March 2009 A collection of Robb White's stories were published in June 2009. The book is titled Flotsam and Jetsam: The Collected Adventures, Opinions, and Wisdom from a Life Spent Messing About in Boats. You may order the book from Amazon.com here. You may order Robb White's earlier book How to Build a Tin Canoe here.

---

A writer and boat-builder in Thomasville, Georgia, and Dog Island, Florida, Robb White died May 16, 2006. He was born June 4, 1941. He graduated from Thomasville High School and served in the United States Navy from 1960-1963. He attended Florida State University and graduated in biology from Valdosta State College. He taught science in Jefferson County for 10 years.

He is survived by his wife, Jane, his sons and daughters-in-law, Wes and Erin White and Sam and Pam White, their children, Rosalie, Will, Neil, Rebecca Jane, Claudia, and Allison, and his sisters Barbara and June.

At Robb’s request, after cremation his family will lay him to rest without ceremony. Memorial contributions may be made to:

Birdsong Nature Center  
2106 Meridian Rd
Thomasville, GA 31792
BirdsongNC@aol.com

---

Dear web site visitor,

This is the official Robb White website.  The reason it is here is to straighten out confusion.   There are several Robb Whites but I am the one who writes boat stories for various magazines and who wrote the book "How to Build a Tin Canoe."    I am not allowed to sell the book because of some legal rigmarole but you can get it here.

I do not have any email capability nor do I talk on the telephone.   You can write me a plain old letter at P.O. Box 561, Thomasville, GA   31799.   If you search the online phone books, you might come up with a Robb White in south Georgia but that is not me and that woman is tired of having to drive to my shop to tell me that somebody is desperately trying to get hold of me.     

My father's name was Robb White and there is a place to read and post chat about him at http://www.allreaders.com/Board.asp?BoardID=28520.   That web page invites chat.  This one does not. 

As for the boatbuilding business, it is sort of winding down after these 44 years. My oldest son (43) who is with me part time is fixing to have to go to work full time at something that actually pays a little money. My youngest son (42) has five children and has been long gone (since '94) into remunerative work. I will never quit building boats but I'll be damned if I'll build any more upscale rowboats one after the other for money. I have six grandchildren and they all apprenticed here when they were too little to go to school. Because of their vast experience and wise judgment, boats like the common, ordinary consumer crap for sale these days will not interest them. They'll need good boats. What I'll do is build prototypes of boats that I have been figuring on for a long time and I may take the lines off of some and draw a set of plans. No, I will not offer plans for my Rescue Minor bastardization. You'll have to go to www.atkinboatplans.com and buy the plans for the real thing.

I am gone to the coast and I give you joy of a similar adventure.    

Sincerely,  

Robb White