Books
Rip, Strip, & Row!: A Builder's Guide to the Cosine Wherry
by Brown, Pickett, & Hartsock
"The Cosine Wherry is a wonderfully shapely boat with a lot of stability. This usually means it rows like a dog. Not this boat!" says Dick Wagner, director of the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle. "She responds instantly to a light pull on the oars...she is a fine all purpose rowing boat that can be handled by anyone, pack a lot of weight, and safely take some gusty weather."
The Cosine Wherry is a lightweight (under 100 lbs.), 14'2" boat with an ideal load capacity of almost 500 pounds. It can accommodate one or two rowers and if, desired, a small motor. It's great for fishing, picnicking, exercising and family outings.
The boat is made of wood-strip and fiberglass laminate. The building technique requires no sophisticated tools or materials and no woodworking experience. The result is a handmade boat with sleek lines, the warm glow of natural wood, and a clear fiberglass coating which will reduce yearly maintenance to almost zero.
The book includes full size plans and many photos and drawings. The text is written in easy to understand, non-technical language to make building the Cosine Wherry easy for anyone.
About the Authors
Bob Pickett has been making boat building easy for amateurs since 1972, when he and his wife Erica, founded Flounder Bay Boat Lumber in Anacortes, Washington. Since then they've been providing sound advice on boat building as well as wood, custom milling, and boat building supplies to building enthusiasts. Visit Flounder Bay Boat Lumber online.
J.D. Brown is author of Digging to China (Soho Press, 1991). He writes about travel and the outdoors for American Health, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal Guides to Business Travel. In 1984, he was a visiting professor at a medical college in China and continues to travel frequently throughout Asia.
John Hartsock is a consulting engineer based in the Northwest. An avid rower and author, he has created a series of computer assisted boat designs. He builds the boats he designs and tests them himself on the lakes, rivers, and harbors around Puget Sound. The 14-foot Cosine Wherry is his most advanced and popular design.
