Article reproduced by permission from Open-Water Rowing
(Originally written in 1998, information in this
article has NOT been updated - prices and other
information may no longer be accurate.)  

Five Sliding-Seat  
Boats Reviewed 

At a recent boat show, we were surprised at the most frequent question from visitors stopping at our booth. It wasn’t "How are those transatlantic rowers doing?" or "When are you going to do a story about my area?" Not even "How do I subscribe to your publication?" Everyone seemed to be asking, "What boat should I buy?"

The fleet, from top to bottom: 24' Peinert Dolphin, 21'4" Alden Star, 21'3" Maas Aero,
15' Adirondack Series Guideboat, and 16' Alden Ocean Shell.

      With this in mind, we have conducted a review of five sliding-seat boats, and will be doing similar reviews for other types of rowing boats in future issues. The purpose of our review is not to compare these five boats detail-by-detail, but to give readers the answer to the following questions:

1) What would it be like to move from a fixed-seat boat to a sliding-seat open-water boat? or
      2) What would it be like to move from a sliding-seat racer to an open-water boat?

To get the right perspective we asked Jon Aborn, a fixed-seat racer, and Chuck Pieper, a Masters sculler, to help us review the boats. Chuck regularly takes his elite 28’ Empacher shell out into Cotuit Bay on Cape Cod, rowing the ten miles or so miles around Grand Island as a daily constitutional. It can get pretty exposed in those waters, and Chuck, although not a dedicated open-water rower, has had to cope with chop and wind in his racing machine. Jon, who has won just about every New England fixed-seat trophy going, including the Oarmaster and the Blackburn, trains in his own fixed-seat design near his home at the head of Buzzard’s Bay, one of the windiest corners of the northeast.
      The boats which we reviewed deliberately range from two extremes, the near-racing-scull to the traditional hull with a drop-in sliding-seat unit, and stability varies accordingly from very low to very high. There are other boats available in these categories; we invited quite a few; the ones you see here are the ones who could supply a boat at our preferred time and place.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

From a flat-water sculler’s point of view, the change can be significant. The open-water boats are noticeably slower than the elite flat-water single, but let it get a bit rough, and the sculler notices two things: first, that there is some additional technique that is required to get through rough water fast, and second, that these open-water designs are a whole lot more seaworthy than their flat-water cousins, without looking like Jersey surfboats.
      What’s it like to go the other way, to get into a sliding-seat boat from a background of fixed-seat rowing? Well, if you start with the Adirondack Guideboat, you will feel pretty much at home. The boat, with its 26-inch waterline, is wider than you are, with flare in the topsides to give stability if heeled a little. If you have rowed a sliding-seat unit before, even a good rowing machine at the gym, you won’t have much trouble with the sliding part. If not, it may take you a few minutes to get used to the longer oar length and the fact that your knees can get in the way of your arms if you aren’t doing it right.
      If, on the other hand, you step right into one of the narrower open-water sculling boats, say the Pienert Dolphin, both your body and mind need to grasp a few new concepts. The first is that this boat does not, by itself, intend to retain you as a passenger. With a 13" waterline, it is narrower than you are, and will very happily capsize if you give it half a chance. Think of sitting on a very low bicycle. Although, like a bike, the narrow boat becomes more stable at higher speeds, there is a difference: it’s a mistake to think that you can balance the boat with your body; you have to keep the boat upright with your oars. Once this concept is accepted, not only by your brain but also by your hips and shoulders and head – all of which will instinctively gyrate to hold the boat level – things get easier.

THE ALDEN OCEAN SHELL

The Dolphin, if you aren’t a good sculler, is not where you’d start. It’s very close to a racing single in its dimensions and feel, despite being at home in a chop. A more traditional starting place is the Alden Single. Over 15,000 of these boats have been built since they were introduced at the 1971 Boston Boat Show. Flat-bottomed, stable and, at sixteen feet, relatively short for a sliding-seat boat, the Alden single nevertheless can go out in weather even a dory might not hazard. Her designer, Arthur Martin, took one of his early publicity shots rowing an Alden around Cohasset Harbor during tropical storm Doria, in winds over 50 knots.

The Alden cockpit. Note forward coaming to deflect waves on foredeck, extremely large
cockpit, and Oarmaster drop-in unit. Users say the Alden is the driest of the boats tested.

