Where can you get a rowboat these days?

Factual Questions
1

I want to get an old fashioned, flat-bottomed, preferably wooden rowboat. Do they still make and sell those? I’ve been having a hell of a time finding them.

They have kayaks and canoes everywhere, but damn if I’ve seen an actual rowboat in as long as I can remember.

I mostly just want to be able to go out on the lake for a few hours, and be able to lay back and relax… and have the stability of a wide-bottomed boat, where you don’t have to remain upright the whole time, but damn if I can find anything.

2

Something like this?

3

Other things to search for are “rowing dinghy”, “skiff” and “dory” - those all describe more-or-less the kind of boat you mean.

4

Perhaps he means a punt?

http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/pics/for%20sale/largepics/DavidsPunt2.jpg

5

well, except for that outboard motor…

I was picturing him as meaning the Wind in the Willows “messing about with boats” clinker-built kind.

6

Whats wrong with a little tinnie (aluminium runabout dinghy)?

I just saw one on eBay for $700 AUD 3.4m with the trailer and oars…whats that…about $500USD. You can pick up a brand new 3.7m flat bottom tinnie for less than $2K. Much cheaper than the wood ones.

Or there is the little fibreglass dinhgy for about $590 AUD.

7

If you don’t see what you want, ask for it."

“Rental Row Boats” are available at many locations. Finding a location close to home may be a problem.
Call the state parks office, chambers of commerce, etc. etc. and good luck.

8

I rather like this one.

9
      • The sound is all wrong. It’s hard to explain but there’s something in the noise rowing a wooden boat makes; it’s part of the experience that people in metal boats simply miss entirely.
  • That said, while metal boats are asssembly-line items now, wooden boats are still a handmade-sort of thing. Expect to pay several times more for a wooden rowboat than a metal one of the same size, and learn how to take proper care of it…
    ~
10

I’m sure aluminum and fiberglass are very functional. Lightweight, durable, all that good stuff. But did you look at MrDibble’s link? The driftboat is a thing of beauty, and therefore, a joy forever!

11

The one in Johnny L.A.'s link is closest to what I was referring to.

Thanks for the alternate terms to use, though. I’ll search using those.