Classic Whitehall Spirit® Minto 9’ Dinghy, Tender, Pond Boat

The Whitehall Spirit® Minto 9 is prized as a dinghy, tender, and small traditional rowboat. It handles rowing in stiff chop or moderate waves and is delightful to row in calm water. Many owners keep theirs at the cottage on the lake or use it as a pond boat. One Minto 9 dinghy circumnavigated the world as a tender to the ocean cruising sailboat ‘Sunlight” and was appropriately named “Sunbeam”.

Where the Minto 9 really excels is how it handles. It rows exceptionally well with one, two, or three adults on board. Due to its generous freeboard, well-positioned seats and oarlocks, this boat performs efficiently in choppy wave conditions and is also renowned for stability when boarding.

Famous West Coast boat builder Les Curly maintains that in the 1950s, the “original” wooden Minto was found washed up on the grounds of “Our Lady Minto Hospital” on Saltspring Island by builder Ed Hoppen who named it the “Minto”.

It was estimated to have been built in wood by an unknown builder at the turn of the century. In the late 1950s, Ed took the hull down to his shop in Gig Harbor, Washington, USA. where he built the first several fiberglass models using the original as a pattern. Years later several hundred more Mintos were produced by Ranger Yachts based in Seattle, Washington.

‘Pelagic Pacific Boatbuilders’, owned by Les Curley, purchased a Minto mold from Ed Hoppen in the early 60s. Over the next ten years, Les built over a thousand hulls at his shop in Victoria, British Columbia.

Whitehall Rowing & Sail first produced the Whitehall Spirit® Minto 9 in 1988. The elegant fiberglass teak and bronze ‘treatment’ given to this little classic makes it popular for adorning the decks of sailboats, on transoms of motor yachts, or being towed smoothly along behind. It’s popular as a small rowboat on lakes and ponds across North America.

One curious thing about the Minto 9 is that the third lapstrake down at the bow is a little narrow. It’s been faithfully reproduced that way ever since it was first reproduced in fiberglass.

The full bow shape and tracking keel allow for safe and easy towing. If you require a pair of traditional oars we supply the best available. There is a choice of Spruce/Carbon Traditional Oars with Leather collars and pressure cast oarlocks or all Carbon Fiber Traditional Oars with plastic collars and offset oarlocks. The Minto 9 handles a small outboard very well with its reasonably flat aft bottom full proportions and robust transom.

If the boat is to be stored outside perhaps on a Boat Dolly or a small boat trailer, exposed to weather, using Lexan battens and a fitted Sunbrella cover is highly recommended. If tying up to a dock is part of the scenario, consider adding a set of tie-up lines and fenders to your order.

Maintenance involves cleaning the teak and applying a coat of exterior teak oil and requires only about three hours per year. See the article on Care, Storage and Maintenance of your Classic Whitehall Spirit® boat.

After a few years out of production the Classic Whitehall Spirit® Minto 9 is available once again on a build-to-order basis, complete, ready to row, with a fiberglass hull, teak woodwork, bronze transom & bow caps, and bow eye suitable for towing plus stern eyes suitable for hoisting. Options include custom lift rings or snap davits for transom mounting along with other custom features. Like all Whitehall Spirit® boats it is impeccably hand made by our master craftsmen in our shop in Victoria, BC and is a rowboat built to last 100 years.

The complete boat includes the impeccable fiberglass lapstrake style hull, teak woodwork, bronze transom & bow caps, strong bow eye suitable for towing plus stern eyes suitable for hoisting. Custom features are available. Contact us by phone or email to discuss details.

Call or email to get a quote for a Classic Whitehall Spirit® Minto 9 with accessories delivered to your driveway or cottage anywhere in Canada or the mainland USA. We also ship worldwide with Whitehall Spirit® rowing boat owners now located in over 52 countries.

How to Order

Many customers first print the “Pricing and Accessories PDF”, in the “Pricing” tab above, for the boat they are planning to purchase, and then check-off the items they are interested in before calling or sending it to us. This is a good way to begin the process.

Alternatively, you can call to discuss your options, especially if you are unsure about what Whitehall boat model you are interested in. Your order may be as simple as a basic rowing model with oars, or as elaborate as a slide-seat rowing & sailing model with accessories, delivered to another continent.

Ordering/Delivery Details & Policies

Please read complete details by clicking here.