Whitehall Newsletter November 2011 By Harold Aune

Thanksgiving here in Canada has passed, but for you neighbors south of us it is coming right up. This means we still have time to once again say “Thanks” to you who’ve ordered boats whether this year or in years past.

We appreciate you all immensely because you are not afraid to:

stand out from the crowd
buy quality goods that have true value
cherish old world design with modern form and function
care about your environment (whether you know it or not!)
make your own life way better by keeping fit, active with less stress.
create beautiful memories for yourself and others.
defy aging by staying physically and mentally fit
be a part of the “Quiet Revolution”

Whitehall Spirit® boats inspire their owners to enjoy life fully and I don’t really have to say much more especially after the letter that came in a couple of days back from Jim Light who wrote:
“ I am so grateful for my Whitehall Spirit…it has changed my life. Perhaps you could use the testimonial I've written below. It may be too long winded. At any rate, I wanted you and those in your company to understand what a great product they produce and how it has affected at least one customer's life.”

The Ocean Is My Treadmill

On July 11th, my Whitehall Spirit 17 arrived with teak floor and three sets of spoon oars. I had worked out on rowing machines and even bought myself a Water Rower, but I never stuck with it. Too boring, and I never got a good workout because I’d watch TV to pass the time. As we unloaded the boat at the boat hoist, a small crowd gathered round to admire her fine lines and quality woodwork. There was no other boat like it in Redondo Beach’s King Harbor.

My daughter and I rowed her to the slip, about 7/10ths of a mile away. I was 206 pounds, 52 years old and had never rowed a real boat any appreciable distance. I was winded and already started my first blisters from this short row. I was worried I had made a big mistake as we slid her up on the floating dock that we had built the week before in our tiny slip.

The next day, I took her out. My goal was to row from my slip, which is about as deep into harbor as you can get, to the harbor mouth and back. The round trip would be about 1.4 nautical miles. I thought if the conditions were nice (and I wasn’t totally exhausted) I might try the Whitehall out on the open Pacific waters. I got into the rhythm of fixed seat rowing and before I knew it, I was at the harbor mouth. There was a 10 knot West wind with about a 2 foot chop. I was feeling strong so I decided to giver her a try outside the breakwater.

I felt like a total klutz. Oars catching the chop as the boat rocked with the chop. But I persevered and sort of got the hang of it. According to my GPS, I slowed way down, but I got into a rhythm and actually enjoyed it. That first trip was an hour round trip.

To my surprise, on about my third outing, my daughter Alli actually took me up on my offer to row with me. On her first row, I made sure we passed by an abandoned bait platform anchored in the harbor, so she could get a close-up of the seals that have claimed it. She loved it. Alli rowed the whole way and was my companion for the rest of July, before she returned back to Florida State. We bonded, as we never had in the past.

I was rowing six days a week. An hour was getting too easy so I started increasing my rowing, from an hour to an hour and a half and on weekends, two hours. And amazingly, pounds started peeling off. About midway through August, I retrofitted the Whitehall with a single slide seat unit and outriggers from Whitehall Rowing to the boat. I had to relearn to row, but the learning curve, even feathering the oars, was fairly steep. The workout now used almost every muscle in my body. And my weight loss accelerated.

I’m now into my fourth month. I’ve rowed just under 400 nautical miles since July 11th. And I’ve lost 32 pounds. I am now lighter than I was when I got out of the Air Force in 1994. In fact, I am lighter than when I returned from a two year assignment in Canada in 1989. My blood pressure is down. I’ve lost five inches off my waist. My face has thinned out. I feel great. But my clothes hang off me like a scarecrow. Probably time to invest in a wardrobe update.

The amazing thing is, rowing rarely felt like work. I love the ocean...and being out on it everyday after work was very cathartic. And, I’ve enjoyed magic moments with ocean life. Seals always seem to pop up in my wake to check me and boat out. I’ve had dolphins surrounding the boat, keeping me company. One time, I saw a mother dolphin corral her baby out of the range of the oar. I saw a mola-mola - the strangest fish in the sea. And on one fine morning, I heard a big “whoosh” behind me (in front of the boat). When I turned around I was greeted by a huge blue whale just 30 feet off the bow. I’ve seen dozens of whales now. A few days ago, I had Minke whales feeding all around me. Surfacing with their baleen exposed, swimming sideways to filter out the krill (I guess) and then sinking back out of sight. Two of them swam right under the boat, which was a little scary. I’ve seen beautiful sunsets and even one “green flash”. Yes, they are real....

The weather wasn’t always great. Most evenings, the winds were 10 to 15 knots with the fully developed chop interacting with the swell. Although I’ve had green water over the bow and gunnels, the boat took the conditions well. The chop and wind made rowing harder, but they also kept rowing from getting dull. Actually, surfing back in on the chop and swell is a blast. Other than the time the whales were feeding, I’ve never felt at risk.

I honestly believe my Whitehall Spirit 17 saved my life. I feel like a new man. Thanks to Whitehall Rowing & Sail for putting out a great workout machine that looks beautiful and makes working out an adventure. And I now have a shared interest in common with my daughter. I have to figure out what to do now that we’ve moved the clock back. It gets too dark, too early. Guess I’ll have to dust off the Water Rower...but it just won’t be the same.

