Fisherman's Oars, a Documented Build

Posted by Charlie43 on
URL: http://riverswest-forums.266.s1.nabble.com/Fisherman-s-Oars-a-Documented-Build-tp582.html

In a separate thread, I covered a tiny bit of oar theory as applied to propelling a small, single-user rowboat meant to be a fly-casting platform. The key points were these:

(1) Flat blades are preferred, because much of the rowing will be done by moving backwards  (aka, using  'push rowing') to set up for the next cast.
(2) Shorter oars are preferred, for being easier to get out of the way when casting or when netting a fish.
(3) The oars need to be pinned or indexed to the oarlock, so they don't float away when casting and don't need to be re-oriented when rowing is resumed.
(4) The oars have to be balanced so the tip self-immerses to a proper working depth.
(5) Additionally, the grip has to be comfortable, and the gearing ratio has to be appropriate to one's strength and conditioning.  

What I'm going to build is a pair of 6.5's using a pair of 8' foot cedar fence boards.

First Question: Where to buy the fence boards? I've had good luck at "big box stores" like Lowes and Hone Depot.

Next question: When to buy 'em? Winter time,  when stocks are plentiful and there is plenty to choose from.

Next problem: The boards are going to be green. That means a couple months of air-drying. Also, expect some splitting and cracking. So buy twice what you need and use the discards for other projects, like framing a pram.

Economics: A single Caviness oar costs around $40, and it will need to be reworked to be usable. A 5/8" x 5-1/2" x 8" fence board runs around $7 bucks. Add $3 bucks for glue, screws, varnish, and shop consumables. So, for about one-quarter the cost and no more labor than reworking a Caviness blade, a fisherman's oar could be built.

Note: If you want a pair of truly beautiful oars, rather than merely a good tool for a specific job, then triple your material costs and triple your labor.