- and a little about rowing

The other query that I had received about oars was where to locate the rowlocks, both fore and aft and athwartships. Most small boat designers locate the centres of the sockets 12" behind the aft edge of the rowing thwart. However I have seen anything from 10" to 14". If the dinghy has no side decks then the rowlocks can be located at the ideal position on the gunwale; this gives the most leverage. One should still aim for this when you have side decks but the oars sometimes foul the inner edges of the decks on the recovery stroke. To get over this problem raise the rowlock sockets on blocks 2" or more high. The low sides of many modern sailing dinghies make it difficult to raise the blades sufficiently on the recovery stroke to clear the wave crests when in rough water; these blocks can help in this instance also.

An important matter which seldom gets an airing is the relative heights of rowlock socket and thwart. To start with the thwart, or moveable seat if you haven't got a thwart, should not really be lower than 7" in height from the bottom of the boat; something like 10" is better. The rowlock socket should be about 7" above this. It is best to make a mock-up of your cockpit when sorting this out. An old box, trestles etc. and a couple of old broomsticks will enable you to get a good idea of how it will work out. While you are at it see if you can incorporate some cleats against which you can brace your feet when rowing. Short lengths of 1" square batten, located where you will, will suit.

Now for some general points. Most people will settle for mass produced oars but there are very few that are satisfactory. They are too heavy in the blade and wrist and too light above the lock. The grips are barrel shaped which causes blister where they should be cylindrical in shape or preferably tapered away from the inboard end. I am afraid that you will have to put up with what you can get or pay through the nose, unless you build your own - if this is your choice read Peter Culler's book or wait for an article from me or someone else. Traditionally, working oars were of ash, with the advantage that they were OK without leathers. They were heavy but tough. I haven't seen new ash oars for many years. Best quality oars were always spruce but the price of this timber now puts these off the market except at fantastic cost. I built a spoon bladed double canoe paddle two years ago of sitka spruce and the timber cost me £40!

In fact, there is a lot of rubbish written about specific timbers for different aspects of boatbuilding. Our forefathers often had to use what they could get. I am at present building a pair of oars of best quality house builders' softwood. When I start slimming them down I will be able to judge better but they seem OK in the rough. In the old days oars were leathered where they went through the rowlock horns, and the leathering was usually at least 8" long. Nowadays you get moulded short plastic collars which are horrid but I suppose better than nothing, but do move them if they don't seem to be in the right place. If you decide to leather your oars which is one way to improve today's commercial rubbish, then try for at least 10" in length. You may use the one pair of oars in different boats or from different thwarts in the same boat; you might also like to row at times with the grips overlapping which gives you greater leverage against the wind. The longer leathers make all this possible. You will come up against two problems however - where to get the thick leather and the fantastic price when you find it. Oars used to break where the copper tacks were inserted to hold on the leather so the present trend is to sew them on, with a touch of contact adhesive if they slip. However they used to break because the tacks were driven round the circumference of the ends of the leather which weakened the timber all round. If you only tack down the line where the edges meet it should weaken the oar hardly at all. Anyway, soak them first before fitting and have the line of tacks or stitching at 45° to the plane of the blade of the oar. If you stitch, actually it's more like lacing up a corset, use thick whipping twine which doesn't stand proud of the leather, not folksy thonging. In order to decide where the leathers should go, use your oars without the protection first. The rowlocks will mark the timber at the appropriate place.

Whatever you do don't have anything to do with plastic rowlocks and sockets, they are an abomination. Use bronze if you can afford them but there is nothing wrong with galvanised iron. Make sure that the socket plates fit the stems before you buy as most chandlers offer you any odd bits, which they expect you to accept! Try to ensure that the full length of the rowlock stem is supported; an extra block of wood a couple of inches below the plate timber can help. If the fit of the socket hole is close but without binding, rowing will be smoother and quieter. As one often uses an oar for sounding or fending off, the end of the blade could do with some reinforcement. The normal strip of sheet brass is not much good but glassfibre tape and epoxy make an excellent job.

Ideally you should carry a spare rowlock. If you do lose one however a loop of rope through the socket and round the oar will work well enough as a temporary measure. If you equip the rowlocks with lanyards you should not have to suffer this misfortune. I would advise you to totally ignore the little hole at the base of the stem when fastening the lanyard as you would have to thread the lanyard through the socket first when shipping the rowlock - an unbearable fiddle. Make sure you choose rowlocks which have a neck formed below the horns; most of them do. Then use 4 or 5 mm three strand line for the lanyard and eye splice it round the neck. Fasten a small screw-eye to the hull near the socket and pass the lanyard through that secured with a stopper knot, when you ship the rowlock. On my boats I like to store the rowlock in a hole drilled through the thwart near the side planking. I use a lanyard long enough to allow the rowlock to be moved to its socket without untying.

On inland waters you are taught to row with long strokes catching your water early; this works fine in smooth water but not rough. If there is a sea running and particularly if you are against the wind then keep your strokes short, using a quick in and out action. At one time you could imitate the men in working boats but now you will have to experiment yourself. You may also fancy yourself feathering your oars on the recovery stroke (turning the blades towards the horizontal). Although elegant to see and perhaps desirable against the wind, it should not be thought of as essential. To feather downwind is manifestly absurd. There are or were many fast working boats which have single thole pins instead of rowlocks which make feathering impossible. Irish Curraghs and St Lawrence skiffs are just two. Unless one has trained oneself to do it automatically it is also an extra strain on the wrists.

A final point is the matter of lubrication. A touch of Vaseline or tallow (dripping refined by boiling) on leather and rowlock stem makes rowing much more agreeable. If you are unfortunate enough to have plastic rowlocks such lubrication is often the only thing that will allow them to work at all! A valuable hint to those who own an inflatable with rubber rowlocks is to carry a stub of candle and rub them with that - it improves the rowing efficiency 100%, and you will also find you can do without the plastic collars.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dinghies for all Waters by Eric Coleman Small Boats by Phil Bolger Boats, Oars and Rowing by Pete Culler Sail and Oar by John Leather Working Boats of Britain by Eric McKee Oars for Pleasure Rowing by Andrew Steever