Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Variation (or precursor) of the same theme, from 1931:
Rowing levers?
- Thread starter Greenheart
- Start date
Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
That looks familiar. We had something very similar on ships built in the late 1950s/early 1960s. I can't recall if the boats had oars as well. We certainly never used them if they did.
Dellquay13
Well-Known Member
Just out of interest I looked it up on YouTube, and the bloke from wetworks made it look fairly easy, which I found surprising. I thought it would be the Devils own job moving a boat like that.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
I've been rowing since I could walk, I can row in sloppy water keeping the oars dipped without having to think about it. I suppose it's a particular skill that's not really transferable.
We were used to rowing gigs at sea, and some of the river based crews would be looking for races to be cancelled when we wanted to carry on. Association protocols have taken over so not much rough weather rowing takes place. Never bothered us.
I rowed five miles yesterday on the river, I get along at 3kts+ and don't break a sweat.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I bet it was on flat water! Once you've got a boat moving, it doesn't take a lot of effort to keep it moving on calm water.
bikedaft
Well-Known Member
Yes - but how many other folk do you know who can row in waves? Especially nowadays(!) And most randomers, and presumably ship's passengers - probably none?
(I row a 15 foot double ended Norwegian type dinghy in the Leven/Clyde, never had anyone on board who had the foggiest if we get into waves.)
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
I regularly row with a bunch of other old farts (in sort of mini-whalers), and in my experience most never get it. It usually takes new joiners an hour or so to actually row in time with others without clashing oars, and to get the oar in and out of flat water reasonably cleanly, but most never progress to having an efficient effective stroke of a decent length, and spend most of their effort lifting their oar up and down between dabbing the water. Most would not be able to cope with waves of any size. I think as people who have been around boats for a long time, we forget how alien and challenging most people find it.
In a lifeboat situation, the most important thing will be able to quickly get the lifeboat away from the sinking ship and the falling and floating debris and perhaps people jumping from the ship, fire etc. I think that a boatful of panicked new rowers, would really, really struggle to achieve that at all, even if there were someone experienced trying to explain what was required, assuming they could be heard and there weren't conflicting instructions and ideas from different people. There would likely be oars lost overboard and quite possibly injuries.
I think the sort of mechanism illustrated is an absolutely brilliant solution to the reality of the situation it is designed to meet. Yes, it is inefficient and no match for trained experienced rowers, but that alternative is unlikely to be available.
(Someone above suggested pedals of a shaft running the length of the boat. Again, that's a solution to a different problem. That arrangement could not be operated in an overcrowded lifeboat, would anyway reduce the amount of souls that could be accommodated, and sitting sideways in a rolling small boat is a recipe for having everyone throwing up, and not only that but over each other. )
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Yes, there was a piece of film of lifeboats from the Sir Galahad rowing for shore, it was only the fact that someone took charge and the men were disciplined that got them going.
An old fisherman here was at Gravesend sea school in about 1940. Lifeboat rowing training: "Oy! You! Get out of that boat. You know more about it than I do!"
I can imagine that trying to learn with one bloke who's an expert could be difficult.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I too can row in most conditions - from open sea to an eight on the river Cam! But you're right to say that it's a non-transferable skill. I first learnt to row at about 5 years old!
Anecdote coming! Some years ago, we were at a mooring in Bull Hole on Mull. The weather was foul - rain and strong wind. We'd made a mistake tying the dinghy up and a member of the crew had a mishap untying it and fell in. Of course he was wet and cold, so we needed to get back aboard ASAP. He was a big guy - far stronger than I - but I refused his offer to row as I knew that I could get us back quicker than he could. And I did! But it was the combination of knowing how to row and knowing how to offset the wind drift that did it!
Further anecdote! At a boat show, there was a row of rowing machines and they set up races. I went against a bunch of teen-agers - and won! I was in my early 60's then...
andsarkit
Well-Known Member
A couple of weeks ago I was out on the Dart with the missus with one of these.
Hobie
All was fine until one of the rubber flippers ripped out of it's securing pin and we had to get back against the tide with just me pedalling. The system works suprisingly well and leaves your hands free for waving, taking photos or having a beer.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
I think that nowadays people (at least non-current-military) would, on average, be very much less used to, and less willing, to follow instructions. Likely also less self-disciplined, and less physically fit.
I find it sometimes frustrating being in a rowing boat with very amiable but inexperienced people who have chosen to get in a boat to row, and on flat water in nice conditions at that. The prospect of being in a boat in challenging conditions with average cruise ship or ferry passengers is rather terrifying.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
I made that mistake, me 74 in my working dredging punt against a bunch of kids in the regatta, and the rules for 'working boats' have relaxed so they were rowing what we used to call skiffs.
That's my excuse anyway.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Included in the designated crew of my lifeboat in the cruise-ship M/V 'Blenheim' were the ship's hairdresser and a pianist.
Presumably they had, as do I, a Board of Trade Lifeboatman's Certificate, so must have had a stint rowing round Tyne Dock at some point in their careers.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Saw those at SIBS a few years ago and wondered what they were like.
Boathook
Well-Known Member
I see those, or similar in Christchurch harbour being used for fishing.
Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
Yes indeed. Did you do the firefighting course there as well? I hate to think what the emissions were from that tank!Included in the designated crew of my lifeboat in the cruise-ship M/V 'Blenheim' were the ship's hairdresser and a pianist.
Presumably they had, as do I, a Board of Trade Lifeboatman's Certificate, so must have had a stint rowing round Tyne Dock at some point in their careers.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
I did the firefighting course near Southampton.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
It is a few years ago now but we always found that rowing our inflatables two-up to be very hard work, especially in adverse conditions, Redcrest and Redstart. Our solution was to sit two-abreast on the thwart and row with one oar each. This was far easier and we could keep it up more or less indefinitely without tiring. I think that the fact that we were able to do this without going round in circles and still remaining friends deserves some sort of medal.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Tell me you had the floorboards fitted?
I found solo-rowing the Redstart with floorboards easy, even though my oars were a bit thick for the rubber rowlocks. A bit of silicone lube, and it would have been perfect.
Two-up on the inflatable rowing seat would have made a longitudinal dent in my Redcrest until I made the floorboards.
But I found it very easy to row both Avons, compared with the much bigger, sleeker (and not inflatable) Osprey, which despite benefitting a good deal from partially lowering the centreboard, felt like very hard work. I guess it's all matter of windage.
I found solo-rowing the Redstart with floorboards easy, even though my oars were a bit thick for the rubber rowlocks. A bit of silicone lube, and it would have been perfect.
Two-up on the inflatable rowing seat would have made a longitudinal dent in my Redcrest until I made the floorboards.
But I found it very easy to row both Avons, compared with the much bigger, sleeker (and not inflatable) Osprey, which despite benefitting a good deal from partially lowering the centreboard, felt like very hard work. I guess it's all matter of windage.
srm
Well-Known Member
Part of my job as a lecturer in Maritime Studies included boating skills for the local secondary schools. Ages ranged from 13 to 17. Six to a boat, four oars, helm, and bow person. The first few 2 hour sessions were somewhat chaotic but after a few weeks most crews got it together. I did feel the classes were more an exercise in co-operation and team work. Often an all girl crew could outpace an all male crew full of six egos with four of them pulling against each other.