Oars on Com-Pacs

[Shawn Morrow]

Does anyone have experience with using oars on Com-Pacs? 

Seems like it would be good idea to keep one or two on board in case the iron wind goes south when it's otherwise calm.  I thought about paddles as well, but they seem a bit short for boat with as much freeboard as a Com-Pac.

Any advice or suggestions?  (Other than waiting for the wind to pick up!)

Thks!

[fafnir]

A set of oars would probably work pretty good in my opinion on a c-16.  I have thought about installing oar locks, but the only problem I can see is the boat is already so small, I have no idea where I would put 2 oars that would probably have to be at least 6 feet long to be of any use.  Perhaps sculling would work better.

--Chad

[Shawn Morrow]

I have a 19 so I have a little more room to store them.  If I was going to row the 19, I think I would need some pretty long oars with oar locks.  I was wondering how it would work though to scull it from the stern.  Also thought about using one oar from the side and rely on the keel and rudder to keep from turning - but that seems really inefficient to me.   

Shawn

[Rick Klages]

doesn't sound practical to me.

ick

[Bob23]

   I agree with Ick. I once owned a Seapearl 21 and rowed her quite nicely with 9' 9" wood oars. Until one day when the wind died but the tide didn't. Now that's a light boat (about 600 lbs empty) and you could push her through the water ok. But against a 3 knot tide? No way.
   Next season she had a Tohatsu 3.5 on her stern. Never regretted it. Plus having a motor is a safety issue. It'a always nice to have a back-up power plant should the wind/sails/rig fail.
   Bob23

[Glenn Basore]

I agree with Bob,

toss the oars !

Glenn B.

[Danscuba]

I like the idea and I saw a CP-16 on Pine Island Florida that had oar locks on her, I would like to have talked to her owner, I have been thinking about putting them om mine.

[newt]

I used oars on my Catalina 27 before I bought my Compac. (8000 lbs) Taking her out today I found just one oar like a canoe works fine for me, The are 9 feet long. Go figure. I won't do it if I am going straight upwind. Got to get creative  if that happens. Spent a hour getting out of the harbor today, but just learning my way around a new sailing area.

[mrb]

Larry Pardey used one oar on his 24ft. Seraffyn instead of an engine.
Biggest problem is stowing a oar long enough to do any good on a 16ft boat.
Sculling worked fine for times of no wind on a 20ft. life boat I had in the 60's.  My first sail boat.  All we did was move the tiller back and forth. I have tried that on production boats with no luck. can't figure why not. On the life boat we called it swishing, this was in Mandeville La. and the boat was considerd community property to the late teens early 20s group.
Have had luck using a long oar off the back of boat. Not really sculling motion but turn blade to for and aft line, bring it to almost straight up and down position the turn blade broad side and pivot handle forward pushing blade back. sounds harder than it is.
I have brought a 20 ft skiff home this way after having engine die.
Finally remember to try any idea (within reason) you have.  The worst that can happen is it doesn't work on the other hand it may work.  That might be why so many people had so much fun as kids and so little as adults.  It took three tries for a couple of friends and I to get that life boat to Mandeville from New Orleans Yacht Harbor. The first time we got some laffs and friendly waves as we set out. The second time and third time we got good natured calls of see you in a couple hours.  Only difference was on the third time we didn't Have to return to N.O. Each time out we learned a little more.

good sailing and playing
mrb

[robb_black]

   It'a always nice to have a back-up power plant should the wind/sails/rig fail.

When my father had the CP16 I have now, he always had a motor and always had atleast a canoe type paddle on board just in case.  Probably not a bad idea to have a back up for your back up -- especially if it just a couple of canoe paddles stowed away.  Oars would seem a bit of an overkill.

[mrb]

Old topic here, however I would like to add new first hand experience.  I have taken an old pair of oars I've had hanging around for the last 37 years and put them back into service on my cp-16.  While I won't toss the outboard the oars are effective in medium to light winds and of coarse no wind situations.  I have a pair of cleats midway between stern and companionway.  I've looped line through them that I use as oar locks.  When rowing I place hatch board across foot well and sit facing forward so I can see where going.  Tiller is locked in center position.  When in protected water such as marina I stow my starboard oar and use the port side oar with one hand and steer with the rudder.

Makes for some nice exercise and the quiet unhurried pace is nice.

melvin

[jdonaldson]

We have two 6-ft. aluminum paddles stowed on board our Suncat.  One time we drifted into shoal water here in the Chesapeake.  Very thick sea grass.  Motor would have been big mistake.  Just paddled out into deeper water.  These come apart into two sections, stowed in cabin by shoving ech of them aft into the slot on either side of the companionway.  Not in the way, not lost in the cockpit lockers.

Does anyone have experience with using oars on Com-Pacs? 

Seems like it would be good idea to keep one or two on board in case the iron wind goes south when it's otherwise calm.  I thought about paddles as well, but they seem a bit short for boat with as much freeboard as a Com-Pac.

Any advice or suggestions?  (Other than waiting for the wind to pick up!)

Thks!

[newt]

Does anyone here skull with a single oar? That is one technique that I haven't done. Some cruisers seem to swear by it.

[Bob23]

Newt:
   I was just thinking of trying that out. Or one long oar on a single oarlock on one side of the boat and steer by rudder. In a recent issue of SCA, someone uses this method on his Nimble or was it a Rob Roy? Don't remember but it worked well for them. They used about a 10-11 foot oar.
   Ever since reading about Gondolas in an old Wooden Boat issue, I've been fascinated by them. The hulls are built assymetrical and always rowed (that's not the right term) on the same side. If I find the issue, I'll post more, even though that has little to do with the topic at hand.
Bob23- off for the weekend!