I have got 55 years of paddling experience with various kayaks, canoes and stand up paddleboards including over two decades dedicated to endurance and expedition racing. However, during my high school years in Sandomierz, Poland, I did a fair amount of rowing.
Rowing in Poland
During this time, we occasionally had access to an old, cumbersome, and leaky ship lifeboat named Szeta (SZ), equipped with six oars and a rudder but no sails. I participated in numerous excursions with this boat on the Vistula River, primarily involving upstream and downstream rowing. The river bore a resemblance to the Missouri River on a smaller scale, featuring partial regulation with wing dikes, buoys, sporadic barge traffic, sand dredges, and excursion ships. Notably, there was an antiquated sidewheeler steamboat named Wanda, an old towboat, or inspection ship, still in occasional use. I was lucky to have a short trip on board of this old steamboat. It looked quite similar to that old steamer in Sandomierz river harbor. Recreational power boating was minimal during that era.
Our favorite rowing trips used to start on evening and heading upstream. Throughout the night, we would row with four oars, while the remaining crew rested or slept, ready to relieve us at the oars. Navigating upstream necessitated hugging the shoreline to leverage the slower current and circumnavigating dikes. At sunrise we were turning boat around, proudly drifting downstream for an hour or two back to Sandomierz. Great and colorful memories!
Subsequently, I engaged in rowing aboard a ten-oar boat, Dezeta (DZ), on the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, although this experience was more focused on sailing than rowing. Dezeta (DZ) was a popular sailing trainer rigged as a ketch.
Then, no rowing on water for the next 45 years.
Rowing machine
When attending gym in my Fort Collins years, I enjoyed spending time on rowing machines. Last year, I got the rowing machine, Concept 2, to my home/backyard gym. A rowing machine provides a great exercise with many fitness and health benefits (see my Youtube clip), but still in not the same as being on water.
Entering solo rowing
Returning back to my Sandomierz memories, I always wanted to venture into solo rowing, specifically sculling with a sliding seat. My aim? Fitness, recreation, and perhaps even participating in a long-distance river race like the Missouri River 340.
I’ve outlined three potential paths to achieve this goal:
- Purchasing a new boat, preferably a coastal rowing shell capable of navigating various conditions on lakes in Colorado or the Missouri River.
- Building a boat. There are many interesting boat designs in stitch-and-glue technique, e.g., Annapolis Wherry from Cheasapeake Light Craft (CLC), Expedition Rowboat or Rowcruiser from Angus Rowboats. Twenty-four years ago, I successfully built a stitch-and-glue Patuxent 19.5 kayak from a CLC kit, so this option seems quite feasible.
- Outfitting one of my existing boats with a rowing rig. There are rowing rigs designed for canoes and stand-up paddleboards. I’m particularly interested in paddleboards, envisioning a hybrid propulsion system involving both rowing and stand-up paddling. There are various SUP rowing rigs available, such Oarboard or RowingRigs.
I’ve opted for the costly first option, but I remain open to exploring options 2 and 3.
Literace1x by Liteboat coming to Colorado
In late November of 2023, I embarked on an 8-day trip from Colorado to Florida and back. The primary goal was to bring home a rowing shell and, of course, capture as many pictures and video clips as possible. I drove my Toyota 4Runner, accompanied by my dog Milo.
My time in Florida was brief but productive. I picked up the Literace 1x, a solo rowing shell in Sarassota from Coastal Rowing USA. This boat is designed and manufactured in France by Liteboat. I got many valuable tips and instructions from Jim Henderson and also did some rowing in his boat. I believe that this visit was worth driving to Florida comparing to shipping the boat to Colorado and incurring a $1200 freight cost.
The LiteRace 1X was designed for coastal rowing competition. Narrow and stable, it’s designed for all types of seas, and it is very enjoyable on calm waters thanks to its exceptional glide. This model is the latest new design by Sam Manuard. The LiteRace 1X (2017) holds the best course in the up-winds, being stiffer than the original version that has sold over 80 boats. The rigidity was increased by the addition of reinforcements and carbon bulkheads. The weight of this boat is around 77 lbs to fit World Rowing Race standards.
Liteboat.com
They released X Row, a new boat designed for leisure and adventure in 2024. It would be a harder decision in boat selection right now.
You are welcome to check my photo report from this trip: Florida to Colorado with 4Runner and Liteboat Rowing Shell.
Rowing in northern Colorado lakes
Winter months I spent dressed in my SUP drysuit and trying my new Liteboat first on the Horsetooth Reservoir, and when it got frozen, on Carter Lake. I’ve somewhat comfortable in the boat and confident with her stability.
I started my spring rowing on my local paddling pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area, and then moved to Boyd Lake. After calm winter waters I first encountered here somewhat windy and choppy conditions. It was a new challenge: starting from a beach and trying not to step too deeply into a chilly water. Nevertheless, the boat performed admirably.
I’m still in the learning phase, hoping to make steady progress. While paddling a kayak, canoe, or SUP, I feel a strong connection to both the water and the vessel. However, I haven’t quite achieved that same connection with the rowing shell yet. It’s a matter of patience and practice.
Incoming posts and videos
At 77 pounds, my Liteboat is anything but light. Its considerable length makes it awkward to carry and load onto a car, presenting a real transportation challenge. In future posts and possibly videos, I’ll explore three transportation options I’m currently considering. Unfortunately, I can’t explore the most ideal option: living in a waterfront and keeping the boat on a dolly. Additionally, I’ll discuss my experiments with an improvised rowing mirror.
Related posts:
- Florida to Colorado with 4Runner and Liteboat Rowing Shell
- Liteboat rowing shell versus Toyota 4Runner SUV
As usual, I am adding most of rowing pictures and video clips to my stock photography portfolio. They are now available for licensing as royalty-free images and video content.