      The Alden looks a lot like a traditional hull, in that she has a capacious cockpit, protected by a sailboat-like coaming forward.. You could accommodate the dog or a small child forward of the rowing station, and there is still room for the picnic aft of your feet. Although the Alden is not designed to carry a second person, her sistership, the Alden Double, is longer and accommodates either one or two rowers with room to spare. Open-Water Rowing did not examine the Double, but one of our testers has rowed it as a single and finds it faster and more responsive than the Single.
      The Alden is a ruggedly-constructed "~40 lbs." (45 lbs. in our test), and is capable of being landed on must shores and safely encountering most flotsam. Made of solid fiberglass and a 12-14mm gelcoat, with no skeg and a solid flat bottom, she is a good beach cruiser. After removing the Oarmaster drop-in rigger (also made by Alden, and weighing 21 lbs.), the boat can be carried up the beach by most rowers. The interior has two bulkheads plus styrene block flotation. Casual thumb pressure revealed some flex along the bottom at the centerline, but no movement elsewhere.
      One of the Alden Single’s assets is also her biggest drawback, that large cockpit which can fill with water if you submarine the boat through a breaker or take a roller over the side. While a suction bailer is fitted to most Aldens, a cockpit full of water is so heavy that it stops the boat, making the suction bailer inoperable. Although the boat still be rowed when filled (unlike a lot of "safer" traditional hulls), it is very much less stable, and in any kind of seaway you will be too busy keeping upright to bail by hand.
      The Alden benefits from a large and devoted following. The Alden Ocean Shell Association is active in organizing Alden races, messabouts, and other outings. They publish a quarterly newsletter with stories of voyages and schedules of coming events.
      All in all, the Alden is an excellent place to start open-water sculling if you are used to more stable rowing craft, and a good place to stay if you are a long-distance cruiser or unimpressed with speed or wave play.

THE MAAS AERO

Twenty-five years ago, when Arthur Martin was perfecting his open-water sculling design, a number of West Coast designers were approaching the same open-water challenge from a different viewpoint. With an exposed coast and few places to go ashore, California has bred boats designed to go out into the open ocean and back, with no attention paid to carrying the picnic. Early designs were rowed across the 32-mile stretch of Pacific Ocean from Catalina Island to Marina del Rey. This quickly became the annual "Catalina Race" and boat designers set out to win it. One of the most successful and enduring designers is Chris Maas, and we asked him if we could review his popular Aero design.

The Maas Aero cockpit. The small hatch is forward of the foot stretcher. Note
off-center bailer to avoid the full-length internal keel. The Aero's optional
aluminum skeg, right,is larger than the standard plastic one.

      At 21’3" and 40 lbs. The Aero is sleek and light. Looking at its integral riggers and clean, symmetrical lines, our reviewers found it a head-turner compared with all other designs. For the sliding-seat neophyte, the boat feels tippy at first, certainly less stable than the Alden Single, but it doesn’t take long to get comfortable in it, and it seemed to be the boat our reviewers with fixed-seat backgrounds kept gravitating toward.
      For the experienced single sculler new to open-water, the Aero is attractive but a bit slow, with the added frustration that the maximum span is 158cm. Says Pieper, "This seems too stiff for a 40lb boat. Novices might not notice the difference as they typically worry more about balance than pulling hard, but for the intermediate rower or racer, this narrower span will put more pressure on the back." A few details of the Aero bothered our reviewers. The boat has one access port, but it is positioned behind the rower where it cannot be reached while rowing. Also the Aero we tested had its drain hole on the stern deck, stoppered with a rubber plug (other boats had captive screw fittings at the bow). This is a potential problem as the stern inevitably gets covered more often in any wave motion and the rubber stopper is not attached with any lanyard and has the potential to get lost. Maas does offer two different size skegs for the Aero. We liked the large aluminum one for rough water.
      Made of carbon-reinforced fiberglass on a foam core, the Aero has a 4-6 mil gel coat. Although surprisingly strong, the boat is not designed to be landed on the beach, let alone a rocky shore, much preferring a carry into the water or a launch from a dock. Our thumb pressure test revealed no flex in the hull except at the extreme ends and, surprisingly, a small area under the seat at the catch position. While considerably more delicate that her cousin the Alden Single, the Star with her flat bottom can be beached.

