Any experience with oar locks on a CP-16?

[TimW]

Hi All -
       So I've been thinking it should be simple to attach some swivel type oar locks to
both siderails/tracks attached to an adjustable traveller(I'm not sure I'm getting my terms right here) so as to better
leverage some human power and flexibility.   To try out the concept I've extracted some lightweight plastic ones from
a damaged inflatable -Now I just need to line up some extra long handled paddles.   I was wondering whether there's been much experience on this (or if the idea may be fundamentally flawed).  Seems like it would be particularly useful when sailing in reservoirs that prohibit  motors.    Alternatively, and since I have seen electric trolling motors squeak by)- I was curious how much better one of those new higher power lithium battery driven Torquedo motors would work on a  CP-16 relatively to a simple Minnekota.  Finally, I was wondering if anyone knows of other CP-16 owners in the SF South Bay area - and what some additional recommendations are for put-ins beside the Redwood City launch ramp?                   thanks,   Tim

[Bob23]

Hi Tim:
   A guy has a Torquedo on his Flying Scott where I keep my boat and he says it's like night and day compared to a Minnekota. I've checked them out at boat shows and they do indeed seem like the next generation in electric motors. I don't think they are billed as trolling motors either but electric outboards. I'd think that in low wind/ small wave conditions they would be fine. If I remember correctly, one of the bigger models is equipted with a gps and has a digital readout that will tell you how far you can go on the charge you have left given your present speed.
   Somewhere on this site a long time ago I think there was discussion on rowing a 23 which weighs 3 times what a 16 wieghs. You might try a search. I think that in low wind, slow current conditions, it would work. The only experience I have in rowing a sailboat was with my old Seapearl 21, a 600 lb. boat. I had 9 1/2 foot spruce oars and I did just fine...until trying to row against a tide. When the tide ran about 2 1/2 to 3 knots, I'd barely make headway. But there's not tidal current in a reservoir so I'd think it would be fine. Human powered...way to go!
Bob23

[peterg]

Had an sixteen foot wooden catboat some years ago that was equpped not with oars, but with a single long sweep from the stern. Was not something you would go real far with, but effective (slowly) for short distances. I never mastered it too well, but the elderly gentleman that built the boat and sailed it from the Barnegat to the Chesapeake used it to good effect. I think that the Pardeys used a sweep on their 24 footer.

[KPL]

There was a couple on the yahoo forum and an article in Small Craft Advisor who sailed a 16 for a few months around Florida.  they used oar and no motor.

Here's the quote from Yahoo forum:

Hi Bob,
The oars worked great! I went with 7 foot oars as I thought that was the longest that I could still get into the cabin. I think 8 foot oars would be just right and would still fit into the cabin. I used a small cooler against the bridgedeck as a rowing seat. I could either hold the tiller with my foot or have my wife stear (or visa versa if she was rowing). I never clocked my rowing speed but I was able to stay ahead of the current near the Vaca Key cut (bridge cut near Marathon, FL) wich had to be at about 2 or 3 knots. Lin and Larry Pardey sailed their 24 ft boat with just oars (I think 12 or 14ft oars) for many years around the world and then again with their 29 ft boat. I plan on installing oars on my Tartan 27. A big misconception is that rowing is hard work. You need the stamina to keep going but they really don't require much effort.
One problem I did run into was I broke a couple sets of bronze oar locks after a few weeks. I never could figure out what exactly was causing it. I wasn't rowing with much force, but the pins would eventually bend and then break. I finally solved this problem by getting Stainless Steel Oarlocks.

Here's a link:
http://www.adventurevista.com/Compac-16%2A%2A%2A.php

and  a picture of the oarlock

[TimW]

So I gave it a try using about 7 foor oars - on a very windy afternoon on the bay.  I think an additional foot or so on each side would have helped but it was all I could do to hold my own against the wind (no sails up yet of course)to avoid being pushed from the ramp accross the channel into the yacht -finally had to rev up the 6hp Nissan with onlly seconds
to spare before collision.  I'm guessing they'll be just fine though with low wind for reservoir use - but even there I'll probably want to have a trolling motor along for backup assistance.  Not sure how they managed that two month long
Florida excursion with oars alone - pretty impressive.
    -Tim W.
                   

[skip1930]

Looks  like work to me.
Where does one store the oars when not rowing?

skip.

[TimW]

Skip -
       Yes, finding a better way to store them quickly out of the way is another critical requirement
I had'nt considered adequately - in part because I ended up using 4 part segmented kayak type oars (replacing one paddle part on each side with a straight part).   While this clearly allows for dissassembly and storage out of the way below, this and the reverse process can't be accomplished instantaneously and they were really in the way when I had to quickly move to
plan B.     So what I need to add is another stationary spring loaded clamp bracket on each side rail for rapid storage. 
                    -Tim

[skip1930]

Tim: I once made a pole for the spinnaker to be used to hold the sheet out on a very 'slow wind' day.
I did away with the pole after a weekend cruse with it on board my CP-19.
No room, which is why I cut my drop board in half as well.

That keel hanging down also makes for a wee bit of drag.

I have commented before that with my 5 hp moto or all sails on a good sailing day the hull speed over ground [ SOG ]  is maxed out at about 5.4 knots. So the sails make 5 hp...sort of speak.


skip.

[Bob23]

   Backing upa few posts, I think the reason KP's bronze sockets broke was not the bronze but the angle of the oar. I had a similiar thing happen on  a dingy I used to have until I changed the postion of the socket. A 7 foot oar is just too short and may be a contributing factor. Maybe the stainless was a slightly dirrerent shape and/or size.
   I used 9 1/2' spruce lifeguard oars on my Seapearl 21 and with a little crossover, they seemed right. There is a way to calculate proper oar length based on beam and maybe heigth from the water...if I can find it I'll post it here.
   I'd love to try a long sweep for sculling...looks like fun!
Bob23
"looks like work to me". If you like to row, it is fun, not work and a great workout. This past July 4th, I did a 10.8 mile row in 2  hours, 20 minutes on my old Alden Ocean Shell. Not bad for an old fart with 2 rotator cuff surgeries in the past 5 years.

[TimW]

I agree 7ft. was too short - particularly since unlike the side mounted pin locks visible in the pictures my setup involved "hardware" transplanted from an inflatable mounted on to of the genoa tracks.  I think 8 to 9 ft. would create the desired leverage with a natural rowing angle.
- Tim

[Pacman]

If the wind is blowing, why row when you can sail?

I plan to use my oars only when there is n wind to move my boat.

They should work just fine in calm conditions.

[Al]

Hi All,

I'm also considering oars as alternate propulsion. Attached is an interesting flush mount oar lock installation with 6 1/2 foot long oars: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/com-pac/message/31769?var=1

Al

KPL: Were your stainless steel oarlocks attached with bolts or screws ?

[mrb]

When I had my 16 I used 6-1/6 foot oars quite a lot.  Farthest I rowed was a little over one mile (straight line distance) and it was not hard. Used the 6-1/2 ft oars because of storage conncerns but longer would have been better.  I also found the boat sculled in forward and reverse very nicely.  Good way to get in and out of harbor with no wind.  Again longer oar would have been better.  Instead of oar locks I had loops tied permanetly through center hole in cocpit cleats. worked ok and did not have to put more holes in boat.  Good sailing