We have long since abandoned the first set of oars we used with Sea Shadow. They were short, carbon fibre oars that used gated, swivel oarlocks. Some of us miss rowing with those oars, being able to feather the blades added another dimension to the rowing stroke. Unfortunately they were not acceptable under the SCRA racing rules so the following winter we built our first set of wooden oars. Heavier and significantly longer than the carbon, they use a single thole pin and a plate attached to the oar. Any concerns we had rowing with these long, heavy oars were soon put to rest when the majority of our members preferred rowing with them. The most significant benefit was the increase in boat speed. This past winter saw the completion of our second skiff, Sea Spirit. A second set of wooden oars were built for her, that are longer again, especially on the inboard length. The balance was improved, they weighed less and were also more flexible. The women preferred the new oars but the men found the #2 and #3 oars a little too flexible. Back into the shop to build a third set, keeping all the dimensions as the last but hopefully a little stiffer. They should be ready for next Tuesday’s row when they will be put to the test.
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