THE ALDEN STAR

Almost the same size as the Aero but with a very different shape is the Alden Star. Designed by Arthur Martin’s son Douglas, the Star is flat-bottomed, like her cousin the Alden Single. The Star, however, has no cockpit, and is billed as an open-water racer. One owner who owns both the Single and the Star says, "I go into the Star when it gets rough. With no cockpit, it feels safer in big waves." Safe is a relative term; the Star is a serious racing shell and requires skill to keep upright in big waves. Although her footwell is too small for carrying much, the Star does have two watertight hatches into the hull, both reachable from the rowing position, in which small items could be kept dry, as well as a shock-corded cargo area forward. With her reverse transom and simple deck lines, the Star is a good looking and capable boat.

Cockpit of the Alden Star. The rigger is easily removed for transportation. The two hatches can be
reached while underway. One difficulty; "track bite" caused by the calves rubbing on the after
ends of the seat track when the legs are extended.  Right, luggage compartment on the Star.

      Constructed of fiberglass, with a glassed internal keel, the Star has a 10-12 mil gel coat. Her bottom is stiff to the touch, but here sides flex easily except for a few feet amidships. With her flat bottom and a short skeg, she can be beached gently without worrying about damage, and she has the internal strength to span waves without damage.

THE PIENERT DOLPHIN

At the top end for speed among the boats we tested was the Pienert Dolphin. Quite naturally this was the favorite of our experienced sculler and the nemesis of our fixed-seaters, one of whom capsized her through momentary inattention. She was introduced in 1996 and designed by John Peinert, former head coach of the Williams College crew, who had been building competitive shells since 1976. With her narrow waterline and 24’length, she handles much like a flat-water racer, but her high gunwales and splashboard (the only boat to have one) mark her as a serious open-water boat. 100% kevlar and carbon, with a miniature I-beam as an internal keel, make this boat as light as the four-foot-shorter Aero. Although her hull flexes slightly all along the topsides, there is no flex at the centerline except at the extreme ends.

Dolphin cockpit. Note single foot strap running to jam cleat near rower. The seat rails, shown here
fully aft, can be repositioned forward for very tall rowers. The riggers are easily removed by
unscrewing the U-bolts and single bolts (outboard of compass).

      Our testers found that the Dolphin, was more directionally stable than the other boats, skewing around less during the row due to the deeper, narrower shape keeping her more in line. An interesting enigma: while our fixed-seat rowers found the Aero much more stable than the Dolphin (feeling no doubt her wider beam and slightly flatter bottom), our sculler, presumably relying on his hands for boat trim, found the Peinert easier to balance.
      With adjustable slides, the Dolphin can accommodate taller rowers than the other boats, although 6’2" was the tallest of our testers. It has two deck access hatches, both accessible to the rower. The boat we tested had an interesting single-piece foot strap, designed to be tightened using one hand without leaning to touch the feet. This option may be good for a beginner, but our testers preferred the tighter double straps or the typical nailed shoe, both available from Peinert.

THE ADIRONDACK SERIES GUIDEBOAT

Very different in looks is the Adirondack Series Guideboat from Adirondack Rowing. Designed by Lewis Grant in the last century, she is pure guideboat, the light, fast and seaworthy design that has lasted intact for a century on the gusty lakes of northern New York. This boat looks very traditional, until you notice her speed. With a Piantedosi sliding-seat unit in our test boat, she was able to move past the Alden Single and almost keep up with the Aero in flat conditions.

The Adirondack Series Guideboat interior is clean but very open. For serious
open-water passage-making, some additional flotation would be needed. Note
alternative position for drop-in unit, stringers for  thwart.

