The Very Respectable "Ash Wind"
John -Don't let these guys rib you too much -- this is a great site and the source of much good information!The use of oars to propel a sailboat is a time-honored and respected method. Lynn and Larry Pardey have been sailing around the world for 25 years+ in heavy displacement boats of 25' and 30' with no engine and only oars to use -- as well as their sailing skills, of course!L. Francis Herrerhoff, who also knew a thing or two about sailboats, wrote about the use of oars for propulsion in his classic work, "The Compleat Cruiser." Here's a bit of what he had to say about, as he put it, "rowing heavy boats with one oar, or sweep:""There are four requisites to success. First, you must have an easily driven boat. Second, you must use a long oar or sweep. Third, you must stand up to the work. Fourth, you must have a way of steering unless you have a companion who can do it."In his fictional example, Herreshoff wrote of a 28' foot boat, 6' beam, heavy displacement, rowed with a 10 foot oar with row locks three feet above the cockpit floor and tiller lashed to counteract the push of the sweep.So it is possible! I would tend to think the C22 easily driven due to its relatively low weight and wetted surface (even my old C25 was pretty easy to push through the water!). The beam is greater than H's example, so I think the real key and perhaps problem would be finding or making an oar of the right length. I'll check the Pardey's books I have to see if they mention how long their oar(s) were and any techniques.Sorry I can't give you some specific guidance but hope this starts you on the right track! Remember that men and women have been sailing for thousands of years but we've only had the infernal combustion engine for around 150! Good luck!Mike TurnerS/Y Amity - C30, diesel powered!Long Beach, CA