second-hand carbon fibre oars

[sarabande]

Do any of our rowing members know if used oars ever come on the market please ?

I am looking for a couple for the saily boat to stop me being bored in flat weather

 

[DownWest]

Dunno, but we were having this conversation about a friend's little gaff cutter. Windsurfer masts with joints and fabricate the blades in glass (cf) or wood. Joints for easy stowage. His current wooden ones are too short, but anything longer would get in the light, hence going to the local charity place, where they usually have a bunch of masts for €10 ea.

 

[lpdsn]

Do any of our rowing members know if used oars ever come on the market please ?

Dunno, but maybe you can borrow a pair from a rowing club for a trial. One of the crew borrowed some for a boat I was on. In some ways I was surprised they loaned them to him as they were serious bits of kit - prob over 20' long. You had to be careful manhandling them out of the companionway when needed - this was on a stripped out racer, might've been difficult or impossible to stow them below on a cruiser. I was pleasantly surprised that we could get up to about 2.5Kts rowing. I wouldn't have guessed that rowing would be that effective.

We dropped him off at the station with them for a long train journey back to the club he borrowed them from. I guess they must've fitted on the luggage rack.

 

[William_H]

I guess OP could always ask at a rowing club but my guess is that CF being very repairable and hard to break in the first place that by the time they give up on an ore it would not really be worth trying to repair it. PS yes rowing is an excellent propulsion for a small sail boat. My 21fter rows really well in a calm. olewill

 

[Concerto]

Checking eBay there are 2 lots that may suit, but one is not cheap and the other is an auction.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Four-Con...267201?hash=item2f0e882881:g:MoIAAOSwmOJaAzGY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sawyer-O...324221?hash=item41e647917d:g:DmsAAOSwxQJbG9dF

 

[sarabande]

thanks COmcerto. The paddles are a bit short at 4ft, and I'll watch the 12ft oars.


Going to inflect myself on a rowing club to learn about blades and things

 

[Jungle Jim]

Dunno, but maybe you can borrow a pair from a rowing club for a trial. One of the crew borrowed some for a boat I was on. In some ways I was surprised they loaned them to him as they were serious bits of kit - prob over 20' long. You had to be careful manhandling them out of the companionway when needed - this was on a stripped out racer, might've been difficult or impossible to stow them below on a cruiser. I was pleasantly surprised that we could get up to about 2.5Kts rowing. I wouldn't have guessed that rowing would be that effective.

We dropped him off at the station with them for a long train journey back to the club he borrowed them from. I guess they must've fitted on the luggage rack.

I would have paid to see him get them through the doors

 

[duncan99210]

thanks COmcerto. The paddles are a bit short at 4ft, and I'll watch the 12ft oars.


Going to inflect myself on a rowing club to learn about blades and things

Pilot gig oars are the right size (12-14 ft) but they're always wooden: same for all the 'traditional' types of boat (flash boats, skiffs and the like). No idea about surf boats though, they use oars of about the same size but they may be into CF ones.

What I do know is they ain't cheap and there's a thriving second hand market as clubs upgrade kit. We sold a set of 6 gig oars a year or so back for £900 whilst a new set will cost upwards of £3000. You may find it more cost effective to get hold of a couple of wind surfer masts and make up your own with plywood blades bonded to them.

 

[lpdsn]

I would have paid to see him get them through the doors

We didn't hang around to watch - we had the boat to take home - but he managed it somehow. I think he had to change trains three times.

 

[jdc]

The answer is nobody bothers to sell the things, but every rowing club I've ever been to, esp mine, have loads of old 'macon' style carbon-fibre blades hanging around since the general switch-over to 'cleavers'. But we just leave them in heaps round the back as nobody ever wants them (except us yachties - I pinched a couple the year we did the 3-peaks).

So my advice is to go to the local rowing club, ask for the equipment officer (or for his phone number) and ask him if you can buy a couple of old carbon macons. This last bit is important to avoid confusion and to get you the blade style you will find best and to confirm that you only want obsolete ones. You'll have to collect of course.

 

[sarabande]

Thansk everyone, jdc especially for the details.

That has put me on the right track.