Rowing the DS II

[talbot]

I like to have the option of using oars on my DSII. The problem is that there is no good place to mount the oarlocks.

On my last boat, I through- bolted the combing. After seeing how how thin the skin was (and cracking the gel coat), I went in and installed a block of wood inside the combing. It was a wretched job. The inside surface of combing is not even. Globs of resin and lumps of roving prevent anything from fitting well. It took clay molds and lots of whittling.

I've got another DS II now and want to install oarlocks again. I thought I might try just lining the outer wall of the combing with oak, but even that surface was messy enough that I'm back to my through-bolt strategy. Anyone come up with a better system?

I read an article in Sailing some years back about equipping a DS I with a sliding seat and oarlocks, but I don't want anything that intrusive. This is just something to use occasionally when I'm by myself and need to get off a lee shore on a windy day, or back to the dock in a dead calm.

[algonquin]

I am not versed on installing oar locks on the DS II however the beam seams to be a bit wide to use oars to any good advantage. Especially considering the seating arrangement.

On my DSI I use long wooden canoe paddles instead of oars. They don’t require any mounting point and can be used from several positions. If I have a crew member aboard one will guide the tiller while the other can paddle off one side of the boat. If I am alone I lash the tiller to center and paddle from a kneeling position on the foredeck and adjust my direction by shifting the paddle from port to starboard as needed. I have used this method with great success in a variety of conditions. Brad

[talbot]

Brad:
Thanks. Actually I had my last DS equipped with oars and they worked fine. I found them much more efficient than paddles. 8-footers fit nicely into the cockpit lashed to eyestraps against the tanks when not in use. The oars have plenty of reach, and have allowed me to recover more or less gracefully from some otherwise messy situations. (e.g., sailing really far out on a fresh breeze that dies to nothing, or anchoring in a narrow inlet that turns out to be a surfable lee shore the next day). Those occurances are rare enough that I don't want to lug a motor around, but memorable enough that I would like to be able to row my present boat.

You're right--the seating is an issue. I use an old, stiff floatable cushion (you know, the required "throwable device") to sit on the CB trunk between the jib and main cleats. Once I get the oarlocks on (and it sounds like I'm destined to repeat my tedious installation procedure), maybe I'll consider devising a more ergonomic platform.

[Baysailer]

I don't know if sculling is the answer but might be worth a try.

http://councill.home.mindspring.com/sbj ... cull1.html

I used to watch an old timer years ago who used to get in and out of a bay by sculling. I didn't know what it was and he was the only one I ever saw do it. It was slow but graceful.

Fred

[talbot]

I'll think about it, maybe as an emergency procedure. I have broken an oarlock before.

[adam aunins]

If you can please post pictures of your install when you're done. I've toyed with the idea of oars mainly for the exercise and tranquility it offers.

Fred thanks for the sculling post that is something I would like to try sometime. I don't think it would be to hard to make a clamp on oar lock for the transom of a DS so if a person didn't like it they could just un-clamp it and no harm would be done to the boat.

[algonquin]

If you can please post pictures of your install when you're done. I've toyed with the idea of oars mainly for the exercise and tranquility it offers.

Fred thanks for the sculling post that is something I would like to try sometime. I don't think it would be to hard to make a clamp on oar lock for the transom of a DS so if a person didn't like it they could just un-clamp it and no harm would be done to the boat.

The sculling idea works and goes back many years. You may be able to do it without an actual oar and oar lock.

I had a 23 foot sloop that had a rudder similar to the DS that could be raised then locked into the upright position with a rope and a cleat. Many times I was able to use the tiller and gently move it back and forth and use the rudder much like a fish tail. In light winds it would move the 23 footer forward with minimum effort. I’ll have to try that with the DS. Brad

[talbot]

OK. I'm thinking it may be time for a new approach. The problem is that the interior fiberglass is too uneven at the corners for a good fit of a solid piece of wood or other material. However, I should be able to bridge the gap inside the combing at any one point. So my current plan is to cut lengths of rigid tubing (PVC or aluminum) to just fit the interior space. Then I'll through-bolt the combing with the bolts inside the tubing. The bolts hold the oarlocks on the outside surface, and the tubing resists the compression of the nuts so I don't crush the combing. That's the theory anyway. I'll let you know if it works. If it doesn't I'll be back here looking for advice on fiberglass repair and sculling technique.

[adam aunins]

I wonder if you had access ports into the seat tanks if you could turn the boat upside down, use clay to make some dam's in the combing and then fill the area with resin filled with glass strands or something making a solid block in the area you wished to mount your locks. Now you would have to b a contortionist to make this work but it's an idea.

[talbot]

Sure, there are access ports. Everything begins with access ports. God made Eden with an access port.

I think filling the combing with resin would work. However, I have avoided careening the hull because I don't have a good place to do that. (See Roger's book for how to move the boat around on its trailer to get access to the CB.)

Another possibility would be to take an undersized block of hardwood, slather it with epoxy putty, and shove it up into the combing. The theory here is that the putty will fill any gaps. And in my dreams, I make enough money to call up Cape Cod Shipbuilding and have them build me a new boat with all my projects incorporated into the hull from the start.

[talbot]

Update on the rowing project: I used PVC tubing to bridge the gap inside the combing. The through-bolts run inside the tubing. Looks OK; we'll see how it holds up. The wind has been great every time I've been out, so I haven't had to row anywhere yet.

[adam aunins]

The wind has been great every time I've been out, so I haven't had to row anywhere yet.

Funny how it always seems to work out that way, if you leave the oars at home the wind will die out on you.

[persephone]

"Everything begins with access ports. God made Eden with an access port."

Reminds me of a joke...
A surgeon, who was quite fond of old cars, decided to take an auto repair course at the local school. He did ok, but was always a bit slow. The final project was to completely rebuild an engine. Predictably he was the last to finish, but much to the surprise of the other students was given an A+ for the whole course. The other students went to the instructor in protest, pointing out how slow the surgeon had been. The instructor replied "Sure, it took him 10 times as long as any of you to rebuild the engine from that car. But none of you performed the whole rebuild through the tailpipe!"

Anyway, I too am interested in the oar idea. How did the pipe backing work?

[njsurfboat]

Ive been using break in half carlisle oars on my Ds 2 for several years. Lifeguard boat style. Bronze angle mount 1/2 inch oarlocks mounted out board on the combing, and I sit uncomfortably on the trunk just aft of the cabin opening. Usually a foam pad or boat cushion under my rear. I think I experimented and cut the oars down to 8.5 feet. I can furnish the correct location of the oarlocks if you wish.

[owldraco]

I know that you can't just screw/ bolt into the fiberglass. You would have to go into a wood block or something. But where exactly? The coming, outside or on the ridge. And how far back from the cuddy? I have an idea for a seat to go across the CB trunk. Oars would have come in handy the last time we went out.
Andrew
Central KY