oars for rowing an enterprise

[SebLeney]

Hi, This is my first post so hopefully i am putting this in the right place. I have a GRP enterprise dinghy i think from the 70s/80s, and i want try rowing it! There are a few trips i am planning for futre adventures one of them being the caladonian cannal.

I have 2 questions. 1, do enterprises actually row that well? i understand its probably not the best boat for the job but its what ive got. 2, what oars should i get? I have been dinghy sailing for a few years but am totaly new to rowing and i have no clue whats best?

thanks,

Seb.

 

[Boathook]

Do you have somewhere central to sit in the enterprise and how would you mount the rowlocks ?

I suspect that the oars will be quite long due to the height of the oars above the water and the ones sold by the chandler's will be to short.

I seem to remember that quite a few years ago there was a "formula" for calculating best oar length.

 

[jwilson]

I once owned a nice wooden Enterprise with two sets of sails, racing and smaller "cruising" sails. It also had proper brass rowlocks and two wooden oars that tucked in with the blades wedged in to the sides of the bow buoyancy bag, and the handle ends went under the sidedecks about as far aft as you sat when helming under sail - ie quite long.

It did not row as well as a real rowing boat but quite adequately, it seemed best to have just a few inches of the centreboard down to give some "keel", though to sit comfortably on the forward thwart you had to have more CB down than that! On one occasion instead of totally lifting the rudder blade I lashed the tiller amidships with again a few inches of the bottom/aft end of the rudder down, which helped tracking under oars. Didn't actually row that much as the Enterprise was pretty good in light airs with the full racing rig. I normally did use the full rig even singlehanded.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Jack_Holt's_Enterprise_Dinghy_'E2'_6365.JPG shows an early Enterprise with the little brass sockets for rowlocks on the sidedeck.

 

[dunedin]

I once owned a nice wooden Enterprise with two sets of sails, racing and smaller "cruising" sails. It also had proper brass rowlocks and two wooden oars that tucked in with the blades wedged in to the sides of the bow buoyancy bag, and the handle ends went under the sidedecks about as far aft as you sat when helming under sail - ie quite long.

It did not row as well as a real rowing boat but quite adequately, it seemed best to have just a few inches of the centreboard down to give some "keel", though to sit comfortably on the forward thwart you had to have more CB down than that! On one occasion instead of totally lifting the rudder blade I lashed the tiller amidships with again a few inches of the bottom/aft end of the rudder down, which helped tracking under oars. Didn't actually row that much as the Enterprise was pretty good in light airs with the full racing rig. I normally did use the full rig even singlehanded.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Jack_Holt's_Enterprise_Dinghy_'E2'_6365.JPG shows an early Enterprise with the little brass sockets for rowlocks on the sidedeck.

Easy enough for 2 people to row, one sitting each side of the centreboard case.
One person sitting on the middle has the choice of being sliced, by sitting on the sharp thin edge of the raised centreboard - or putting the centreboard fully down and having key body parts seriously crushed if run aground. Neither recommended.

 

[Sandy]

Hello and welcome

You may want to contact the Caledonian Canal and discuss your plans. As a child I lived near the Corpach Basin and there is no way I'd want to be in a lock in a wee boat while it was filled or emptied. Two police divers were killed diving on a lock with a full diving team!

Portage round Neptune's Staircase would be a interesting endurance test.

Caledonian Canal
Seaport Marina
Muirtown Wharf
Inverness
IV3 5LE

Tel: 01463 725 500
(Mon – Fri 9-5)

caledonian@scottishcanals.co.uk

 

[dunedin]

Hello and welcome

You may want to contact the Caledonian Canal and discuss your plans. As a child I lived near the Corpach Basin and there is no way I'd want to be in a lock in a wee boat while it was filled or emptied. Two police divers were killed diving on a lock with a full diving team!

Portage round Neptune's Staircase would be a interesting endurance test.

Caledonian Canal
Seaport Marina
Muirtown Wharf
Inverness
IV3 5LE

Tel: 01463 725 500
(Mon – Fri 9-5)

caledonian@scottishcanals.co.uk

I have seen small boats including Wayfarer in the canal, so suspect Enterprise wouldn’t be an issue if insured and crew with lifejackets on. Lock keepers adjust flow to suit boats - and skills (?) of crews, such as in rental boats. And going uphill always less turbulent at back of lock. Seen a jet ski go through one of the canals last year, can’t remember which one.
Transiting Loch Ness in any breeze would be more of an issue. Or indeed the centreboard case issue noted above.

 

[Sandy]

I have seen small boats including Wayfarer in the canal, so suspect Enterprise wouldn’t be an issue if insured and crew with lifejackets on. Lock keepers adjust flow to suit boats - and skills (?) of crews, such as in rental boats. And going uphill always less turbulent at back of lock. Seen a jet ski go through one of the canals last year, can’t remember which one.
Transiting Loch Ness in any breeze would be more of an issue. Or indeed the centreboard case issue noted above.

In the canal or in the locks? Particularly thinking of Neptune's Staircase at Banavie.

We all have our own risk assessment.

 

[Poignard]

When I had a sailing dinghy I used to use a paddle to move it when there was no wind: the type of paddle used with Canadian canoes.

That worked well enough.

Another option would be sculling it, or using a yuloh. The Yuloh

 

[dunedin]

In the canal or in the locks? Particularly thinking of Neptune's Staircase at Banavie.

We all have our own risk assessment.

