sculling oar project

[curtisv]

Where to you plan to carry the oar aboard Remote Access?

The oar seems to fit nicely on the sidedeck.  The curve of the oar matches the curve of the hull and it is just short enough to fit.  If I didn't know I didn't plan it that way I would never have guessed it from the photo.  Darn - I already told you I didn't plan it that way.



I am going to need to put some padding on the stancions (foam pipe insulation seems like an option) and tie the oar to the two stancions and also tie it up to the lifelines.  That should keep it well out of the way of the furling line and should be out of the way of the jib sheet at least on all but a very close haul sheeted in very tight.  I'll take photos tomorrow when I tie up the oar for travel.

Plan as of now is to launch Thursday and try it out.  In the water just in time for Labor Day -- another really late start to a sailing season.

Curtis

[Bob23]

Don't try to fool us...you planned it that way! Looking forward to the sea trials. Any cool names for your oar?
Bob23

[Billy]

You could name her "Scully"
But I would definitely NOT call her a "Dirty Oar".

[Bob23]

Yeah, Labor day is a very late start to sailing season...how'd the oar work out?
Bob23

[GretchenG]

If a boat's engine is called the Iron Wind, I guess a sculling oar could be named the Spruce Breeze.  Doesn't that just sing to you?  We await the sea trial report with bated breath, or something like that...

[Bob23]

Sounds like a naming contest is on..."Woodwind". Gretchen gave me the inspiration...thanks, G!
Bob23

[Greene]

How about;

The LASS - Long A%% Swizzle Stick
Ol' Oarnery
Lincoln - a great "oar"ator
Numbscull
1CP-XLS  (One Curtis Power extra long shaft)
Wooden Knots
No. 1 Wood Sail
Knotty Knots
The Old Wooden Outboard
Gentle Knots
Twitching Stick
Bentwood Sail

Or my personal favorite,  Blist"oar"

You're up Bob.

Mike

[GretchenG]

Hoo boy, Mike has really upped the ante!

Okay, a CP gets most power from the jib, and the yuloh is used when there's no wind, and at the back of the boat...
Stern Jib
Wooden Kicker
Go-stick
Tagalong - or maybe that's a better dinghy name?
Auxil-oary

[InertBert]

old hick-oary
one oar the other
oar the ramparts
either oar

[Tim Gardner]

O solo me oar

[Bob23]

I know when I've met my match!
How about Knot-a-mota? Or from the slightly off color department: Paddle Me?
I notice that Curtis has been mysterious silent in this name game. Either he has moved to a different country, is laughing too hard to post, or regretting that he started this naming movement: has cut his Spruce Goose into firewood. Nah....he's too busy trying to scull his 23 into Boston Harbor. Doesn't the tide kinda rip through there, C?
Bob23
"LORAPD" Long Range Pizza Board?

[GretchenG]

Curtis, I really want to know how the oar worked out, please come back and tell us!  We won't make up any more names, though Woodwind is really quite pretty...  Of course, for Remote Access, maybe you should call it Thumb Drive.

[lochinvar]

Now Wait a minute, Bob 23.

"Spruce Goose" is SACRED. (Used to work for Hughes Aircraft Co...) Though it has my Number 1 vote. Harrrr. You guys are cracking mesef up. "Dirty 'Oar" is my second.

Did you guys mention "Skullduggery" by chance?

[curtisv]

Obviously I need to read the CP forum more often.  Quite a thread on naming the oar.  No woodie jokes -- that's good.  (Lets keep it that way please).

I kinda like woodwind since my daughter is a music teacher and her main instrument is the flute.  "When the wind dies haul out the woodwind" sounds OK.  ("Haul out the woodie" is not OK).

Conditions have been good for sailing but less than ideal for trying out a sculling oar.  I think the oar works OK but I'm not at all good at sculling yet.  The only time I tried it was after launching.

After launching I used a long line to go from ramp to dock (a ways and deep hence the line).  I then continued to set up, putting the boom in place, bending on sails, etc.

Then leaving the dock I tried the sculling oar.  There was light tidal current and light wind.  I had some time to think about which way I would tilt the oar and which way to pull harder to turn.  I was pleasantly surprised that my fumbling with the oar produced a backward motion (the direction I wanted to head in) and pulling harder on one side yielded a gradual turn in the direction I wanted to go.

Having done that I was a bit more out into the tidal current which was moderate but there.  I started to scull forward and turn the other way.  This worked OK for a while.  Then I was fully in the current and as I rounded the first bend had a light wind at the nose, wanting to push off course.  This worked OK for a bit but I had to change which side I was pulling harder on a few times and got completely confused about the whole sculling thing.  I pulled really hard a few times on the wrong side and sent us into the weeds (eelgrass) and lightly aground.

One of my crew/guests, Laura, jumped out to push us off, but the trusty sculling oar in hand seemed extremely well suited for that pushing off job so she could climb back in (after we put the ladder down).

We put up sails and decided that conditions were not good for trying the sculling oar.  It is intended to be used in absence of wind.  We had wind on the nose.  We were in a current.  I planned the launch time to be in a following current.  But perhaps worst of all it was narrow and I didn't really have the hang of sculling yet.

So off we sailed with dinghy secured to a bow cleat and off to the starboard side with fenders out for it.  My friend Ron uncleated the dink and brought the painter back to the cockpit and handed the line to his daughter Laura.  So began the misadventures of Salty the Maine Salty dinghy, but that is another story.  Laura is apparently not good with knots.  I was busy short tacking in a narrow space and explaining to Laura and her significant other Steve the whole Ready About - Ready - Hard Alee thing and telling them when to release sheets on a tack and hen to sheet in on the other side.  They asked to be part of the process.  Next time I looked back Salty was nowhere to be found and I decided to return later and search the tall eelgrass for Salty.

Since then I've sailing in 10-15 knots which is great for sailing but is not good for sculling practice.  If I go out in light wind in the next few days I'll try the oar again and give a more definitive report.

So far -- oar seams to work but not sure how well -- oarsman is a bit incompetent but hopefully will improve.

Curtis


ps - definitely a nice decoration though.  I got a lot of comments from perfect strangers on the cool sculling oar.  ... and a hearty thumbs up and smile on tacking upwind in The Narrows.

[Bob23]

If "Woodwind" is chosen, I promise to split the $1000 prize with Gretchen!
Curt: It would be cool to see a video of the oar in action.
Bob23