Whitehall Rower Sailer
The Spindrift Whitehall is one of our exceptionally safe and stable sailboats for sale. This slim craft can carry four passengers easily, is fun under sail, and is suitable for all levels of sailing ability. Spindrift Whitehall custom rowboats come as either a rowing or rowing/sailing model and are swift under oar either as a solo or tandem rower. The Whitehall pulls easily, far nicer than rowboats designed for convenience rather than efficiency.
The bright work on this rowboat is mahogany and it has a traditional elegance. The gunwales are riveted together with copper nails and roves in the conventional style, making them very strong, and are then sealed in varnish. The dagger board and rudder are made of ¾” mahogany, the floorboards are mahogany and come in two parts joining amidships, and there are knees in the stern joining the gunwales to the transom adding to the overall strength and appearance of the rowboat.
The Spindrift Whitehall rowboat, with its classic horseshoe stern seat design, has many options. The flotation chambers have 8″ hatch covers for easy access, inspection and storage and are ample and support the boat well. Additional detail such as wood overlay on the bow and stern flotation chambers is available. The rowboats are a lapstrake design, which adds strength to her hull and charm to her appearance. The interior finish is blue or grey gelcoat, and the external finish is white gelcoat, however many other colour options are available. Additional woodwork can be ordered as desired.
The sailing rig is a classic design used originally in the 1800’s. The mast and sprit are made of spruce (unless ordered in mahogany) so it matches the woodwork on the rest of the boat and the seats which are fixed at the rowing stations. Laminating the wood strengthens the mast and sprit that is lightweight and attractive. The freestanding mast slips through the forward rowing seat and the base of the mast sits in a cup at the keel. It is easy to rig without the boom, the mast and sprit are necessary to make it work. The main sail can be stored on the mast all the time and is simply rolled around the sprit and mast for storage. The sail rig comes with a mainsail, jib and sail bags.
The Whitehall rowboat can be sailed with or without the jib and it handles well in all winds. The Whitehall’s full keel keeps the boat tracking straight and stable in all conditions. The hull is made of hand laid laminated fiberglass and is low in maintenance. The rowboat can be purchased with the dagger box closed at the keel for those not yet ready for sailing but who may want to use this feature later on. Oars are not supplied with the purchased of the Spindrift Whitehall rowboat, however I recommend 7.5′ to 8′ oars for most applications. Approximate heights from the keel at the stem: 28″, amidships: 20″, stern: 26″.