Oar design

[MiddleAgesMan]

I am going to make the 9 foot oars my Goat Island Skiff requires and I've been surfing the web for info. I came across Herb Payson's series of pics about making oars a few weeks ago but just noticed something that seems odd to me. Go here:

http://www.instantboats.com/images/oars3.jpg

Notice the lines he's working to to thickness the blades. The lines to the left of center show the thickness to be greatest along the centerline and tapering out to the edges but the line to the right of center appears straight. I always assumed oars that aren't spoon shaped are symetrical but it appears his are going to be flat on one face with a shallow tapered shape on the other.

Is this common?

[Andrew]

It looks like he intending to put a rib on the aft face.

[Paul Scheuer]

I think it's an optical illusion. He's got the tip of the blade rounded, with the profile sketched on the curved surface. From the camara angle the right face profile looks like a straight line. Or maybe not.

[ebent05]

Michael Storer has oar plans (pdf) for your GIS http://www.storerboatplans.com/Paddles/FreePaddle.html Scroll down to almost of the bottom of the page for the oar plans.

Ed

[Boatmik]

Howdy - the oars are a cross between Herreshoff and Culler.

Or rather, the design with the heavier inboard end is - ie the less "economical" of the two looms.

The less economical will also be the nicest to use.

Michael Storer

[Paul Scheuer]

Optical illusion theory confirmed. Notice that the horizontal dimensions of the layout, at the center and corners, are the same, left and right. If you lay a straightedge on the right-hand face, you'll see the curve.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn278/PaulScheuer/WBFOars.jpg

[MiddleAgesMan]

Yeah, I can see it now. It appears certain a symetrical blade is his intention and the camera has distorted the lines.

I have downloaded the Storer oar plans but I have no 3mm okoume (and am a little concerned about wide spoons on 9') so I'm going to build traditional solid oars.

[Pagie]

Or they could be like this set on the west coast of Ireland. I noticed most of the oars there were half round on one side and flat on the other.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/24/42170867_c6af6f5ee0.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/252274663_a41d684bd7_o.jpg