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As I continue to fight with the nemesis that lives under the cockpit sole, I have been forced to paddle my boat on and off the berth. Satisfactory but not the best solution.
Has anyone experience with oars for a Contessa? I am looking for sizing and installation information.
Christopher
What seems to be the problem with your engine? What kind and year is it? Maybe we can help.
José
Christopher,
I also have the Petter 6.5 diesel in mine which I rebuilt this winter. What did you use for the mount replacement? Where did you get them? Thanks.
If you're looking for engine mounts - look at r&d mounts from pyi. This is what I bought to replace the Yanmar mounts, and will allow me to keep the engine fairly far aft as not to intrude into the cabin.
Hi, i want to remove my diesel too and replace it by oars.
Can you tell me what your test give it to you. And share some of the tricks you learn from it ?
Thanks
Stephane
I found a good formula :
Oar Length
The best formula I have found for oar length was in the May 1994 issue of "Cruising World:
Oar length = 1.5 x width of boat + 1" for each inch of freeboard greater than 9" + 1" for each foot of boat length over 8' + 3" to 6" for rower strength + 6" for a sliding seat.
Hope that help, cause the one that you give doesnt take care of the freeboard, that is pretty high on the contessa for rowing.
The two formulas give oar lengths of just short of 14 feet for the former and just over 15 feet for the latter. Has anyone had practical experience managing a Contessa with oars, and where do you tie those down when not in use?
I am in the Charolottes now ,engineless.I have a twelve foot sculling oar(over the stern)that moves the boat at an easy 1.2 knots.Most places I can sail in and out.I took the genoa off weeks ago and put the jib on and left it.T he speed difference was;nt great and the boat is so much handier.The oarlock isjust a bit of teak noched and angled to suit the oar.I would forget about oar(s) on a boat this size;to much work.
Good day all!
Thanks for the great input on this thread. I have been bogged down lately tackling other boat projects and the oars have taken a lower priority. However, oars are not forgotten!
One thing I did note this spring was that the placement of the oar locks (if going with two-oar solution) is a bit tricky. Before making the oars I decided that I would have to mock up a seat to get the position of the locks correct. When I briefly looked at this in the spring I was concerned that placing the oar locks between the two winches (as I had intended) positionned the rower too far forward and the companionway would interfere. Further to this, pay attention to the position of the oar lock -- as one shifts aft the boat tapers and the correct dimension of the oars change. Also, is one mounting the oar lock on the gunwhale or on the cockpit coaming? Again, the dimensions change.
I believe that the oars and the Yuloh both have a a role aboard. I would expect that oars would offer more power in open water but the Yuloh would be better for marinas etc.
With respect to Golliwobbler's question of where to stow the oar when not in use, my intention was to use two part oars, making their length much more manageable. If I end up with less than 12 feet then I may stow them as I have the spinnaker pole -- hanging it from the pulpit and a lifeline stanchion.
There is a thought -- get some double use from the spinnaker pole. Could an oar be made light enough for use as a spinnaker or whisker pole? Could a blade be adapted to fit the existing pole? Another question to sleep on I think.
Good luck with these projects!
Christopher
My oar Is 14 feet.It,s been wonderfull but different,but an engine is in the works.The main problem with oars is that the boat is to high and narrow.The weight you would have to lift due to the outboard length would make it a lot of work.A sculling oar is pure torque and the preferred method for an individual ina heavy boat. Happy sails,Bill
I just glanced at yhe oar site.Very interesting.I think it is dreaming to think that one could row or scoll a contessa into 15 knots of wind,hard work in a pulling boat.About five knots has been the practial limit for me and it is slow.Due to pitching and rolling it is some time after a blow before the boat can be moved by oar.600 ft of anchor line and some sea room will probably keep you off the beach.A big radar reflector is also good cause you sure want to be seen if you have no steerage way,which happens in the course of a daySome further thoughts on oars:Seeing forward is a problem sitting,and a fairly high angle of entry standing,meaning they are shorter but must be lifted higher to clear the water.....It is very satisfing sailing the boat sans motor but calls on many more skills that are not always honed when we can just bail with the motor,i.e.,you just have to take it onthe chin if you can not motor in ahead of a storm,and this happens........In short manually moving the boat is fun and impresses the hell out dockside longers(or they think you are a loon)but I would not have really high expectations.Oh yeah and the tide can sweep you miles past where you want to go when the wind falls as happened this week on the way back to Vancouver Is resulting in an up all night sailthru pea soup fog in the main traffic lane,no fun.That has happened three times this summer,as some places you just don't want to anchor.....And having used a youloh and sculling oar over the years I would give the nod to the youloh.......The speed limitation is that the oar starts to float up as you gain speed.I find at about two knots I can,t scull fast enough to keep the oar immersed,but maybe it needs some tuning....Last winter there was an article in the wooden boat about making a Japanese youloh.....Again my averave cruisin speed I estimate at 1.2 and 1.6 ktallowing for tide and such.
Well from my point of view, if its blowing 15 knots, its because you can sail on it !
The oars are only for when the wind die !
But all depend how you use your boat. Personnally im cruising and living on it. So if it take me forever reach a place i dont care. I stay 36/40 hours becalmed on my last trip last week from Beauford, NC to New Jersey. All the time offshore sailing, so if im out of shipping lane i dont care waiting. It sure that if you doing daysail, and stuff like that a inboard is usefull. All depend what you do with your contessa.
But for me the removal of it, make more storage, less expense and lighten the boat. More advantage then for the time i did use it. But a good windvane, and some good lightwind sail replace easily the engine from my point of view.
Oar storage.After trying a number of different places I settled onplacing the loom inside the forward stanchion and the tip of the blade inside the after stanchion with the middle lightly jammed against the middle port hole.It sticks out about two feet forward and even with water pouring in over the coamings in a broach does not budge.It is annoyingly under foot,but can be deployed in ten seconds.It was necessary to have the anchor rode flaked down on deck for rapid deployment(I feel)when near land .By putting the chain inside the coil of line it never shifted even in some very snotty weather.The wet rode has a lot of tractionwith the weight of chainon it.A good sail inventory in paticular light air sails,as mentioned by Donald duck,are a must have.Half the way back from the charolottes I was flying a single luff spinaker even while asleep,and is now my best friend.What a good sail..................This is a fabulous little boat for this kind of sailing.
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