Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Let's pretend my trusty Stuart Turner gives up the ghost and I find myself becalmed a few miles from a suitable place to spend the night. What sort of headway would I be able to make under sweeps vs sculling?
Sculling
- Thread starter Porthandbuoy
- Start date
Peterduck
Well-Known Member
I think that you'd need to have any current in your favour. Sculling is pretty slow progress at best. Pulling would be better.
Peter.
Peter.
G
Guest
Guest
I aint so sure, we do a lot of it around here, basically because it's easier to come alongside a boat in a dinghy that way compared to using oars. I think given that Mariposa is somewhat heavier than a dinghy, a bit of experimentation might be in order with the length and blade shape of the sculling oar. I know of one bloke, has a junk rigged Corribee, he has no engine, and sculls in and out of marinas and such.
My feeling is suck it and see, what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
My feeling is suck it and see, what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
sarabande
Well-Known Member
What about a thole pin on the stern, and a long sweep ? Saw this on a 20ish ftr in France last summer, and (disgustingly fit) young man was doing a figure of eight movement with the blade, so it produced forward propulsion almost all the time. About 1 - 2 kts.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
SWMBO's thoughts exactly!
Mariposa has a pair of posts, rather like samson posts, at the aft corners of the cockpit. I can use them as thole pins and row Mariposa but not for long. If I bolt a rowlock to the transom I could experiment with sculling. Trouble is I suspect my oars will be too short and I'm not sure how long the sweep should be or what shape the blade should be.
what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
SWMBO's thoughts exactly!
Mariposa has a pair of posts, rather like samson posts, at the aft corners of the cockpit. I can use them as thole pins and row Mariposa but not for long. If I bolt a rowlock to the transom I could experiment with sculling. Trouble is I suspect my oars will be too short and I'm not sure how long the sweep should be or what shape the blade should be.
G
Guest
Guest
Whilst we are on the subject of your "trusty" Stuart, I was looking at the photos you sent me, and I was trying to see if you have a dry or wet exhaust? ie. do you run the cooling water into the exhaust to help silence and cool it?
sarabande
Well-Known Member
As far as I recall the single oar was about 12 to 15 ft long. It fitted up the mast when not in use.
G
Guest
Guest
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
SWMBO's thoughts exactly!
Mariposa has a pair of posts, rather like samson posts, at the aft corners of the cockpit. I can use them as thole pins and row Mariposa but not for long. If I bolt a rowlock to the transom I could experiment with sculling. Trouble is I suspect my oars will be too short and I'm not sure how long the sweep should be or what shape the blade should be.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would say the sculling oar should be about twice Mariposa's beam, the standard formula for the length of an oar is 1.5 times the beam, but you would need a bit longer than that I reckon?
[ QUOTE ]
what have you got to loose, except a few pounds? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
SWMBO's thoughts exactly!
Mariposa has a pair of posts, rather like samson posts, at the aft corners of the cockpit. I can use them as thole pins and row Mariposa but not for long. If I bolt a rowlock to the transom I could experiment with sculling. Trouble is I suspect my oars will be too short and I'm not sure how long the sweep should be or what shape the blade should be.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would say the sculling oar should be about twice Mariposa's beam, the standard formula for the length of an oar is 1.5 times the beam, but you would need a bit longer than that I reckon?
G
Guest
Guest
In that case I reckon that about twice Mariposa's beam would be about right /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
donm
Well-Known Member
Go for it! I used to scull a boat a little larger than yours on and off my moorings. The oar was around 10 ft and worked through a rowlock set up on the top of the samson post on the quarter. It was stowed against the upper shrouds when not in use. If you are going to fit one, chose your best sculling position first and then set up the rowlock to suit, probably on the quarter away from the rudder head. Lash the tiller and the boat will be easy to keep moving once you are under way.
I also had a Stuart non-Turner and found the sweep more reliable!
I also had a Stuart non-Turner and found the sweep more reliable!
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Whilst we are on the subject of your "trusty" Stuart, I was looking at the photos you sent me, and I was trying to see if you have a dry or wet exhaust? ie. do you run the cooling water into the exhaust to help silence and cool it?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's a dry exhaust. There's a humungous copper silencer, which doubles as an excellent back warmer, under the cockpit port sidedeck. Coolimg water goes straight through the engine and exits just under the port gunwale. It's easy to fill a bucket with hot salt water for washing dishes.
Whilst we are on the subject of your "trusty" Stuart, I was looking at the photos you sent me, and I was trying to see if you have a dry or wet exhaust? ie. do you run the cooling water into the exhaust to help silence and cool it?
[/ QUOTE ]
It's a dry exhaust. There's a humungous copper silencer, which doubles as an excellent back warmer, under the cockpit port sidedeck. Coolimg water goes straight through the engine and exits just under the port gunwale. It's easy to fill a bucket with hot salt water for washing dishes.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Twice the beam and up the mast. I'll give it a go.
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
Why pretend?
I'm sure your Stuart will oblige sooner or later.
I used to scull my old Johnson & Jago 2.5 tonner often when the Stuart sulked.Never had a proper sweep, just a long oar purloined from the yard shed.
There was an article in YM yonks ago about the "yulloh", a long whippy oar tethered to the cockpit sole. [try a Google]
Apparently this is the system used for sampans & junks, and they get about OK ish.
