# Where can you get a rowboat these days?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 4, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858 "2005-06-04T08:29:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/1 "2005-06-04T08:29:45Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/2 "2005-06-04T10:56:02Z")
[Something like this?](http://gregboats.com/newboat/index.html)
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/3 "2005-06-04T11:03:07Z")
Other things to search for are “rowing dinghy”, “skiff” and “dory” - those all describe more-or-less the kind of boat you mean.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/4 "2005-06-04T11:26:59Z")
Perhaps he means a punt?
[http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/pics/for%20sale/largepics/DavidsPunt2.jpg](http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/pics/for%20sale/largepics/DavidsPunt2.jpg)
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/5 "2005-06-04T11:56:00Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#):
>
> Perhaps he means a punt?
>
> [http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/pics/for%20sale/largepics/DavidsPunt2.jpg](http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/pics/for%20sale/largepics/DavidsPunt2.jpg)
well, except for that outboard motor…
I was picturing him as meaning the _Wind in the Willows_ “messing about with boats” clinker-built kind.
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### Author:  [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/6 "2005-06-04T12:38:07Z")
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](http://jcm.boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBoatID=719460&TabID=94652&Alias=jcmau) for about $590 AUD.
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### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/7 "2005-06-04T16:43:50Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> I want to get an old fashioned, flat-bottomed, preferably wooden rowboat.
> They have kayaks and canoes everywhere, but damn if I’ve seen an actual rowboat in as long as I can remember.
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.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/8 "2005-06-04T16:50:25Z")
[I rather like this one](http://www.clcboats.com/boats/chesteryawl.php/cart_id=32fb35e1c0d186204627b9252627c3a0/).
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### Author:  [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/9 "2005-06-04T17:12:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> …Whats wrong with a little tinnie (aluminium runabout dinghy)? …
-
-
- 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_…
~
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### Author:  [@GillianBoardman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GillianBoardman)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/10 "2005-06-04T18:30:20Z")
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!
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-get-a-rowboat-these-days/306858/11 "2005-06-04T20:45:07Z")
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.