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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on March 3, 2016 at 11:09am

Dreu, using the search function I found 29 pages of posts on oarlocks. Take a look and see if any are helpful.

Rick N

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Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on March 3, 2016 at 3:12pm

Wow Rick, you got that thing to work? That must mean that I didnt wear out that search engine yet, must be a good one cause Ive tried pretty hard!! Ive also gone through the 275 photos about a doz times or more too looking for ideas and seeing how people did things. Lotta good info there.

You probably saw what I`m working on. I was gonna look for a pc of the UHMW to make my lock blocks, and I found a place in Mich here (thanks Steve) that has it too, and I might still go to it in the future, but something about wood that just appeals more to me. Regal makes some really nice oarlocks too that are longer than most and can be raised even more using plastic bushings.

I wont know till I can get some oars and drop this in the lake at the end of my street what I`ll have to do. I`ll do that before I drill any holes in my rails to mount these blocks. I`m planning on 2 bolts per lock block though at this point

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Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on March 4, 2016 at 11:59am

Mike,

That is a great looking boat you have there. I think it will be a good boat for slow, meandering fishing rivers! I noticed on the above photo regarding the key / pin you are using for the oarlock keeper, I can't quite tell by the angle of the photo but I would recommend trying to turn the oarlock 360 degrees and be sure that the pin does not stop the rotation against the side of the boat thus gouging a hole in the plywood. If it does stop the rotation, maybe use an inch or inch .5 round key ring instead. They tend to give way or flex when the oarlock swivels. How do I know this? cause my 16x48 has the above discussed gouges!! My 2 cents (the round key rings might cost 35 cents each) for the day.

Love the old school oarlock block design as well, Happy boating.

Regards, Robb

www.RiverTraining.net

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Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on March 4, 2016 at 2:36pm

Thanks Robb. Ya, I cut down the rocker a bunch and made it for our Michigan rivers. We might have class 1 rapids somewhere in this state, maybe (but I dont think so),lol...and our river bottoms are mostly sand and some gravel. We do get alot of tree wood in the rivers and some big rocks now and then.

Those rings came with the locks. They are way big, and I tried turning them around the other way, but the weight of that ring keeps them hanging outwards away from the plywood as is, turning them around made them hang into the plywood. I will be coming up with something else though as I like the clip idea, just dont like them as they are now.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on March 4, 2016 at 5:25pm

Mike, take a look at some of Greg Hatten's early pictures and look at the details on his oarlock pins. I think you will find them interesting. While you are there carefully look at a lot of the little details that make his boat special. I think you will see why he calls it the Obsession. I call him the watchmaker as his attention to detail was so thorough. You and David Witton are giving him a run for his money!

I use shower curtain hangers on my oarlocks.

Rick

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Permalink Reply by Mike Thomas on March 5, 2016 at 4:22pm

No runs from me, I`ll leave that up to David. I`m just trying to squeak this thing together to go fishing.

I was in West Marine today getting some bolts, and I saw what they call cotter rings in stainless. They have some in 1/2" and up. I think they are for sailing vessels, but might work perfect for the oar locks. Issue is you have to buy like 8 of them in a pkg for $6-7 just to get 2 of them. Guess sometimes you just have to live a little right?

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