RowCruiser

This boat is available as CNC cut files and plans. Details>>

Discover its features below, read testimonials from people who have built it, and place your order for plans or a kit.

Read a feature article outlining the RowCruiser in Small Boats Magazine

Performance, Speed and a Cabin!

The RowCruiser offers comfortable sleeping accommodation for one person without sacrificing performance. This boat moves at about the same speed as a sea kayak, and will travel comfortably in rougher waters.

The RowCruiser makes multi-day excursions extremely simple; drop the anchor and retire into the comfortable cabin when you’re tired. The watertight design protects the occupant from the heaviest of wind and rain, while an over-sized hatch vent provides plenty of ventilation and keeps condensation at bay.

Read the review by Small Boats Magazine.

Better than Camping

For those serious about camping on the water, this setup is much better than a tent over an open boat. When the wind picks up, a tent quickly becomes a liability and is a recipe for a sleepless wet night. The RowCruiser, on the other hand, provides robust accommodation for all conditions. The work of constructing the cabin is also significantly less time consuming than creating a good custom tent. Many of the tent designs we've seen also require going ashore to setup. The RowCruiser cabin provides sheltered space to store gear, and most importantly', offers reserve buoyancy for extreme seaworthiness. One or two passengers can also be accommodated in the cabin for day trips.To read more about tents vs built in cuddy cabins, please visit an article we wrote on the subject.

Elegant Design

The boat is shaped to combine traditional elegance (including the perfect wineglass transom) with all the attributes required to maximize performance, seaworthiness and comfort. The hull is made from eight panels and the cockpit is shaped to accommodate a standard sliding seat rowing system. Click here to view linesplans.

We provide sliding-seat/rigger kits suitable for rowing the Cruising Rowboat. The vessel also works well with a fixed seat rowing system. Instructions/templates for installing the sliding seat system are provided within the Cruiser instructions.

Click here to read about our maiden voyage.

Click on the image below to view the RowCruiser Photo Gallery.

Kits are sold exclusively by our partner Small Craft Advisor, and can be purchased at smallcraftadvisor.com

To learn more about what RowCruiser enthusiasts are up to, please visit our Facebook RowCruiser Community page.

Specifications

Length Overall: 5.7 m (19')
Weight: 67.2 kg (148 lbs)
Waterline Length: 560 cm (18' 7 ")
Width: 112 cm (44")
Watertight compartments: 5
Sprint speed: 9-11 km/hr (6 knots)
Cruise Speed: 5-7 km/hr (4 knots)
Maximum recommended touring load: 400 kg (880 lbs)

RowCruiser Pricing

To purchase the RowCruiser plans or kit please click on the red link below.

Digital Plans & Manual $149 USD
Includes PDF files for the full-sized plans and manual that can be printed and DXF files that can be used to cut the plywood at a local CNC shop.

Plans & Manual - Full-Sized $189 USD
Includes full sized plans and manual. DXF files available for an extra $50.

Kits: Please Visit Duckworks

Kits for Customers Outside of North America: Please Read

Testimonials

Find out what other people have to say about their experience building the RowCruiser Rowboat.

I would be remiss if I did not reach out and extend my sincere appreciation once again for your support throughout the past year as my youngest son and I built our RowCruiser, the "Penguin Key". It exceeded all expectations during our maiden voyage over this Veterans Day weekend, and my youngest son and I look forward to getting it out on the water for years to come. Joseph S - Florida
I was expecting her to row a bit clunky. Not so! I built a CLC Expedition Wherry that I love and row a 10 mile loop in. I can't wait to row the RowCruiser on the same loop. She seems quicker.. more responsive, yet has much better initial stability. I'll let you know the results. Can't wait for a choppy day. The (CLC) Wherry is great but does weathercock. Can't wait to see how Glissade does. Thanks again for the project and the great boat. Gary N - Canada
I have enjoyed the rowcruiser immensely these past few months and have had the opportunity to test it out in a variety of conditions. It performs wonderfully. Last weekend my wife and I loaded it up with camping gear and headed off to an island just off the coast. We started early hoping that the wind would not have kicked in but it had. We had wind and swell on our beam but the rowcruiser remained stable, simply rising up and down with the swell and still making great headway. The weight of the gear and my wife was not a problem. I have a webpage that is a bit like a digital version of a scrapbook. It can be found at rowcruiser.strikingly.com. - Rohan P., Far North Queensland, Australia	Rohan's RowCruiser
I have a few details to still do but I got it on the water Sunday and it handled nicely. Both my hatches have a screen cover for ventilation when sleeping, haven't tried that out yet. I will be testing on Lake Erie and planning a trip down parts of the Ohio river over Labor day. Thanks for your help. - Karney G., Ohio	Karney's RowCruiser
I'm very happy with the boat kit, the parts fit like a glove and I've never enjoyed building anything as much as this boat! - Tom
Wow! Had the boat out on a friends pond last night and am so impressed. Even with heavy 10ft raft oars is was awesome. Really like the glide of the boat. Spent the night out in it. I could see pontoons being a nice touch for anchorages. - Carter W., Alaska	Carter's RowCruiser
I finished the boat, stored it in the barn and left on a bike tour of the Canadian Maritimes the next day. I plan to start rowing around the end of July.. I tentatively plan on being in Alaskan waters next summer with the boat. - Don P., New York	Don's RowCruiser