This fast, shapely wherry is intended for serious sliding-seat rowers who are looking for open-water ability and enough payload for camp-cruising.
A “wherry” is a pulling boat that falls somewhere between the needle-thin racing shells and wide, sailboat-like rowboats. Wherries are the ride of choice for rowers who want speed but don’t want to confine themselves to the placid rivers that are the natural haunt of a racing shell. The basic wherry shape—a narrow waterline, flaring sharply above the water to gain stability as the boat heels or is loaded—has not been improved upon in 150 years.
CLC’s Expedition Wherry came about as a solution for fitness-oriented rowers who want to go out in cold or rough water, perhaps with camping gear. Designer John C. Harris, who has been designing, building, and enjoying sliding seat boats for 27 years, spent a lot of time tinkering with the hull lines to find the best compromise between speed, payload, and stability. “As soon as you’re not competing with the racing shells, the design of a rowing boat becomes much more multi-dimensional,” Harris says. “Some of the characteristics that make a boat ideal for sprinting in flat water are completely at odds with performance in waves. I added a lot of rocker, which definitely gives the boat a nimble feel in waves, and as an added bonus keeps the wetted surface from creeping up on you.”
Most of the boat is decked in, with only a small “sump” area beneath the oarsman’s heels to gather bilge water. An optional Elvstrom-type bailer can dispose of any water that gathers there. There are four separate watertight compartments, all accessible through hatches for gear storage. The boat has enough stability, and the compartments provide enough buoyancy, that it’s possible to climb back into the cockpit after a capsize, bail out, and continue on your way.
The official max payload is 423 pounds. Thus, a 200-pound oarsman could carry the equivalent of three infantry-sized backpacks worth of camping gear. (Of course, the lighter you pack, the faster the boat goes.) The standard flush deck hatches are large enough for tents, sleeping bags, and kitchen sinks of modest size.
While the boat is too short for tandem rowers, it CAN take a passenger. Just loosen two wingnuts, move the sliding seat forward about eight inches, and you have a setup that’s perfect for a picnic row with your significant other, a rowing coach, your kids, a dog, or whatever.
David and Carley enjoying their Expedition Wherry at Bainbridge Island, WA
As a single, the Expedition Wherry is fast. John Harris used the boat for four months during sea trials, accumulating GPS data while studying different stroke rates. “At a gentle cruising pace, about 50 percent pressure and 22-23 strokes per minute, you’re doing 4.5 knots, or just over five miles per hour. Even with a couple of long breaks, you could cover 30 miles in a day, no problem.”
Comparisons to CLC’s Annapolis Wherry design are inevitable, and warranted. The massively popular Annapolis Wherry has beguiled hundreds of rowers over the years. Compared to the Expedition Wherry, the Annapolis Wherry is probably a little faster in smooth water. But with less freeboard and no deck, it has a much smaller payload (325 pounds) and is less suited to open water. “If you’re mostly rowing in protected water, and with light payloads, the Annapolis Wherry will prove faster. The Expedition Wherry is a bit more of a rugged backwoods boat, though, with loads of gear storage and the safety of the decking.” says Harris.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 18′ 3″
Beam: 36″
Hull Weight: 92 lbs
Ro-Wing Sliding Seat Rowing Unit Weight: 16 lbs each
Capacity: 423 lbs
Construction:
- The Expedition Wherry is a multi-chined plywood boat, with a six-panel hull reinforced by six bulkheads.
- The hull is mostly 4mm okoume plywood, with fiberglass applied both inside and out.
- The computer-cut kit is intricately designed and highly evolved to suit fast and easy construction, including by first-time builders.
- Hull panels are snapped together with “puzzle joints,” and all of the holes for the temporary wire stitches have been drilled in advance.
Pricing for the Expedition Wherry:
$7,175 Annapolis Wherry Hull
$1,345 Ro-Wing sliding seat rowing unit
$ 660 Dreher carbon fiber, adjustable handle, light-weight macon sculling oars (Hatchet available)
$9,180 Total boat purchase
Guaranteed Lowest Freight
Do you have to trailer your boat to the water? Check out the Trailex Trailers.
These trailers are perfect for towing. Lightweight and easy to manage.
Do you need a boat rack or slings for storing your boat, or a boat dolly to move your boat around on land?
Take a look at the our Rowing Accessories Page!