The importance of broad bilges amidships

My own solution is always go out rowing with a lady carrying a parasol. Also have oars in rowlocks, not a paddle. And the rowboat needs to be relatively straight in bird’s eye view, narrowing at the ends. 

Now, hull profile, seen from the ends, should use chines, not a moulded shape. Clinker is ok but eventually leaks. So … shallow fore and aft skeg, from there upwards the V shape, straight sides slightly wider top than at the chine, then tumblehome.

Tumblehome is where, a fair way above the waterline, there’s another fore and aft chine and the panel above points into the boat more (the gunwhales are a little bit inboard). If the boat does tip a fair way, the gunwhale then stays out of the water, not scooping the river inside. This is good for using paddles or oars. Also good for grasping the sides when carrying the boat up the bank on land.

Other than that … fine.