitting wing riggers, or even that cold moulded wood has the potential to make a (decorative or even structural)) return to rowing boat construction. The problem will of cours continue to e about maintenance and cost.

It would e like sails that became the stiffness of the rig, allowing a wooden mast to perform as well as carbon!
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael Brigg »

jpa_wfsc wrote:I ponder what the 'design life' of a wooden 8 built light and lean could possibly be? Did the top teams get a new hull every year to have something light and stiff for the main events?
An elite crew will certainly replace their boat on a seasonal basis although this is a relatively recent trend. The boat would be used in training and competition to keep the rig settings developed in training, and also because rowers nervous systems become as one with that of the boat (Think a bit like in the film Avatar)

However the 2nd hand wooden shell has a life of 20-30years if cared for properly.

The irony is that wooden Clinker boats just as much fun to row as £15K plastic, are better training boats, because they balance well and you cant do stupid things like putting your foot through the floor, and certainly at school and college I was racing in matched clinker boats that were 50 or more years old!

Image

A "plastic boat" in club use rarely lasts more than 10 years.
Michael Brigg
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael Brigg »

...but getting back to scows!! :oops:

I notice that the Seaview OD (admittedly not a scow) but also the solent scows, have got into bed with plastic

Image
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by roger »

Michael Brigg wrote:...but getting back to scows!! :oops:

I notice that the Seaview OD (admittedly not a scow) but also the solent scows, have got into bed with plastic

Image
Yes they have been plastic for some time now
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timbomford
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by timbomford »

Does anyone know what type of Scow mine is?
Still unknown and looking for a (loving) home!

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=5765&start=0

Best wishes

Tim
Michael4
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by Michael4 »

When I saw this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-WOODE ... true&rt=nc

I wondered if it was the same as yours.
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timbomford
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Re: Anyone know their Scows?

Post by timbomford »

Looks different and is 2ft longer.
The mystery continues!
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