New to the forum here. Just brought home a '76 Cat-22 and we're anxious to get her outfitted and ready to go. What is a good oar setup for a Cat-22? One, or two, or a sculling type? Length? Temporary oar lock? Thanks, John
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
G
Guest
What's an oar?
I have an old dinghy oar in my bilge, but haven't pulled it out in over two years. Wouldn't know what to do with it if I did pull it out. Sorry I can't be of more help. Tim
I have an old dinghy oar in my bilge, but haven't pulled it out in over two years. Wouldn't know what to do with it if I did pull it out. Sorry I can't be of more help. Tim
B
Bob Lufkin
oar ???
These boats don't row too well. Never seen one with an oar. Maybe get a boat hook. I do not think even a paddle would do much good trying to move 1.5 tons.
These boats don't row too well. Never seen one with an oar. Maybe get a boat hook. I do not think even a paddle would do much good trying to move 1.5 tons.
R
Roger Campanelli
Oar
If there's no wind, the motor works. If the motor's dead and there's no wind, time for a nap. Campy
If there's no wind, the motor works. If the motor's dead and there's no wind, time for a nap. Campy
M
Mike Turner
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 Turner S/Y Amity - C30, diesel powered! Long Beach, CA
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 Turner S/Y Amity - C30, diesel powered! Long Beach, CA
C
Campy
oars
Take a naaaap. It's far more sane, less work, and to top it all off, it's probably more in line with why we all own C-22's anyway. Campy
Take a naaaap. It's far more sane, less work, and to top it all off, it's probably more in line with why we all own C-22's anyway. Campy
M
Mike Turner
Pardey's Oar (Sweep)
Larry Pardey writes about using a 14' ash oar (sweep) on his 24' boat, no mention of beam. So you'd probably be looking at something in that length.
Larry Pardey writes about using a 14' ash oar (sweep) on his 24' boat, no mention of beam. So you'd probably be looking at something in that length.
L
LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com
Sculling
I think you'd be better off practicing your sculling with the rudder. It's a small enough boat that this works ok when necessary. I can even scull my C27 when I need to (NOT often thankfully!!). An oar would just take up way too much room on an already small boat! LaDonna
I think you'd be better off practicing your sculling with the rudder. It's a small enough boat that this works ok when necessary. I can even scull my C27 when I need to (NOT often thankfully!!). An oar would just take up way too much room on an already small boat! LaDonna
J
John Perry
No motor yet
Thanks for the oar info. We don't have a motor for the boat yet, and my limited experience with those things is that they're either broke down, or in between breakdowns. We're not looking for performance rowing, just some backup for a little control when not under sail or motoring. (Would'nt want to come into a harbor bumping into other boats and wake up all those nappers ;-) I admire the Pardeys and their skill and accomplishments, but with 25-some years less experience on our part, we will be getting a motor. Until then I have hopes of maybe sneaking in a trial run with just sail and oar. After we get the motor we hope to put our oar in the bilge, or somewhere, and not see it again for a long, long time (enjoying many naps) but if we ever do see it again we would like it to do its job! We'll work on the rudder sculling too. Thanks again. Great forum. John
Thanks for the oar info. We don't have a motor for the boat yet, and my limited experience with those things is that they're either broke down, or in between breakdowns. We're not looking for performance rowing, just some backup for a little control when not under sail or motoring. (Would'nt want to come into a harbor bumping into other boats and wake up all those nappers ;-) I admire the Pardeys and their skill and accomplishments, but with 25-some years less experience on our part, we will be getting a motor. Until then I have hopes of maybe sneaking in a trial run with just sail and oar. After we get the motor we hope to put our oar in the bilge, or somewhere, and not see it again for a long, long time (enjoying many naps) but if we ever do see it again we would like it to do its job! We'll work on the rudder sculling too. Thanks again. Great forum. John
D
Dick
Paddle
You might try a paddle. I've used a long canoe paddle a couple of times to get in and out of docking. Have to move a bit from one side to the other, but it works OK if you have only a little way to go to raise sails and if there is no wind or current to fight.
You might try a paddle. I've used a long canoe paddle a couple of times to get in and out of docking. Have to move a bit from one side to the other, but it works OK if you have only a little way to go to raise sails and if there is no wind or current to fight.
D
Desertboatman
Row
I have thought about rowing and believe you could move a C22 by using 10' to 12' oars with oar locks that slip over the winches, some day I will try it. You can buy break down oars so that you can place them in the port locker .
I have thought about rowing and believe you could move a C22 by using 10' to 12' oars with oar locks that slip over the winches, some day I will try it. You can buy break down oars so that you can place them in the port locker .
R
Robbin
Montana, huh?
John, Where in Montana, if I might ask? I was born and raised in the Flathead valley. You, and others may have heard of Flathead Lake, largest fresh water lake west of the muddy Mississippi. I have read a couple of other entries on this forum from some one in Billings and some one else in the Great Falls area. I just bought a C-22 so I could drag it back to Montana to sail on Flathead Lake (I still have family there), as I couldn't find any rental boats there. I was surprised, as the lake is filled with sails on any given summer day. But of course, now I live in the Puget Sound area so I will also be sailing there as well. A transplanted Montanan, Robbin Oh, and as for the oar...all the feedback on this thread helped explain why I only found one oar on my previously owned "new" boat.
