Breaking down the engineering of Katie Spotz’s rowboat

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Lots of folks are following Warren Wilson College graduate Katie Spotz’s attempt to row a boat – alone – across the Atlantic. She’s making great progress so far. (The Mountain Xpress has been closely following her.) 

Popular Mechanics recently published a really nice break-down of the engineering of the boat. The thought and design work that went into building Spotz’s boat is truly amazing. Here’s a sample below. Click here to check out the full Popular Mechanics story, which has a schematic and an audio recording of a satellite phone interview with Spotz.

A. Shape

Boat design requires finding the perfect compromise, says Phil Morrison, who drew the plans for Spotz’s 19-foot vessel. “The boat is relatively long and slender, making it easier to row,” Morrison says. “But if you make it too slender, it becomes unstable.” Unlike traditional rowboats, the craft has two watertight cabins—one for sleeping, the other for gear and food—that shield Spotz from wind as she rows. 

B. Food and Water

A 100-pound tank of salt water supplies the 6 liters of drinking water Spotz needs every day. A hose connects the tank—which can be replenished by opening a valve in the footwell—to a desalination machine that can produce 6 gallons of fresh water an hour. But because the machine uses a lot of electricity and is prone to failure, Spotz will run it for only 20 minutes every other day. She’ll eat 5000 calories of dehydrated food, energy bars and trail mix daily. 

Thanks to loyal reader Ben for pointing me to this.