avoiding a motor
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 8:00 am
I don't know if I can accomplish it, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to avoid hanging a motor on the back of my boat (if I ever finish it ). Lots of reasons, but at the top of the list are avoiding fossil-fuel use and the expense. (If I do have to buy a motor I'm definitely going with the Lehr propane-powered model--thanks to "Captain Charlie" for showing me that.) Here are a couple ideas I've been bouncing around and I'd like some feedback from more experienced boaters:
1. Sculling oar. I have very little experience with sculling, but from what little I have it doesn't seem to me that I could generate enough power with it to maneuver around a crowded dock on a windy day. It can get pretty windy out here in Oklahoma, and I just don't see how I could make any headway sculling against say, a 15 knot wind--and what if the wind increased while I was out sailing? A side wind of that magnitude or higher could make it a lot more dangerous around a dock or some other hazard. I have read about a tilting sculling oar mount that, if it works as advertised, reduces the learning curve by quite a bit. Has anyone used one of these? (I wish I could remember where I saw it--might have been on Duckworks.)
2. One-side paddling. Here's something I thought of while discussing this with my wife this morning. I got the idea from Venetian gondolas, which are slightly curved so the gondolier only has to row on one side. Using a tiller clutch I could set the tiller to make the boat want to turn slightly to starboard. Then I could paddle on one side only. With a good paddle I'm pretty sure I could generate enough thrust, and I think I could get more control than by sculling. If I need to turn to port, paddle harder. If I need to turn to starboard, ease up. (I decided on paddling on the starboard side since I am right-handed, but it would be easy enough to move the tiller and paddle on the port side when necessary.)
Please let me know your thoughts about these ideas, or maybe there is a better way I haven't thought of. Thanks!
1. Sculling oar. I have very little experience with sculling, but from what little I have it doesn't seem to me that I could generate enough power with it to maneuver around a crowded dock on a windy day. It can get pretty windy out here in Oklahoma, and I just don't see how I could make any headway sculling against say, a 15 knot wind--and what if the wind increased while I was out sailing? A side wind of that magnitude or higher could make it a lot more dangerous around a dock or some other hazard. I have read about a tilting sculling oar mount that, if it works as advertised, reduces the learning curve by quite a bit. Has anyone used one of these? (I wish I could remember where I saw it--might have been on Duckworks.)
2. One-side paddling. Here's something I thought of while discussing this with my wife this morning. I got the idea from Venetian gondolas, which are slightly curved so the gondolier only has to row on one side. Using a tiller clutch I could set the tiller to make the boat want to turn slightly to starboard. Then I could paddle on one side only. With a good paddle I'm pretty sure I could generate enough thrust, and I think I could get more control than by sculling. If I need to turn to port, paddle harder. If I need to turn to starboard, ease up. (I decided on paddling on the starboard side since I am right-handed, but it would be easy enough to move the tiller and paddle on the port side when necessary.)
Please let me know your thoughts about these ideas, or maybe there is a better way I haven't thought of. Thanks!