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Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on November 29, 2009 at 4:12pm

I bought my foot release anchor for my wood boat from Tatman Boats when Greg owned it. I would think Randy probably still sells them too. All my oars I buy from Sawyer, 541-535-3606.
As for second hand stuff, there are a few yahoo groups Like Pnw Whitewater http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pnwwhitewater/ and Idaho Whitewater,http://groups.yahoo.com/group/idahowhitewater/ that sometimes have used gear for sale. River Trader http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rivertrader/ is another yahoo group that is nothing but used river gear.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Matt Beach on November 29, 2009 at 4:26pm

Thanks Mike!

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Permalink Reply by Matt Beach on November 29, 2009 at 4:25pm

Thanks Mike!

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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on November 29, 2009 at 6:02pm

Yup, we sell the foot release as a system that includes the pulleys and as just the foot release. If you can't locate one used just send me a message.

We sell Sawyer oars also, you can buy direct from Sawyer at the number that Mike listed. Some outdoor stores will carry Cavinish oars up to 9'ft. They work to keep the price down.

I recommend that you save up and buy a great set of oars. They are what connect you to the water. A good pair of oars make a huge difference to how much you enjoy being on the water.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on November 29, 2009 at 9:25pm

Randy,

Your comment about oars saving up for great oars is spot on. I have rowed every kind of oar made and have come full circle... kind of. I started out with Sawyer lights and still have three pairs of them. I started experimenting with other oars because I felt like the lights have too much flex for my tastes. I switched to some Sawyer FG/hybrid oars and they were ok, but with the counterbalanced handles I didn't like the way they responded, felt slow on the upstroke, so I sold em.The next pair were Sawyer MX/FG's with dyna lite blades, still have these oars, and they are plenty stiff and very light, but there way to big in dia. for driftboat use, so I use them on my catboat for bigger whitewater. The oars that I am in love with right now are the old school Sawyer Smokers, I have a whitewater pair for my raft, and a driftboat set for my driftboats. These oars have the perfect balance of flex and stiffness for me in both forms.

Matt, I forgot I saw this awhile back and I really thought about picking these up for myself, its a hell of a good deal. Post is kind of old, Pete still might have them, but he might not too. Send him an e-mail and ask.
http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=109972;article=5243...

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Matt Beach on November 30, 2009 at 6:09am

Thats great! I've posted a reply already. I hope they are 8ft as that is what I'm needing. Being in the great state of TN you dont have many rivers that have many large rapids or swift moving water. If you are in one that has it then your down stream from a tailwater (dam produced) or in a recreational stream (like the Ocoee River used for the 96 Olympics which doesnt have any fishing whats so ever). So I'm wondering if it matters the type of oar(s) I need if I'm only using it in streams with low to medium water flow. My two main streams that I absolutely love and will be fishing this weekend are the Caney Fork River(Center Hill Dam, TN) and Toccoa River(GA). Funny thing is, I've done all kinds of searching in Chattanooga (hometown) and there is only one other drift boat in the entire city. The other one is owned by a fly fishing outfit (FeatherandFly) that they use for paid fishing trips. I guess I feel somewhat proud to know that only two will soon exist in this great city!

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