Oars for inflatable?

[Mudhook]

My Wetline 370 needs new oars. Trouble is, the ones fitted are two-part and joined with a button that pops into a hole. And round the holes is where all the corrosion is.

What I want is a pair of non-jointed oars, with a hole through where the rowlock pin goes. All of the ones I've seen without joints are designed for rowlocks that are a kind of rubber cradle round the oar.

Wooden ones are no good because the rowlock hole will weaken them. Has anyone seen a source of one-and-a-quarter diameter oars, or know where I can get 1.25-inch anodised tubing? East coast preferred.

Regards, Mudhook.

 

[maxi77]

Try http://www.polymarine.com/index.cfm for all things related to dinghies

 

[Searush]

Wooden ones will be fine, if you sleeve them with a bit of alloy tube before you drill them.

 

[Talbot]

one alternative:
wood inside the existing oars. (will help them float if they go overboard!!!
strip of thicker ali, or even stainless with duralac between either side of where the hole is thickness and width as looks right, length sufficient to reinforce the area of corrosion.
drill through and use - cheap and cheerfull

 

[BobnLesley]

Expanding on Talbot's comments, you can easily timber core the existing corroded oars; I've done it on my own and for a couple of other people too:-

On aluminium oars a brush/boathook shaft (circa 1" diameter?) seems a snug fit in the male half of the two piece oars. Cut an 8" length, tap it halfway into the male section of the oar and drill/fix with one or two screws, wrap some masking tape around the exposed half to slightly build up the diameter, push female half of oar over and again fix with a couple of screws; if you need a hole through for a pin/bolt type rowlock, this can be drilled wherever you like, it'll be stronger than it was originally.
As I said, I've used this technique on a corroded set of two piece oars, a set which had actually snapped (I left the broken off male stub where it was) and also to convert a pair of one piece oars into two-parters - cut in half, file sharp edges from the cut just keep one end of timber core greased so it slips on/off easily and only use a single screw to secure and still allow quick disassembly. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Drascomber]

Most inflatable dinghies have oars that are too short.
If yours are too then this is the time . . .

 

[Slow_boat]

I made mine out of a lenght of old bannister rail and a bit of plywood. They work a treat and are long enough.