Terhi Boats

Terhi is a Finnish Company that specializes in the construction of a stylish small boat made from ABS Thermo-Plastic. There are several models, from dinghies to row boats to larger power boats. The More Fun looks like the perfect yacht tender while the Saiman displays its strong Nordic fishing heritage. Traditionalists will scoff at the white, hard plastic, the detailed striping and the Goofy model names, but I think there are a lot of people like me who will see the boat as a way to spend more time on the water and less time pushing around a sheet of sand paper.

The ROCAT

I've been looking for a serious row boat for some time and although this is interesting it's not exactly what I had in mind. The Rocat, as it's called, is a high tech rowing shell that clearly offers great stability, great speed with less effort and probably very satisfactory rough water handling capabilities, judging by the videos and testimonials on the builders'/designers' website. For people who want to just row and get excersize it seems like a hot ticket. But people who want an all around row boat to use as a tender or service craft will find this type of boat pretty frustrating. How would you enter and exit or load and unload the boat from the dock or another boat? Not easily. And if you want to keep your boat tied up at a marina's dinghy dock you better plan on paying extra for a slip. It's a great idea, and probably a great performer but it's not for everyone. You'll find more info here.

30' Hawser Handling Boat

Bob Wakefield of Southern Maine bought a Navy 30' Hawser Handling Boat in Florida. He wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do with it but he liked the lines and decided to embark on a complete reconstruction. The boat was sanded and faired. A plank sealing was laid. Teak hatches were installed. A raw water cooled 135 hp Perkins Model # 6-354 took the place of the original 100 hp Gray Marine. Here's some of Bob's handiwork:

The boat, in its Navy configuration, and working as a personnel vessel, was certified for 23 men, including crew. Most of the time the boat was used as a line tug for tending and handling hawsers for submarines.


It had an 80 gallon fuel tank and a top or working speed of 8 knots. There is a short keel with a shaft and strut drive arrangement and spade rudder. Shaft has a 1-1/2" bore. The top of the rudder post is fitted with a yoke for an emergency tiller.

Bob, who is now moving, has decided to sell the boat. If you are interested, send me your email address or contact info by sending me a comment below. I'll forward your contact info to Bob.

If you know the boat and/or served on one, please let us know.