Folding Schooner Rowing
Leander,
When I built my schooner in 1978, I was able to buy two
12inx24inx10ft blocks of styrofoam from the Sears catalog and picked
them up and carried them home from the catalog store two blocks from
my house. Sears sold them in their boating catalog to use in making
swimming rafts and floating docks. Times have changed. I cut odd
shaped pieces for the small bow decked area and bought an expanding
foam mix to do under the aft deck where the outboard goes because
styrofoam melts if gasoline gets on it. I put eight blocks total
under the center decks. They are loose enough to pull out and bounce
out of place on the road, but they are quite useful as rowing seats.
The oars are approx 7ft6in to 8ft long and were just stock unfinished
oars from a local boating store. I do not see them any more. The
ones from KMart seem to be much more fragile. I located the oarlocks
by sitting in the boat and holding the oar over the side. I first
used pinned oarlocks, but they were not good. When I built the
Gloucester Gull rowboat, I found info that said the rowlocks should
be located 10in to 10-1/2in aft of the after edge of the seat, if
that is any help to you. Sorry I have no specific details for you.
Do what you need to do to make it work!
Have fun finishing and using the boat.
Rich Sharp
When I built my schooner in 1978, I was able to buy two
12inx24inx10ft blocks of styrofoam from the Sears catalog and picked
them up and carried them home from the catalog store two blocks from
my house. Sears sold them in their boating catalog to use in making
swimming rafts and floating docks. Times have changed. I cut odd
shaped pieces for the small bow decked area and bought an expanding
foam mix to do under the aft deck where the outboard goes because
styrofoam melts if gasoline gets on it. I put eight blocks total
under the center decks. They are loose enough to pull out and bounce
out of place on the road, but they are quite useful as rowing seats.
The oars are approx 7ft6in to 8ft long and were just stock unfinished
oars from a local boating store. I do not see them any more. The
ones from KMart seem to be much more fragile. I located the oarlocks
by sitting in the boat and holding the oar over the side. I first
used pinned oarlocks, but they were not good. When I built the
Gloucester Gull rowboat, I found info that said the rowlocks should
be located 10in to 10-1/2in aft of the after edge of the seat, if
that is any help to you. Sorry I have no specific details for you.
Do what you need to do to make it work!
Have fun finishing and using the boat.
Rich Sharp