oarlock placement

[Pernicious Atavist]

well, the skiff is coming right along-planking the bottom right now.
soon i'll have to locate the oarlocks. how do i determine the placment?
thanks, y'all! :cool:

[StevenBauer]

Um, check the plans? (ducking now) :D

Steven

[Pernicious Atavist]

no plans, it's "styled after" another. :rolleyes:

[tidmarsh]

Jim Michalak has an essay on the subject here:
Rowboat Setup (http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/1jun05.htm)

[Thad]

Gerald Smith said "Some say 12" aft of the edge of the thwart, others 15" aft of the center of the thwart. Thwart 6 " below the rail." Something like that.

[ 06-18-2005, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: Thad ]

[Pernicious Atavist]

got it! thanks!

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Agree with Thad. I used 11" abaft the aft side of the thwart and 12" would have been better.

I recommend Pete Culler's advice to make the oars "too long" so you have to dip one hand on the recovery.

[Pernicious Atavist]

i guess "too long" is better than too short--one can always cross hands as sugggested.

[Ian McColgin]

Capt Pete's method is to provide that little bit of improved leverage. The hands are both centerline, one above the other.

For leverage on an even longer oar, some go right across to the "wrong" hand. This takes some getting used to but with the right oar it will give amazing power.

For normal oarlock placement, I like about 11" abaft the rear edge of the thwart, but I like to sit further back, a little less thigh on the thwart, than many. For perfect sizing, sit on the thwart, plant your feet comfortably, and rock back and forth. Move about a little to fine where you like it. Now y ou can mark you foot brace location. The oarlocks should be exactly abeam of where your hands are if you sit erect, upper arms straight down and forarms out horizontal towards the boat's stern.

I like the height of the oar lock to be no lower than that position and no higher than fists just below the sternum.

G'luck

[Paul Scheuer]

Why not mount the oar locks to temporary pads, C clamp them to approximately where you think they might go, then try them out. This would get them fine tuned for you instead of an average human, plus it would get you on the water sooner.