Rowing boats: how to choose and buy on a good offer
The material decides everything
A rowing boat, unlike a motorboat, moves only on oars, so weight, stability and comfort in rowing matter. A wooden boat is beautiful and quiet, but needs care and drying. An aluminium one is light and strong, but noisier on the water. A plastic (polyethylene) one hardly fears knocks, and a fibreglass one glides well, but is harder to repair. PVC boats are easy to carry, but less resistant to cuts.
How to buy through BlaBlaPrice
You describe the boat you need once, instead of scrolling through listings and writing to ten sellers. Before it is shown, the request is checked, and you are told what is missing. Shops, craftsmen and private owners reply: what they offer, price, photos, delivery. They see where their offer ranks and compete. Your phone number is hidden. Details are on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- Hull material — wood, aluminium, plastic, fibreglass or PVC.
- Length — in metres; for a lake or river 2.5–3.5 m is usually enough.
- Capacity — how many people and what load.
- Purpose — fishing, leisure or hunting.
- Condition — new or used.
- Kit — oars, rowlocks, a transom for a motor, a trailer.
- Model, if you have already chosen.
- City and delivery, and a budget if you want to state it.
Example: “I am looking for a used plastic rowing boat for fishing on a lake, 3 m long, for two people, with oars and rowlocks, no cracks and with an even bottom. Jurong West, self-collection. Budget up to $240.”
How to inspect and compare
On a wooden boat check the seams, ribs and planking: rot and cracks usually hide near the transom and on the bottom. On an aluminium one look at the rivets and dents, on a plastic one at deep scratches and deformation of the hull. A PVC boat must be inflated and left for a while: that shows slow air loss. Ask for photos of the bottom and the stern, and for the weight, because it decides how you will carry and launch the boat.
When you compare offers, check the kit: oars, seats, rowlocks and a trailer may be separate. Two similar prices with different kits mean a different real cost. Ask about delivery too: a long boat does not always fit in a car.
Storage and transport
Think about storage and transport. A wooden boat is better kept under a shelter, upside down, so that water does not collect. A plastic one does not like long direct sun. For transport you will need a roof rack or a trailer, and strong straps.
Common mistakes
Taking a boat that is too big to carry and row. Not counting the load with people, gear and the catch. Buying without inspecting the bottom. Not asking whether a motor can be fitted: some boats have no transom at all. If you do want a motor, look at motorboats. For portable options, inflatable PVC boats will do. For other water options, see the “Boats and watercraft” section.
