THERESA, BELLA 5 X 10

My friend and I built matching row boats to Sam Devlin’s plans, originally called the 5X10, now called Bella. Nevin named his Theresa, mine is unnamed as yet. Despite the fact that Sam’s classes build these little rowers in a weekend, Nevin and I took five years to complete ours. True to his design, they row well, sit on their waterline, and are easy to transport. I carry mine in the back of a Ford Transit Connect.Each boat is built from a single sheet of 5′x10′ 8mm marine plywood, stitched, glued, and coated with fiberglass and epoxy on the outside with epoxied fiberglass taped seams on the inside. Although not designed for sail, I plan to fit mine with a leeboard, rudder, and removable mast step and give it a try. I suspect Sam’s reservations in this area may be due to that relative lack of flotation; it’s much harder to swamp a row boat than a sailboat.