      Although we didn’t have the conditions to confirm this, it would not surprise us to find that the heavier the seas, the faster she goes relative to any of the other boats. This is because, as the conditions deteriorate when you are rowing a low sliding-seat, it becomes harder and harder to "put the power in." More of the oars’ force and the rower’s concentration are used to keep the boat upright. To catch and release cleanly becomes a challenge, particularly as you are reluctant to carry the stroke to a normal release point. It is not uncommon to see an open-water sculler in heavy conditions come to a virtual stop, taking short strokes to keep the boat upright. With the added stability and height of the guideboat (or any traditional seaworthy hull), it becomes easier to use the oars for propulsion, not just balance.
      The guideboat we tested was very simple but elegant with wood trim, a good-looking spaced inwale, and a rattan seat in the stern for a passenger or paddler. There were dual positions for the drop-in unit, to balance the boat for solo or passenger loadings. Care should be taken to be sure that these positions are correct; our test boat trimmed down by the stern as a single. At 51 lbs. (70 lbs. With the sliding-seat unit), it was the heaviest of the boats we tested, but still very light for a 15-foot boat. The hull is portable on one shoulder by anyone strong enough to row it well.
      Her underbody is typical of a guideboat, slight deadrise amidships increasing rapidly to fine ends. At 26", her waterline beam is only 3" more than the Alden’s, while her wetted surface, thanks to her more rounded shape, may be less. The fiberglass hull is firm throughout, except for a slight softness either side of the keel, and she is a sturdy enough for a beach boat.

WHICH BOAT?

For rowers wishing to get into sliding-seat open-water rowing, where would you start? That depends on where you want to end up. Some rowers like to cruise, explore, gunkhole, go ashore. If that’s where your boating takes you, you’ll probably be happy with one of the more rugged boats reviewed here, the Alden or the guideboat. Both can be beached; in neither are you likely to find yourself caught in weather you can’t survive; and if you’re careful, you can take your hands off the oars to fish, pet the dog, even perform primitive bodily functions.
      If, on the other hand, you see yourself skimming the water at high speed, handling light chop with ease; if you see yourself racing seriously, perhaps occasionally in flatwater races; and if pure technique and maximum power feel good to you, then you will want the Star, Aero or Dolphin. For beginning scullers there may be a temptation to start with a more stable boat and then change to a faster one when you get the hang of it, but Chuck Peiper, our Masters sculler, feels "the faster boats are stable enough so you can, in fact, skip the shorter boats. It will feel challenging at first, but in thirty days you will have mastered it, and you won’t have needed time in a shorter boat."
      The Maas Aero and the Alden Star lie in between the challenging Peinert Dolphin and the Alden Single – excellent compromises between speed and ruggedness. More stable and seaworthy than the Peinert, they are designed to go through surprisingly tough conditions and can be more fun if wave play is your thing. (Compared to the Alden and guideboat, you could nevertheless find yourself quickly challenged if the wind blows up.) Quicker and more exciting than the Alden Single or guideboat, they won’t carry much gear nor let you go ashore on a rocky beach.
      If rowing has a social aspect for you, you might consider the Aero or Alden, both of which have large user groups, organizing races and get-togethers, with the Aeros mostly on the West Coast and the Aldens mostly in the East.
      Finally, if price matters, all the boats are within a surprising $1,000 of each other. The Peinert is at the top, as one might expect of a kevlar-carbon boat. $2,900 will buy you a Dolphin, with a bailer $100 extra. Other options are available. The Aero and Star are the same: $2,425 for the Aero, plus $75 for a bailer, and $2,450 for the Star, plus $59 for a bailer. The Adirondack Series Guideboat costs $1,795, plus an additional $495 for a fitted Piantedosi drop-in sliding-seat unit. And the Alden Single costs $1,850 including the Oarmaster drop-in slider; a large bailer is $79 extra.

The Manufacturers

The Dolphin is made by Peinert Boat Works in Mattapoisett, MA (508) 758-3020. The Alden Single and Alden Star come from Alden Ocean Shells in Eliot, ME (800) 477-1507. Maas Rowing Shells makes the Maas Aero in Richmond, CA (510) 232-1612. And the Adirondack Series Guideboat is made by Adirondack Rowing, Queensbury, NY (518) 745-7699. The first three firms have North American dealer networks; you can obtain the name of a dealer near you directly from the manufacturer. Working with a dealer is particularly rewarding if you are a novice sculler; as many dealers operate their own rowing clinics.

Adirondack Rowing is a dealership for a variety of boats, including Maas and Alden. If you can visit their facility near Albany, you will be able to examine four of the five boats reviewed here, as well as take a lesson at one of the more active sculling clinics.

Visit Open-Water Rowing's web site for more articles and information about rowing.