Jim Light, Redondo Beach, California

Note: Jim’s Whitehall Spirit® 17 carries the name “American Star” after the Whitehall “American Star”, manned by four New York watermen, which defeated the rowboat “Dart” off the British warship “Hussar”. They raced for four miles, from the Battery flagstaff to Hoboken Point and back for a $1,000 prize before 50,000 spectators on December 9, 1824. ‘American Star” was then presented as a gift to the Marquis de Lafayette on his farewell visit to New York the following year.

A Small Selection of Whitehall Spirit® Boat Gear

Here is a collection of items that have proven popular to boat owners over the past year. More boat gear can be seen at http://whitehallrow.com/accessories/accessoriesindex.php and at http://www.whitehallspirit.com/accessories/boat-handling

If you are ordering one or more items to get the best possible service we recommend that you send an email to sales@whitehallrow.com or call us here at the office between 9:30am and 4:30 pm PDT at 1 800 663 7481 from anywhere in North America and at 00+1 250 361 2628 from elsewhere in the world. Note: weekdays only. Please leave a message anytime.

Removable Gear Mount Bases

These were without any doubt the most popular item with boat owners over the past year. Gear mounts are suited for a variety of attachments including the forward facing rowing mirrors, fishing rod holders, crab trap haulers, cup holders, and lake fishing downriggers and stern light holders. All of these items can be easily installed or removed on these gear mount bases, as will the bases themselves. As many mounts as needed may be used at once

The Solo 14 and the Tango 17 Gear Mounts See online at Gear Mounts

Specifically designed for these models whether it’s the gunnel gear mount base or a transom gear mount base. The gunnel gear base clamps around the gunnel and can be placed where needed. This built-to-last forever item is fabricated in our shop out of Starboard® polymer and stainless steel. It will accept any of the gear options shown. To prevent loss overboard when installing or removing there is a lanyard included that simply loops over a cleat.

The transom gear mount clamps on through the transom eye and is ideal for mounting a stern light or a rowing mirror. The transoms on the Classics and Solo/Tango models have different length clamping bolts so be sure to specify which boat model you have.

The Whitehall Spirit® Classic Gear Mounts See Online at Classic Gear Mounts

Classics utilize gunnel mounted gear bases that can be positioned by slotting them into the space between the teak gunnel blocks and securing in place with a brass pin.

The Classic model transom gear mount clamps on through the transom eye and is ideal for mounting a stern light or a rowing mirror.

Forward Facing Rowing Mirror

This is perhaps our most popular accessory. It is possible to see a large expanse ahead of the boat while rowing. The black nylon extension arm easily removes from the gunnel gear mount with a twist of the wrist or on the transom mount by the push of a button. This mirror and extension will fit any of the gear mount bases. (shown here in a Solo 14 .transom gear mount, it will fit all gear mounts shown

Transom Mounted Stern Light

Even though the legal requirements for a rowing craft in most areas requires only that a flashlight be carried and used as a signaling device, a stern light plus red and green bow lights are essential if one is out at night in an area where there is boat traffic present. The stern light will mount on any of the gear mounts that are available.

Classic Rod Holder

A rod holder makes it easy to troll while you row quietly along. With two rod holders you can troll with two rods at once, one out on either side. Catch some fish while you get fit while also breathing fresh clean air and no noisy stinky and expensive outboard motor. The rod holder will mount on any of the gear mounts that are available.

Drink Holder

You don’t have to risk spilling your drink all over the boat with handy drink holder just within arms reach. All of the gear base attachments are interchangeable.

Crab Trap Hauler

This handy item definitely makes heaving up the old crabtrap a little easier by providing an easier direction to pull on the line. Save your muscles for rowing!

Teak Gunnels Strap Protector (not yet online –call or email)

This handy item protects the gunnel from being chafed by the hold down strap while trailering. If you plan to do a lot of trailering with your classic Whitehall Spirit® this is a great investment that will prevent chafing the teak.

UV Proof Polymer Footstop (not yet online –call or email)

The exotic marine ply slide seat rowing footstops we’ve been supplying are pretty for the first few years but eventually the finish fades and they need some TLC. This black polymer footstop is UV proof and never needs refinishing. The Velcro strap is positioned a little lower as well, for a slightly better purchase on your rowing shoes.

Cover Battens and Batten Ends

See online at Cover Battens These bendy cover battens are made from indestructible lexan and the ends are milled from Starboard® polymer making them a lifetime investment (provided you don’t drop them overboard).

Mooring Cover Hold Down

(not yet online –call or email) This handy item is used to keep the Sunbrella® Boat cover nice and tight while your boat is tied off to a mooring. The cover can be fastened to the clip on the gunnel mounted fitting and located high enough to be clear of the water. You need as many as there are tabs on your boat cover.

As mentioned above if you are ordering one or more items to get the best possible service we recommend that you send an email to sales@whitehallrow.com or call us here at the office between 9:30am and 4:30 pm PDT - 1 800 663 7481 from anywhere in North America and at 00+1 250 361 2628 from elsewhere in the world.
Note: weekdays only. Please leave a message anytime.

Call us here at Whitehall Rowing & Sail and we would love to assist in any way to help you enjoy your boat more or get into one of your own. NA 1 800 663 7481 or 250 361 2628 or info@whitehallrow.com