sarabande
Well-Known Member
Is she set up for thole pins, gig-style ?
New apron and stem advice
- Thread starter fisherman
- Start date
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Yes, I should have realised she is older than originally thought as she had pins, so same again. You can see the pin bottom end supports...(Ssshh, they are plastic, as are three of the frames...). In fact many of the falmouth river men used a steel peg for'd, with a wood pin aft, which could break if you got jammed up against another boat. While working they would sheave, standing and pushing the oars, rather than rowing. They dropped astern from an anchor, then dropped the dredge, and hauled the boat up to the anchor with a 'wink'.
some pics and info:
https://www.faloyster.co.uk/pages/traditional-methods
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
A question out of curiosity, if I may.
Here in Malta one only sees rowlocks on some inflatables. Traditional boats use a single thole pin in front of which the oar is fitted, secured with a plaited strop of three strands of hemp (treated with some kind of tar and smelling of creosote) that is then lubricated with grease or fat. There is a special knot to make a double loop in this strop; secure, easily adjustable and its construction is based upon a 'lark's head'.
My question is this: "Do you use a similar system in your country? If so, what is it called? If not, how do you secure the oar to the pin?
Thanks.
Here in Malta one only sees rowlocks on some inflatables. Traditional boats use a single thole pin in front of which the oar is fitted, secured with a plaited strop of three strands of hemp (treated with some kind of tar and smelling of creosote) that is then lubricated with grease or fat. There is a special knot to make a double loop in this strop; secure, easily adjustable and its construction is based upon a 'lark's head'.
My question is this: "Do you use a similar system in your country? If so, what is it called? If not, how do you secure the oar to the pin?
Thanks.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
I've always thought that should be a thing, here, but never seen it, except when a rowlock was lost and the oar was tied to the hole. There were boats with a sculling notch, raised wood with an open topped hole in each berth, only seen here on the transom for sculling. Our oars are allowed to rattle back and forth between two pins
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
Here is a photo that shows how the oar is held to the thole pin:
And here you can see the oars in operation (you can skip the first 30 seconds)
If you are interested in how the knot of the strop is tied I can take a couple of photos later.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
An interesting point: the oar is attached to the pin. Monty Halls in his TV prog tried a rowing challenge in Ireland, he broke a thole pin. The same thing happened when he got in a gig with our lot. The reason is his poor technique: if you watch a good rower he drops the oar into the water 'dead' and then in a millisecond starts to pull. Monty, good upper body strength, tended to hit the water with the blade, so lifting the paddle up the pin and giving it a shock when it hit the water.
neil_s
Well-Known Member
Well done keeping the boat in use! You mention rowing 'randan' - a system with three oars men, bow and stroke pulling one oar each and the middle man pulling two oars, thus balancing the 'pull' on each side of the boat. Something I've often wondered - do you need a cox to steer or does the middle oarsman also control the course of the boat? Sounds like hard work for the middle man whatever!
fisherman
Well-Known Member
The bow man steers, a long reach ahead to shove the bow away from his oar, or shortens his stroke for the opposite. Of course, on marks every one steers, including stroke backing his oar well astern as a sort of rudder, depending on where your nearest opposition is. It's pair of oars, pair of paddles, the paddles are in the middle, and shorter.
I think the gigs have given up on tossing the bow oar on marks.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Here is a photo that shows how the oar is held to the thole pin:
And here you can see the oars in operation (you can skip the first 30 seconds)
If you are interested in how the knot of the strop is tied I can take a couple of photos later.
The oar is really badly worn from turning it in the rope, you can see the detail with an expanded youtube link at the very end, I think he needs leathers. Anyone know where to buy leather by the way, googling gets me expensive gig stuff. There must be an alternative in synthetic.
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
Find a damaged yot fender. Cut into appropriate-sized slices. The inside face is usually pristine - for a while. Fasten to oars 'traditionally'.
Use other slices for spreader-end and stanchion-top protection.
Cheap as chips....
You're welcome.
neil_s
Well-Known Member
Collars sell man-sized heat-shrink tube - but you don't need to pay their prices!