Rowing

24 Responses So Far to “Rowing”

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  Ron Breault says:

  I use my Shaw and Tenney oars to propel my home built Feather Pram (Ian Oughtridge Design #51) around Center Harbor every chance I get – especially when Maynard is watching – http://dolphin24.org/teer.html

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  Richard Whiting says:

  Wow, another great vlog. I started rowing small dinks as a lad of 12, just back from living in London and now relocated to Washington DC, and hanging out in Annapolis. I learned as Maynard has so well inscribed, how to maneuver a small rowing dink. Etched in my brain for all these years, I have had the sublime reward of teaching this technique to many young sailors and mariners. Thanks Maynard.

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  James M B Keyser says:

  where can I find good fiber glass rowboat?

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  Doug Bell says:

  Check out Rowers Oars made by Wes Reddick of Belfast, Maine. He makes the most beautiful oars. There is a video from his shop on the video section of this site.

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  Clint Chase says:

  Finally watched this one. Nice to see myself rowing my old Drake rowboat at 7:40. Great intro video that I’ll share with my customers!

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  Herve Depow says:

  May I ask which version of the Nutshell Pram you are you using for this demo, the 7’7″ or the 9’6″? I have the plans for the 7’7″ and intend to build one to use as a tender for our sailboat. Judging by the length of the oars I am guessing the smaller version. If so, it will certainly be adequate for us. Thank you.

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    Steve Stone says:

    It’s the 7’6″ smaller one. Good for two person tender but not much for sailing. The larger version is a great sailer for kids and even two adults.

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      Herve Depow says:

      Thanks very much, although only 7’6″ it appears much more stable than what we have now and will fit perfectly on the foredeck ahead of the mast on our Alberg 30 when not towed.

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  Marc Ranger says:

  Thanks for this video, I just built a little 10′ rowing pram to teach my grand kids the joy of rowing and how to do it well. My first wooden boat build. I was considering some pinned oar locks, especially for the kids but I will now definitely go with open oar locks and I will wrap the oars.

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    Clint Chase says:

    Consider oval oarlocks instead. Better for the oars and development of good rowing skills

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  brooks townes says:

  Enjoyable video, thanks! Like Ben Fuller, I wrap my thumbs around the end of my oars and pull with just fingers, but instead of rounding the oar handle ends, I leave them flat and cut a shallow quarter-moon notch where the thumb goes around the corner when the oars are oriented as Maynard instructs for the stroke (with a slight forward tilt of the blade in the water) and my wrists are straight. This way I always know the oars are oriented correctly without looking, plus the thumb-notches aid in rolling the oars into a feather ~ just nudge the bottom of the notch with your thumbs while they roll under the fingers.
  ~~ ._/) ~~ ~

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  Captain Nemo says:

  Who knew there were so many fine points to such a “simple” skill as rowing? LOL !
  Wonderful video, and a joy to watch so obvious a master oarsman as Mr. Bray. The tip about angling the blades hit home with me, because although I guess I unconsciously do it, I’d never given the physics of it much thought. Understanding why something works helps make you better at it.
  Thanks again,
  Greg

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  Pamela Parker says:

  Thank you for producing this lovely video. I have shared it with several people who need a bit of help understanding the art of rowing. My dad was a rower in college and he taught me to row “properly” (smoothly and efficiently) from the beginning. I have noticed that a number of folks use a jerk to the arm motion, drives me bonkers and gives me whiplash. Particularly when you are rowing a heavier boat like a traditional peapod, a steady pull is really important, otherwise you seem to create extra slip. This is just an observation, thoughts?

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  William McCaffrey says:

  Best rowing demo I have seen, thanks Maynard!

  Question: What is the best best distance (along the shear) between the seat front and the oar lock? I built a stretched (12 ft) version of the Lawton Tender (10 ft) and I placed mine 12 inches from the front of the seat

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    Maynard Bray says:

    I think you’re about right in using 12″. I’ve generally used 11″, but either should be fine.

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      William McCaffrey says:

      Thanks Maynard.

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  Paul Fielder says:

  Yea, this video was really fun to watch, it brought back memories of when I first joined the RN. back in 1963. But our petty officer instructor wasn’t as warm and fuzzy as Maynard, great job

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  Robert Triggs says:

  I would like to see you do a video on the old school “doryman’s stroke.” There have been several articles on this, but a video would make it so simple.

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    Steve Stone says:

    Thanks Robert. I’ll have a chat with Maynard about this.

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  Tom Roderick says:

  A great video! My wife bought us our first little boat just before we were married 44 years ago and we propelled it through the water with oars and oh how I wish we had known then the beautiful art of rowing and the skillful use of oars.

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  Richard Stewart says:

  I’ve got the rowing dinghy and I’ve got the quality oars. Now I know how to row. I didn’t know about the importance of an upward facing blade angle. Thanks for the tips.

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  Ben Fuller says:

  I like to have my thumb go over the end of the oar instead of underneath it. Helps keep my wrist from cramping up, and lets me really focus on hanging by my fingers when pulling. You might need to round the ends of your oars to make this comfortable. It also give you a little more space if you like to row with overlapping grips.

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  Dan Kretzer says:

  Thank you Shaw & Tenney for introducing me to this site. Can’t wait to get out on the water this weekend!

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  Nathanael Bray says:

  This is such a great video. It brings back so many wonderful memories of learning to row as a little tyke. :)