I'm sure your Stuart will oblige sooner or later.
I used to scull my old Johnson & Jago 2.5 tonner often when the Stuart sulked.Never had a proper sweep, just a long oar purloined from the yard shed.
There was an article in YM yonks ago about the "yulloh", a long whippy oar tethered to the cockpit sole. [try a Google]
Apparently this is the system used for sampans & junks, and they get about OK ish.
tritonofnor
Well-Known Member
One of my best mates has a beautiful counter sterned yacht in Gweek. He removed the engine this year, (to give himself more storage space!), and now uses a sculling oar to provide propulsion. Large rowlock on the transom, and an oar that's twice the beam length from the transom, plus extra for his distance from the rowlock. about 18ft in length overall, with a d shaped shovel style handle on the end for easy grip. Made by him in Douarnenez after being becalmed on the way over!
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Googling Yulloh + Sculling threw up some interesting articles. Thanks everyone.
Woodlouse
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
One of my best mates has a beautiful counter sterned yacht in Gweek. He removed the engine this year, (to give himself more storage space!), and now uses a sculling oar to provide propulsion. Large rowlock on the transom, and an oar that's twice the beam length from the transom, plus extra for his distance from the rowlock. about 18ft in length overall, with a d shaped shovel style handle on the end for easy grip. Made by him in Douarnenez after being becalmed on the way over!
[/ QUOTE ]
There was a frenchman in Douarnenez last year who had an oar with a shovel style handle for sculling his punt. Seems he gave inspiration to several people.
One of my best mates has a beautiful counter sterned yacht in Gweek. He removed the engine this year, (to give himself more storage space!), and now uses a sculling oar to provide propulsion. Large rowlock on the transom, and an oar that's twice the beam length from the transom, plus extra for his distance from the rowlock. about 18ft in length overall, with a d shaped shovel style handle on the end for easy grip. Made by him in Douarnenez after being becalmed on the way over!
[/ QUOTE ]
There was a frenchman in Douarnenez last year who had an oar with a shovel style handle for sculling his punt. Seems he gave inspiration to several people.
Salty John
Well-Known Member
If you can get a copy of "The Self-Sufficient Sailor" by the Pardeys it contains an interesting article on rowing, skulling and "ullows".
The skulling oar needs to be 40 degrees to the water and have 3/4 of it's length outboard.
I know from my time in Hong Kong that the ullow, with the lanyard from deck to oar, is the secret to efficient skulling: Children and mothers with babies on their backs seem to have no difficulty skimming along at a couple of knots. I, on the other hand, never mastered the technique.
The skulling oar needs to be 40 degrees to the water and have 3/4 of it's length outboard.
I know from my time in Hong Kong that the ullow, with the lanyard from deck to oar, is the secret to efficient skulling: Children and mothers with babies on their backs seem to have no difficulty skimming along at a couple of knots. I, on the other hand, never mastered the technique.
cliffordpope
Well-Known Member
Sculling is just another word for rowing - ask anyone in a boat-race crew!. You are refering to rowing over the stern with a single oar.
It's dead easy with practice, and more practicable in confined spaces, but bound ultimately to be slower because you can't transmit as much power down one oar as two. Also of course two people can row with two oars.
Another disadvantage is you can't stop quickly.
It's dead easy with practice, and more practicable in confined spaces, but bound ultimately to be slower because you can't transmit as much power down one oar as two. Also of course two people can row with two oars.
Another disadvantage is you can't stop quickly.
raquet
Well-Known Member
Call it sculling, rowing or whatever it does seem to work and remains popular in France. My boat came with a single sweep oar of about 18 ft (the boat is 30ft) used with a single rowlock on the stern. The oar is a nuisance to store so that is my excuse for taking it off the boat. However the previous owner sculled about Cherbourg harbour with great skill and he is no spring chicken. With a single sweep oar I believe the ratio to beam is unimportant - you simply need a good long lever. Stopping is best achieved by a bucket on a lanyard which makes an excellend brake.
Mirelle
N/A
I think that you may do better using a sweep, rather than sculling.
I've used a yuloh, in China, and was astonished at how easy it was to use and the speed and control I could attain - moving about a 30ft boat, but this was on a canal, not in open waters.
I used to use a sweep on a boat of Mariposa's size (I took the Stuart out, experimentally, for a couple of years) and she got along rather well; the technique is to lash the tiller over a bit and stand in the cockpit behind the sweep.
You can steer by varying the effort that you put into the sweep, without having to stop to shift the tiller over. The good thing is that, like using a yuloh, but unlike sculling with an oar, you can keep it up for hours.
But the best method is to lash the dinghy alongside and use an outboard on it...
I've used a yuloh, in China, and was astonished at how easy it was to use and the speed and control I could attain - moving about a 30ft boat, but this was on a canal, not in open waters.
I used to use a sweep on a boat of Mariposa's size (I took the Stuart out, experimentally, for a couple of years) and she got along rather well; the technique is to lash the tiller over a bit and stand in the cockpit behind the sweep.
You can steer by varying the effort that you put into the sweep, without having to stop to shift the tiller over. The good thing is that, like using a yuloh, but unlike sculling with an oar, you can keep it up for hours.
But the best method is to lash the dinghy alongside and use an outboard on it...