Does "Advance U.S.A." still exist? Do they still make 1x shells?

[Tim Marcovy]

An acquaintance of mine recently bought a house and found a rowing
shell in the basement. It is a fiberglas recreational or training
wherry, with the words "Boston" and "Advance U.S.A." on the hull.
Some research reveals that a company called Advance U.S.A.
manufactured shells in East Haddam, Ct. in the late '80s and early
'90s, and then may have moved to Delaware. Does anyone know if the
company still exists? Can parts still be obtained for these shells
(needs a seat and riggers). Any assistance will be greatly
appreciated.

[Roger]

I believe they stopped making boats in the late 90s. A seat should be
pretty easy to get, you'll need the distance between the runner
centres, the rigger was a little unusual and unless you get lucky by
finding a damaged boat will be difficult to find.

Roger
www.virginiarowing.com

[ATP]

"Roger" <edonr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:e687d082-8c38-4def...@k20g2000pro.googlegroups.com...

Roger
www.virginiarowing.com

Latanzo has a lot of parts at reasonable prices, and may have made the OEM
parts:

http://latanzorowingparts.com/

Email him about the riggers

[calre...@gmail.com]

I found your query on YouTube. I own a Boston 1 person sculling boat and also would like to know about the company that manufactured the shell and how to repair a crack in the material of the outer shell. Wondering if you were successful in locating any further information on this.

Thanks,

Calvin Reistad

[johnf...@gmail.com]

I believe that the Bostons were designed by the late Britton ("Britt") Chance, Jr., a naval architect who designed sailboats (including America's Cup competitors), taught naval architecture seminars at Yale, and more recently designed shells for Hudson. I don't know anything about the Advance company but I don't believe the shells are made any more. I hear that Blood Street Sculls in Old Lyme has some Bostons which they use in their learn-to-row courses.

Unless you are skilled in working with resin materials and have the time, why not look for a business that specializes in repairing rowing shells? Googling "rowing shell repair" pulled up quite a few locations in the US.

[betsy...@gmail.com]

I've inherited a single manufactured by Advance USA, model The Boston. Seems to be in fine shape but the skeg has been lost along the way. Anyone looking to sell parts or have suggestions on how to find a replacement?

[jamesat...@gmail.com]

i

[jamesat...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 12:39:49 PM UTC-4, Tim Marcovy wrote:

I need a replacement skeg also. Does anyone have one I can purchase?
Jim Atkins 703 447 2302

[bnw...@gmail.com]

I would check with Latanzo rowing in Phila...http://latanzorowingparts.com/

[tearj...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 12:39:49 PM UTC-4, Tim Marcovy wrote:

[bnw...@gmail.com]

FWIW, I purchased a recreational shell recently with a broken/missing skeg. I made one out of polycarbonate, as I had some sitting around (and wanted to get some strokes in asap), basing its shape on a skeg from another similar shell. Cut away the caulk, removed the remaining "root" of the skeg, cleaned out the groove and siliconed in my homemade version. Took me maybe 10 minutes to fab the skeg with a bandsaw, and then sanded a taper to the leading edge. I also drilled a couple of holes in the portion within the slot so the caulk might actually grip it a little better...Survived at least dozen dock launchings so far...I also picked up a piece of 1/8" Kydex, a flexible nylon to make future skegs, should this fail (polycarbonate might be a little brittle), but so far, so good

[donald....@gmail.com]

I fashioned a skeg from 1/2 inch mahogany shaped to a streamline.. I used flat head stainless screws spaced to fit the slots in the skeg receptacle. It has been fine for several years. I fixed a hull crack with 2 part white epoxy cement and it has held up well.

[mark.a...@gmail.com]

Roger, any way to tell what weight one of their shells was designed for? We found one in the basement of a lake house.

[Roger Slaymaker]

I don't know but recreational shells generally are designed "open" weight so probably up to at least 220lbs

Roger