There are places to lift kayaks out to avoid the locks, but not for anything bigger.

Some pretty small boats wen through in the Sail Caledonia Raid over the years - eg 2019 Entries

 

[Sandy]

There are places to lift kayaks out to avoid the locks, but not for anything bigger.

Some pretty small boats wen through in the Sail Caledonia Raid over the years - eg 2019 Entries

It was mainly fishing boats when I was a lad. Times change.

From my last visit.

 

[ylop]

You may want to contact the Caledonian Canal and discuss your plans. As a child I lived near the Corpach Basin and there is no way I'd want to be in a lock in a wee boat while it was filled or emptied.

The Canal are no strangers to dinghies going through as Dunedin says - either with an entire lock full of dinghies or I’ve seen a dinghy lashed alongside a friendly yacht. You may be easier pulling through the locks with some really long rope than rowing.

On top of what’s been said - you’ll need to think about where/how you mount the rowlocks and storage of the oars when you are not rowing. Canal needs fenders too - so storage starts to become a premium.

 

[MisterBaxter]

I've rowed a Wanderer a fair distance, which is a similar size and shape to an Ent although probably heavier. You need long oars, I think 8' from memory. I used one-piece wooden oars and found them easy enough to stow with the blades under the foredeck and the shafts running back under the side seats, tied up under the seats with short lengths of cord.
The boat came fitted with locking rowlocks, which were helpful - the rowlocks are easy to lose! If not locking, a bit of cord tied through the foot of the rowlock can secure it in various ways. There were also clips under the seats to stow the rowlocks when not in use.
I happily rowed her mast up in a dead calm for a couple of miles at a time, but the lightest breeze made sailing a better option. But the oars were ideal for getting in and out of tight places and vastly simpler and more pleasant than an outboard
With the mast down rowing is a lot easier in any wind. The rudder and centreboard add enough drag that you notice it, so keep them tilted up!
If you're fitting the rowlock sockets, fit them as far outboard as you can. The traditional location is 12" rowlocks to b****cks, measuring back from the aft edge of the thwart you plan to sit on.

 

[MisterBaxter]

Just checked and 8' is indeed standard for a Wanderer but some say that 9' is better. I can see that - you've got loads of leverage with a beamy boat.

 

[William_H]

Get longest oars available like 8ft. You could try oars that dismantle but I would not trust them. Solid wood is good. As said rowlocks as far out board as possible.
Your seating position is important. A sliding seat with foot rest would be good. However if you want to retain the ability to sail then it all gets complicated.
Re portage I have fitted wheels to my ali dinghy mounted on struts up ward from transom (so permanent ) which makes to easy to pull the dinghy up side down by the bow. However it would mean you have to take out all the gear and carry.
So buy good oars and fit rowlocks then get some experience rowing to find your personal preferences. ol'will

 

[dansaskip]

I used to row my Wanderer dinghy too. Not sure of the length of oars solid wood ones but they both fitted inside along the floorboards. Don't use plastic rowlocks they are next to useless get metal ones. Lahnakosk, a finish company make good oars and they are available in UK from good chandleries .

 

[benjenbav]

As has been said by others, the configuration of the centreboard in an Enterprise makes it difficult.

The aft thwart is too close to the stern to make a good position from which to row and the forward thwart is compromised by the centreboard of which, when raised, its trailing edge is above the top of its case and the case itself (aft of the forward thwart) will not be a comfortable place to sit, let alone row - even with the centreboard partially lowered.

I think it would be necessary to make a new thwart - could be built as a removable item - that would sit above the forward thwart and the centreboard in its raised position.

This would be quite a lot of trouble to construct and I would be afraid that the result would not be worth it.

My father had two Enterprises - kept for quite a few years - when I was a boy and we never did try to row them.

We did use one with an outboard (Seagull, naturally) and that was not very satisfactory. I can’t remember if it was because the boat was disinclined to track straight or that it was reluctant to turn - pretty sure we tried various centreboard positions.

 

[oldbloke]

Most, possibly all, the old grp enterprises had the mid cockpit thwart which was rotten for racing but gave more support to the centreboard case and was probably better for general use. Certainly less painful to the nether regions when rowing. I suspect a booster seat would give a better angle to the oars

 

[benjenbav]

Most, possibly all, the old grp enterprises had the mid cockpit thwart which was rotten for racing but gave more support to the centreboard case and was probably better for general use. Certainly less painful to the nether regions when rowing. I suspect a booster seat would give a better angle to the oars

I didn’t know that. Never sailed a grp Ent.

 

[Sea Change]

The formula for oar length is beam x 1.5
I.e. you want one third of the oar inside and try thirds outside the boat.

In practice you may just end up with the longest oars in the chandlers. I used the same pair of 8ft oars on my Wayfarer and Wanderer. I now use a 7ft pair on my 11ft dinghy.

As has been said, plastic rowlocks are next to useless. My favourite type is the captive design, available in bronze at crazy prices or more economically in galvanised.

 

[dunedin]

Most, possibly all, the old grp enterprises had the mid cockpit thwart which was rotten for racing but gave more support to the centreboard case and was probably better for general use. Certainly less painful to the nether regions when rowing. I suspect a booster seat would give a better angle to the oars

But AFAIK the centreboard still came up above the thwart - and if down the handle at the top of the board would end any family life if ran aground. Hence why said fine for two rowing, one each side, but not one person other than a (current or future) eunuch.