Let's hear more about oars.

I have a set of light 9 foot ash oars which I use while drift fishing.  Way to soft for big water but for drifting I like them.  Made by Shaw and Tenney.

I have rowed some of the 10 foot heavy ash smokers.  The are well made, stiff and very heavy.  I don't like anything about them at all.  Many say they just need to be counter balanced but,  they have too much mass to swing around all day balanced or not.  I'm too old work such heavy things for hours.

I just got a 9 foot 6 set of composite cataract oars and I will say they are my second favorite oar as to the way they flex.  For my taste they have just the right amount of rebound and they are light.  Not wood but I like them.

Then we have aluminum shaft oars.  While they are inexpensive, I wouldn't row them if they were free.  To me, they just feel dead.

Last fall I pulled a set of sitka spruce oars made by Barkley Sound from up in the Great White North.  Large diameter.  With seat belt webbing on them they were still tight in a set of cobras.  When I put my hands on them I was expecting the feel of the heavy smokers.  I almost pushed the handles through the bottom of the boat.  They were wonderful,  light and just the right amount of flex.

Anyone else have any though on spruce oars?

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Permalink Reply by Ben Kittell on January 21, 2011 at 12:52pm

So im new to the wooden boat world, and cant wait to get started on my very own dory, but come from a rafting background. I have noticed that most everyone uses oars that are 9' or shorter. I would think if your rowing a boat that is 16' or longer I would want something closer to 10' (or atleast I would if I was in a raft).

 

BUT like I said I am new to the wooden boats, so for a boat 17'/52" are 9' oars really the way to go?

Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on January 21, 2011 at 3:24pm

Ben:  The length of a boat has little or nothing to do with the length of the oars.  The key dimentions are the distance between oarlocks , the distance from the front of the thwart(seat), and the distance from the thwart to the bottom of the oarlock.   You say your boat is 17'/52"- the 52 is the bottom width .  Our 17' has a bottom width of 54"  and the distance between the locks is about 72".  9' Smokers are just fine with this boat.  The Peapod is 52" between the locks and is just fine with 7 !/2 ' to 8' spruce homemade oars.

Just my experience- others may differ. 

Good luck

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