Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
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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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on
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Having no "white water" experience, I can only comment on rivers and coastal rowing. Some time back on a forum a guide said he found a source for stainless steel oar locks because he was springing his bronze locks open. I said this was BS- and he corrected me that it can happen. Given that ,I wonder if spruce oars would stand up to extreme stresses.
I made a set of 9' ash oars for the peapod- they are a little heavy but having the grandsons usiing them as push poles off barnicle covered rocks they have held up well. While they row well, they don't have the "life" of my spruce 8'. These were made by a lobsterman (dead more than 15 years) of northern white spruce. The ends are a little chewed up and there is a split in one blade. They are a joy to use on flat water.
I would think ash (or composits) for whitewater and spruce for average conditions.
Then again I may be full of BS too.
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Permalink Reply by mark hilbert on
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I'm trying to figure out what size oars to use for my Rapid Robert. I used my 9' raft oars on my first trip and they seem to be way to long. I'm thinking of buying 8' oars, there is a set of used 7'4" oars on Craigslist for $75 in Denver, I would try out my 8'6" oars but I'm down to one as I loaned out one as a spare last summer and it was lost and never replaced. I'm wondering what anyone else with a Rapid Robert rows with, my yellow Carlisles are a real eye sore against my wood boat. Like a fool I ordered a set of 9' spruce oars for $99 shipped on ebay before I even put the boat on the water, now that they're here I know they're too long and they seem pretty light weight and maybe too brittle for my harsh punishment.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sheirbon on
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8-1/2 works well for my Rapid Robert, I have Smokers, a set of ash and a set of spruce. Spruce is really nice and light with good feel, but not so durable. Great for Oregon coastal rivers, but the ash set comes in handy for rocky rivers and low water.
Also, it's easy to shorten oars, just cut and carve a new handle taper. I've used a Makita 4"sander.
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thanks kevin, do you think 8-1/2 is good or should I go 8'. I've noticed that my RR is a lot narrower than my raft and frame hence I have a lot more oar outside the lock and it is quite heavy. I may start to cut down those 9' soon and read a little more here about rope wrapping them and give that a try also.
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Mark -
My 14' RR measures 65" oarlock to oarlock, and with the gunnel block its side height at the lock is 26", so an 8' oar has a steep angle to the water and less leverage. A 9' oar is tip heavy, so for me an 8-1/2 is right.
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Kevin, just measured my boat 62" at oarlocks, 25 -1/2" off floor and seat sits 19-1/2" off floor. Just measured my raft frame and it's 72" at oarlocks. Also I like to row with my oarlocks close to the seat so I can lean back and/or get leverage to move quickly or fight the wind. Can't wait to get her out on a multi-dayer. Thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Hepler on
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For drift fishing I have a pair of 9'6" premieroars on a kingfisher, Fir shafts and carbon fiber blades. They are perfectly balanced, and the best rowing blades I have ever rowed. They are light, tapered shaft, with just a little flex, and strong as you can get and they will replace them for free if you ever snap one while rowing. And for shallow water there isn't even a close second.
premieroars.com
scott
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Permalink Reply by Joe Dengler on
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Anyone built laminated oars for whitewater? Need some 10footers for my briggs.
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Permalink Reply by lhedrick on
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Joe,
The spruce oars from Barkley were laminated from several pieces. The entire oar including the shafts were laminated. The only thing different about them was the blade shape. The blades were small.
It has been suggested that spruce might not be durable enough. As a stitch and glue builder here I come with the glass everything point of view again. My light ash oars have glass on the blade surfaces and extra glass tape over the edges. After 10 year the glass has taken many hits on the rocks. I just keep grinding out the soft spots and add more glass or thickened epoxy. None of the damage has ever reached the wood.
While carbon is too brittle for any place where damage can occur, it will do a lot to stiffen blades.
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Spruce is durable. Perhaps I should have mentioned that my boat and its spruce oars are 30 years old. They have a bit of patina, but still look good and work perfectly. No glass, just an occasional refinish.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Finnell on
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Kevin, I am a Rapid Roberts nut. Like to see some pictures and history about the old girl. Rick
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Permalink Reply by Charles Ray Heater on
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Kevin:
Thanks for confirming the spruce oars. About 40 years ago Keith Steele sold me on spruce oars. At that time I used oars manufactured by Lester. They are not in business now. I still have those oars but because they are 9' I do not use them on boats with a gunwale width of 72" or less. The Lester oars were 2" in shaft dimension and the blades were less than 6" wide. The oar tips were soaked in oil when not in use. I like these oars and I will not sell them.
Presently I use and sell Barkley Sound oars. They are laminated spruce with the same blade dimension as the Lester. We treat the oar tips in the same manner. Spruce oars are light in weight and strong (think sail boat masts). I have never broken one. The 6" blade allows for easy "feathering" or "stirring" the water when used. I have never cared for a broad oar blade as most composite or ash oars have. I think that type of blade is affected by wind.
Keep a finish on your oars, leave the handles raw, and soak the blades when the oars are not in use.
Ray
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