One oar in the water

[NotCook]

While rowing ashore this morning, between showers and while the wind was still piping up, about half way across to the Club (maybe 200 meters or so), and while it was about all I could do to make way against the wind and seas, suddenly this happened:

At first I thought the oat had popped out of the top of the oarlock, but then I saw the oarlock laying on the bottom of the boat. When I reached to pick it back up, grateful that it went in the boat rather than overboard, I realized it was in two pieces! Never had that happen before in 65 years of boating.

So, now I had one or in an oarlock, and still had the wind howling and waves pushing me farther away from the docks.my only real option was to tuck one oar under my arm, and paddle single handed with it while I rowed with the good oar in my other hand. I wasn’t able to make headway against the wind, and now rain, but I wasn’t losing any either, as I angled toward shore and a sandy patch of beach past the rocks. I beached and waited a few minutes for the rain to pass and winds to slacken a little, then shoved off and was able to make way upwind to the docks, about another 150 meters.

There don’t seem to be any of these on the island. I really want to replace them anyway with the type that are permanently fastened to the oar. Not a fan of these open oarlocks.

It isn’t easy to row with one oar in the water, but it isn’t impossible, either. Piece of cake if you just want to go in circles - while blowing swiftly downwind.

It’s always something...

 

[Whatfiero1]

Did you have on shoes or have any string laying around. Make a make shift oar lock tie string thru hole.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Not knowing how big your rowboat is, I simply offer the option to perform a j-stroke, like single canoe paddlers do? Sorry you had this happen to you, but clearly you survived it.

 

[capta]

When forced to 'row' an inflatable or a hard dink with one oar, I've found that sculling from the bow works fairly well. Kinda like pulling the boat forward with a figure 8 movement of the oar.

 

[rgranger]

A piece of light line will make a decent ore-lock until you can locate a chandlers.

 

[justsomeguy]

clearly you survived it.

Was gonna ask if he lived. Thanks!

 

[NotCook]

Was gonna ask if he lived. Thanks!

“Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated!”

It is an 8’ Fatty Knees, and let me tell you, that is one unstable little boat! Little shit wants to turn turtle on you quicker than you can reach for an oar next to the boat. Don’t ask how I know that!

 

[NotCook]

Did you have on shoes or have any string laying around. Make a make shift oar lock tie string thru hole.

That’s a good idea. I was wearing flip flops, so had none. I think it would have taken something considerably more substantial that regular shoestrings, though. Maybe rawhide. I was pulling against the wind and waves hard enough to break the ( probably compromised) steel pin, so I’m guessing maybe a 1/4” line would have worked. Pulling any less would have been fruitless against the wind.

The other thing I will tell you is that while you can row with an oar tucked behind your back under your arm, it is waaaay harder than the one in the oarlock, and I had to switch sides several times to avoid total failure of one arm. The other thing was just getting to the beach to wait it out, even if it wasn’t where I was trying to go.

Like many things sailing, sometimes you encounter situations where you have to just improvise (like your shoestring idea) to live to fight another day...

 

[Simon Sexton]

DANG, that thing has seen some years, huh?

 

[31seahorse]

Hello NotCook, Obviously that oarlock was past its prime. I agree with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but now it's broke. Time to shop for replacements.....might as well buy two and replace the other one. RE: rowing with one oar in the water. That works fine if you can move to the bow and figure 8 across the bow while pressing the oar toward the boat. It is called a "draw" stroke, and I have used it often. It's pretty effective because you always have pressure on the oar.

 

[DArcy]

I have a Walker Bay 8 that came with some crappy oarlocks. They lasted a few years and then one broke. We had a new set on board already because I never did like the old ones, just hadn't gotten around to replacing them. The new ones are great! I've had them about 10 or 12 years now, they have lasted much better than you might expect for plastic, and I row quite hard (I actually broke a paddle once during dragon boat practice). They have a 1/4 turn lock so they won't pop out unless you align the oars fore and aft and they stay with the oars.
These are the ones I have now:
https://walkerbay.com/shop/replacement-parts/rigid-dinghy/oarlock-kit-w-adapters-pair-wb8/

 

[Will Gilmore]

This is your answer. It is a little slower and maybe more work than a yuloh, but you can move along pretty well with a sculling oar off the stern, just install a third oarlock, but not the full capture locks that won't allow for rotation.

compare to a yuloh

Glad you made it back to tell the tale. No fun floating out to sea in a tiny boat with broken oarlocks, especially if the wind is picking up.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[TomY]

A rowing dinghy is reliable but oarlocks are an achilles heel.

