See the New Solo 14 video

Newsletter August 09   By Harold Aune VP

I talk almost daily to a lot of Whitehall Spirit® rowers and sailors as well as dozens of other business related persons, and I have noticed that they are by far the happiest people, even during this current period of economic concern. We talk about getting out on the water and entering a space of being fully in the present. Calm, happy even. These folks row or sail many miles almost every week and love it. I myself spend less time out in a Whitehall than most; only about a couple of hours a week and I love it too. We talk about how it keeps us fit and in a more relaxed mental state the rest of the week. It’s definitely one of the perks of my job.

Many people ask how the business is doing. Well, it’s moving steadily along. The classic sales are about the same as last year with the Whitehall Spirit® 17 Expedition model being the top boat of the Classic line.

With great endorsements from Olympians Adam Kreek and John Sayre the Solo 14 is gradually gaining the respect of the shell rowing community. Regular folks and long time shell rowers alike are ordering boats for themselves and their families to enjoy.

We have found a better way to explain the role of the Solo 14 and it goes like this. A racing shell is designed primarily for competitive rowing and requires flat water. It’s like a racing bicycle needing a smooth race course. An Open water shell is like a street bike and it can handle rough roads but requires relatively smooth going as well. The Solo 14 however, is like a Mountain bike. It’s capable of handling off-road conditions and quite extreme going. And like a mountain bike it still has a fair bit of speed, works great on flat water and opens up almost all of the waters of the planet whether lakes rivers or oceans, to go rowing on. As owners of the teak and fiberglass Whitehall Spirit® classic boats we have built for over twenty-four years know, their boats are even more rugged and are the original “Mountain Bikes of the Sea”.

Here’s a sampling of owners reports that have come in over the last few days.

Rune Selmar rows 240k from Søgne to Sandefjord in Norway

Hello to you all at Whitehall,

Please find enclosed some pictures from my rowing trip this summer. I went for a five day rowing trip from Søgne, located between Kristiansand S and Mandal in southern Norway to Sandefjord, about 240 kilometers north east of Søgne. The Solo 14 worked perfectly.

Best regards,  Rune Selmar

James Dick out sailing in “Katie Rose”

Marie and I were motoring along aboard our sailboat “Physis” off Victoria near Trial Island when we saw a Whitehall sailing in the distance.  I grabbed my camera and got these cool shots of James Dick out sailing “Katie Rose”, his Whitehall Spirit® 14. James sails often in Enterprise Channel where strong tidal currents, standing waves, and a good breeze make for challenging sailing. He sent along the note below. I’m looking forward to seeing his new spinnaker in action.

Ahoy Harold & Marie

Great to see you guys on the water today. I would have stopped for a chat but was 100% focused on keeping the water from coming over the side!
I ended up taking a coffee break on little Trial for a couple of hours waiting for the wind to swing around a bit. I blasted through Enterprise channel at about 3 pm. I hug the end of Trial island in the back eddy then wait for a good gust and slam the Katie Rose into the Tidal River… Sheets as tight as one arm can pull, zero freeboard & laying as far out the port side as possible. Dodge the kelp bed, keep ahead of the standing wave, home free. The new Genoa really makes the Katie Rose so much more fun & the spinnaker is just outrageous.

James

David Zaharik on Rowing and Towing his Solo 14

Dave is an airline pilot who has had a Solo 14 for a couple of years and rows regularly for fitness and fun. 

Hi Guys,
Having waited over five months to commission my new sailboat, it was with great anticipation that I embarked on a 10-day sailing journey through our coast. I had to admit I had some apprehension in towing the Solo for I had never towed it before and certainly did not wish to complicate any of my travels with concerns of damaging either vessel.
 In a nut shell (or perhaps a rowing shell) the Solo 14 towed like a dream! In windless flat seas to 12-foot swells and 30 knots of wind, the Solo tracked absolutely beautifully and never once showed any signs of being swamped or over running the mother vessel! Again I have to admit that when the wind and the waves kicked up … and they did… the Solo maintained her tack and let me concentrate on reefing and navigating.
 Attached are some pictures of the Solo. I used a single line attached to another single line looped through the Solo’s bow eye and attached with a snap shackle. Very simple and very straight forward.
 The best part of towing the Solo was having her with me to row every morning. What a wonderful way to spend time while cruising… I rowed so much I ended up with blisters on my hands and bruises on my bum! THAT is a lot of rowing!
Oh ya… and comments?? Everywhere I went people came over to look at and make comments about the beautiful tender I had.
 Dave

Note: Boat Prices are going up in September! Order Now!

Building an ultra quality product that is fairly priced is one of our strengths. We do our best to keep pricing reigned in, however 2009 has seen increasing costs beyond our control. Bloody governments!

Expect to see increased prices this fall, though our US customers will be pleased to know that their dollar has remained stable at ten cents above the Canadian dollar over the past six months.

Give us a call soon if you or someone you know plans on ordering that boat, because placing your order now before the price increase will save you some money and secure your spot on the delivery schedule, whether it’s for a fall or next spring delivery.  Our ultra-quality built boats last generations and are a lasting investment with health benefits!  Call us to go over the details. 

Rowing Mirror and Gunnel Gear mounts for the Classics

We had such a great feedback on the new gear mounts for the Solo 14 that we put our heads together and developed a strong and simple gear mount for use on the Whitehall Spirit® Classic models. The gear mounts can be used for mounting a Rowing Mirror, Rod Holder, Drink Holder or a Trap Hauler Arm as shown below.   To order one for your classic model go to:

http://whitehallrow.com/accessories/fishing_rowboat_accessories.php