Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Oars and Oar Locks
Needing to know a website or contact info for some Oars and Oar locks for drift boat. Looking for 8ft oars(wooden if possible).
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard on
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Matt,
Tatman Wooden Boats offers oars for sale but if you want to look at companoes try these:
Barkley Sound Oar & paddle Ltd. - www.barkleysoundoar.com
Shawn & Tenney - www.shawnandtenney.com
NRS - www.nrsweb.com
First 2 offer wood and last both wood and composite. Stay away from Island Oars as they are having problems with filling orders.
Richard
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Permalink Reply by Matt Beach on
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Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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Thanks for the reference guys. The people at Sawyer might kill me for this but I am too excited about it to keep my mouth shut.
Sawyer Paddles and oars made a unique wood core Dynalite oar for Greg Hatten. It is beautiful. Since then they have become making production paddles with the Dynalite technology and a beautiful diagonal cedar core. I'll get my first set in a few weeks and will post a photograph. The only bad news is they will not be cheap. I'm guessing around $275.00 a stick. I'm praying it's not more.
Sandy and I rowed every drift boat oar we could get out hands on last year. I really wanted the old school solid ash smokers to remain my favorite. The traditionalist in me loves the thought that the old way is still the best way. Of all the oars we could get our hands on the Dynalite was the obvious best performing oar for all day rowing. The down side is the cost. I believe the Smoker, with the traditional flex in the ash shaft, is soft on the shoulders and the second best choice. Fir oars are stronger but work your shoulders over if you row a lot.
Some people really like the spruce oars for their light weight. You will find them at Barkley Sound.
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Permalink Reply by Karl Mueller on
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I know people say that fir oars will work your shoulders over if you row a lot and there are people with a lot more miles and years behind them than me who say this. I don't know about the really long term effects of different oar materials.
Regarding fatigue, In my experience, any oars will work you over if you don't row much and then go on a float. You will feel it. When I am able to get out all the time I don't feel it much. I do tend to feel it a little more after a day of guiding than on a pleasure trip. The first day of winter steelheading that I pullplugs, sore. After a few trips,no problem. Just my opinion, like any exercise, it is a matter of what you are used to. If you are used to a high flex oar your shoulders will feel the strain with a lower flex just like if I went out and did three sets of ten curls with 30 lbs in each arm I'd feel it tommorrow. (I don't work out)
All this is prelude to saying, I have fir oars. They are the Frank's Custom oars. I like them. They certainly don't dominate the market but everyone I know that has them likes them. I also like that they are handmade. Despite how thick they are I can lift the blades out of the water with one pinky on each oar b/c they are balanced. So weight is not an issue. That said, there are more technically advanced oars.
Frank also sells 8 footers. You have to buy oarlocks big enough to hold them. Eugene Foundry casts them and they are 10 bucks a lock. Franks Oars are, I think 250 a set. You'd be in 270 for the whole set up provided you could pick up locally. They are guaranteed against breakage but at Franks age, i don't know if that means a whole lot.
Hard to beat that combination of performance, value, tradition and aesthetic beauty, imo.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on
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Randy is right - the oars Sawyer made for me are awesome and spendy. At the Boat Festival the past three years, I've gotten more comments from the "seasoned River Rats" about my oars than about my boat. As one of them put it... "the boats just transportation, the oars are what's under the hood". Ken Helfrich checked out the flex by putting the blade on the ground and then leaning into it with his weight. As the oar bowed under his pressure, I was a little more than nervous. It didn't break and I believe Ken liked them... a lot.
Ken also had some pretty slick Oar Locks that I admired...
GH
The March Brown's like the oars too!! Randy, can't wait to see your new "sticks"... I'll stop by on my way up the river this weekend to check em out.
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Permalink Reply by David Jensen on
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Kenny's oarlocks are stainless steel. I've used then on both of my driftboats (Keith Steele) for 20 years. They are indestructible, and will not spread. Steve Schaefers and, I think, all the Helfriches use them. I got mine from Bruce Koffler. 541 688 6093. I bought them there before Tatman, and I buy them now from Tatman if Randy/Sandy have them.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Sobba on
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Matt, I just recieved my oar locks from NRS. Pleased with what I purchased. I deccided to build my own oars after reading "Instant Boatbuilding" ( could not get underlined) by Harold "Dynamite" Payson, he had a section on bulding your own. It maybe an experiment, from my old Experimental Aircraft Association days, but I will and have learned something new. I purchased Ash 1 15/16 "x 8 " x 10 feet ,2 boards Close to $150 . I have two cut out and shaped (hexagon shaft) 2 oars am waiting on the epoxy cure to sand and finish. Just today I scarfed a section of the remaining pieces, glued with Weldwood Marine Resorcinal for my spare oar and believe I have enough out of the original boards to get a 4th oar. Will see how strong this joint will be. The scarf was about 44 inches and the side peices to the paddles we about 36 inches all that was clamped together. I think I posted some pictures on my site of oars? If I can get a 4th oar will be about $50 a peice with epoxy varnish etc. I guess the real test would be those lovely sounding waters of other states than Kansas lakes. Steve
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Will try to send pictures. Also the brass bushing and collared bushing I purchased locally over sized the hole in the oar lock block. the oar lock is 5/8 " the outside dimension of the bushing is 3/4 " I drilled the bock part way and stopped and drilled throuth the block with a 5/8 bit so there is a shoulder of wood in the hole that way the bushing won't go on through. Steve
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Awesome feedback!
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