Last month we received a great report from a lady at Shawnigan Lake, BC, Canada. She detailed for herself a very nicely outfitted Whitehall that she can row in conventional aft facing and our Forward Facing slide seat operation. The maiden voyage was in the thick of winter but it looks like she had a great time! She also let us know about a foot hold modification she made that some other rowers might find helpful.
Hi Dave,
You might be wondering about my boat and I. We disappeared off into a rain storm never to be heard of again. So here is the update.
My boat is absolutely marvelous. I can’t get out often enough! It is much admired by those who have seem it. Few have seen it in action, as very few people are out on the water recreationally at this time of the year. I don’t know why; if you are rowing lots of heat is generated.
I’ve made one “improvement” that might be useful to other customers. I made a pair of straps with loop tape on the ends that attach to the outside of the foot holds and go around the heal of my shoe to keep my foot from pulling out. This made a huge improvement for me. I also found that a local fellow (row west clothing) makes pogies which are kind of like mittens that go over the end of the oar and your hand goes inside to grip the oar. They are waterproof and wind proof so keep hands nice and warm. These are apparently standard issue for serious race rowers who train in winter.
I’m attaching a photo of the boat and I on launch day on Shawnigan Lake in January.