I've never broken one but always carry a spare. After a few decades, you collect several odd, worn locks. I keep one (open horned), stowed in a small compartment.

Oar (row) lock loss is more common. I prefer a captive oar lock for that reason.

The only other precaution I take is to put a deep bend in the oars, every spring. Oars can rot in the invisible area beneath the leathers announcing the danger when you need to put your back into them, which is probably a poor time to break.

I always have a bailer lashed inside our dinghy as well.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I always have a bailer lashed inside our dinghy as well.

I hope your bailer is a 2000gpm pump, if that's your dinghy, Tom.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[TomY]

I hope your bailer is a 2000gpm pump, if that's your dinghy, Tom.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Haha! No, I'm a voyeur of fishing dinghy's.

I see my tender as a lifeboat and a simple dinghy. As well as a spare oarlock, the lashed bailer(gallon jug cut open), the oars are always lashed inside along with 2 PFD's.

Boats do sink like a rock (as I found out once). Our tender is always in tow, I'm ready to step into it, anytime.

 

[NotCook]

Hello NotCook, Obviously that oarlock was past its prime. I agree with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but now it's broke. Time to shop for replacements.....might as well buy two and replace the other one. RE: rowing with one oar in the water. That works fine if you can move to the bow and figure 8 across the bow while pressing the oar toward the boat. It is called a "draw" stroke, and I have used it often. It's pretty effective because you always have pressure on the oar.

Yeah, I just recently acquired this well used Fatty Knees, and yup, it needs both replaced now.

Trying to row this thing from the bow would be a disaster! It is so unstable , and your center of gravity would be so high that one would probably capsize on the first stroke. Even created in the center of the midship seat, if you drop an oar and reach for it - over you go! Never have I been in such an unstable vessel, and I started rowing by myself when I was five years old.

 

[TomY]

Yeah, I just recently acquired this well used Fatty Knees, and yup, it needs both replaced now.

Trying to row this thing from the bow would be a disaster! It is so unstable , and your center of gravity would be so high that one would probably capsize on the first stroke. Even created in the center of the midship seat, if you drop an oar and reach for it - over you go! Never have I been in such an unstable vessel, and I started rowing by myself when I was five years old.

That is startling.

There are very few 8' rowing dinghy's that I would consider seaworthy enough as a tender for more than one person and little gear. Even the best 8'er can be overwhelmed in a sea of any size.

We lost a man inside our harbor just a few years ago. 2 men and a little gear, lured by a following wind and a calm in the inner harbor, set out in an 8' Dyer midget. The dinghy was overwhelmed and capsized before they reached their moored boat in the outer harbor. In just a few hundred yards, steep seas had built from a strong wind.

One drowned and the other barely survived holding onto a mooring ball before (by sheer luck) he was spotted from the nearby shore.

 

[thinwater]

Like Capta said, scull from the bow. Standard procedure for close quarter maneuvering. Done it many times. For short distances, it is often easier.

 

[31seahorse]

RE: My previous post. I should have mentioned that our dinghies were always inflatable types....either soft bottom or hard bottom. Stability was surely less of an issue than in a wooden, fiberglass, or plastic boat. I was reminded of that difference when I read the post by TomY. Even an 8 foot inflatable gets pretty cramped when two people and some gear are loaded.

 

[TomY]

RE: My previous post. I should have mentioned that our dinghies were always inflatable types....either soft bottom or hard bottom. Stability was surely less of an issue than in a wooden, fiberglass, or plastic boat. I was reminded of that difference when I read the post by TomY. Even an 8 foot inflatable gets pretty cramped when two people and some gear are loaded.

Size is everything in tenders. Except for prams or blunt bowed tenders like the Dyer's, the pointed bow of an 8' boat is not very stable. Ok in calm water with a tiny crew,...

Inflatables are more forgiving of length to stability rowing from the bow, if you have the time...:

In calm conditions - if nobody moves,....nobody gets hurt in a too small dinghy.