River Runner

Hi Chuck,

Attached are some photos of the River Runner 16ft. This is the lightweight version. John Cantwell, who I built the boat for, is taking it home now to do final finishing work and varnishing. We like the boat's looks and can't wait for the water to get soft enough to float so we can try her out.

(click images for larger view)

I have been looking for oarlock height info, e.g., relative to rower, etc. Jim Michalak doesn't think we will be able to row RR16 because I made the seats high, as he noticed from the photos. In fact, I have purposely done so, not caring for the 9" above bottom dimension of his seats per plan. I didn't do that either on both JonsBoats I built but made them 2 inches higher also. We aren't actually rowing a long flat course, but use the oars to maneuver, turn or position and slow down the boat when drifting down the river. The main interest I have in my boats are that they are specialized for fly fishing, particularly on rivers and moving water. I have outfitted or modified them as I see best for that objective. For example, on my boats you will not see any snag points, corners, cleats or other doo-dads that might catch a fly line or interfere with fly casting or line management. Boats for fly fishing should be clean and free of any obstructions.

Best,
Jim Hauer