John, Where in Montana, if I might ask? I was born and raised in the Flathead valley. You, and others may have heard of Flathead Lake, largest fresh water lake west of the muddy Mississippi. I have read a couple of other entries on this forum from some one in Billings and some one else in the Great Falls area. I just bought a C-22 so I could drag it back to Montana to sail on Flathead Lake (I still have family there), as I couldn't find any rental boats there. I was surprised, as the lake is filled with sails on any given summer day. But of course, now I live in the Puget Sound area so I will also be sailing there as well. A transplanted Montanan, Robbin Oh, and as for the oar...all the feedback on this thread helped explain why I only found one oar on my previously owned "new" boat.
D
Desertboatman
M
Mike
Paddling a C22 - ugh!
I've only had to paddle my C22 once. We were up a creek (both literally and figuratively) with a non-working motor, no wind, and a current that was pushing us into a bulkhead with several private piers. I paddled like a madman but it was futile. The paddle was most useful as a second boathook to fend the boat off the piers. I now use the paddle to punish misbehaving crewmembers, but that's about it. Oars might be more useful -- it's real tough to position yourself on a C22 in such a way to get sufficient leverage with a paddle. A paddle might work in some situations (as others have suggested here), but I think you'll find it's a lost cause if you're fighting a strong wind, current, or tide.
I've only had to paddle my C22 once. We were up a creek (both literally and figuratively) with a non-working motor, no wind, and a current that was pushing us into a bulkhead with several private piers. I paddled like a madman but it was futile. The paddle was most useful as a second boathook to fend the boat off the piers. I now use the paddle to punish misbehaving crewmembers, but that's about it. Oars might be more useful -- it's real tough to position yourself on a C22 in such a way to get sufficient leverage with a paddle. A paddle might work in some situations (as others have suggested here), but I think you'll find it's a lost cause if you're fighting a strong wind, current, or tide.
J
John Perry
DB, Robbin ...
DB - That's exactly the type of oar setup I've been thinking about too, except maybe just one oar and steer with the rudder, facing forward, tiller between legs. I was wondering about a big breakdown oar. Seen any good ones? We just brought this boat home and I don't remember the hull number. I'll check and let you know. Robbin - Location is in the Bitterroot valley near lake Como. We will definitly be up to Flathead next summer. Love it up there. Lucky you growing up in such a place. John
DB - That's exactly the type of oar setup I've been thinking about too, except maybe just one oar and steer with the rudder, facing forward, tiller between legs. I was wondering about a big breakdown oar. Seen any good ones? We just brought this boat home and I don't remember the hull number. I'll check and let you know. Robbin - Location is in the Bitterroot valley near lake Como. We will definitly be up to Flathead next summer. Love it up there. Lucky you growing up in such a place. John
D
Desertboatman
Oars
Carlisle is a Co. that makes break down oars. Check out a store that sells whitewater rafting or driftboat equipment. I know they make 10' oars that break down and you can buy 1' extensions. I have a couple of sets that I use on my rafts. Good Luck & Have Fun D.B.
Carlisle is a Co. that makes break down oars. Check out a store that sells whitewater rafting or driftboat equipment. I know they make 10' oars that break down and you can buy 1' extensions. I have a couple of sets that I use on my rafts. Good Luck & Have Fun D.B.
J
John Perry
Thanks D.B.
I checked into those break down raft oars and I imagine they would work fine. Just have to work out an oar lock set up now and give it a try. BTW we have hull #5663, and as yet un-named. John
I checked into those break down raft oars and I imagine they would work fine. Just have to work out an oar lock set up now and give it a try. BTW we have hull #5663, and as yet un-named. John
A
Aldo
We did it
John: One time a few years ago, my son and I, (he was about 13 at the time), were motoring back to our marina after dinner. We ran out of fuel, so we tilted the tank around and got it to run a little more, then it died completely. We put up the drifter and sailed a little in the dying air, until that quit completely too. I told him to get out the boat hook and try to pole us to our slip, which was about 1/4 mile away. He couldn't touch the bottom, but just using the boat hook as a paddle, we made it back to our slip in about 10 minutes. We both had fun and had a story to tell once we got home, which is always a good thing. I wouldn't spend too much money on oars or time on a modification to make them work. We have some plastic and aluminum oars that we use on our dinghy that I'm sure would work fine to move our C-22, if there was no wind or current. You can probably buy them at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. They will sit in one of the compartments forever. You will have plenty of things to spend your money on that will actually add to your enjoyment of your boat, like a GPS, or additional sails, Bimini, an autopilot, or even a motor. We did take our boat out this year when our motor would not work, and had a great sail, but we have had years of experience with our boat. Aldo
John: One time a few years ago, my son and I, (he was about 13 at the time), were motoring back to our marina after dinner. We ran out of fuel, so we tilted the tank around and got it to run a little more, then it died completely. We put up the drifter and sailed a little in the dying air, until that quit completely too. I told him to get out the boat hook and try to pole us to our slip, which was about 1/4 mile away. He couldn't touch the bottom, but just using the boat hook as a paddle, we made it back to our slip in about 10 minutes. We both had fun and had a story to tell once we got home, which is always a good thing. I wouldn't spend too much money on oars or time on a modification to make them work. We have some plastic and aluminum oars that we use on our dinghy that I'm sure would work fine to move our C-22, if there was no wind or current. You can probably buy them at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. They will sit in one of the compartments forever. You will have plenty of things to spend your money on that will actually add to your enjoyment of your boat, like a GPS, or additional sails, Bimini, an autopilot, or even a motor. We did take our boat out this year when our motor would not work, and had a great sail, but we have had years of experience with our boat. Aldo
- Status
- Not open for further replies.