Far Reach Sculling Oar Video

[John Stone]

Some people know we have a sculling oar for the Far Reach as we have no inboard engine. It was our primary means of non sailing propulsion for the first year we sailed the boat after the rebuild and during much of our first voyage to the Virgin Islands.

Even though these days we often carry the 9.9 HP on the swing arm bracket we still carry the sculling oar and employ it whenever we can. I used it several times during our second voyage to the VI last year. Even though it’s operational window is small it can be very effective at moving the boat. With the oar over the stern I can turn the Far Reach 360° on her axis. It is not that strenuous to employ as the power to move the oar is generated by your body weight. The critical twisting motion is generated by the “oriental lanyard” that is attached to an eyebolt in the loom down to a padeye in the deck.

It’s not a great video but I posted our only film of the oar in action to YouTube last night. If you slow it down to 1/4 speed you can clearly see the rotating/twisting motion of the oar at the end of each stroke. For a slower playback speed tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the video and you will be presented options give for changing the playback speed.

The effective employment of a sculling oar takes a lot more than just an oar. It’s an integrated holistic system. The pivot point is crucial as it must be stout and have as little friction as possible. The the angle of the oar in the water is important. The key to the twisting motion is the oriental lanyard. The transom and fantail need to be unobstructed.

I still vacillate on the pros and cons of installing in inboard in the Far Reach...but, in the meantime, regardless what some people view as an impractical way of propelling a heavy displacement boat, for me, sculling the Far Reach is fun and rewarding.

https://youtu.be/LZS9yw6UH6I

[Capt. Fritter]

Thanks for this info! Very interesting subject. I've been wondering if sculling would be a viable alternative to a motor.

[drysuit2]

Love it love it love it.

[Steve Laume]

That is pretty cool. Sometimes I feel like my motor, moves the boat pretty slowly. I will never feel that way again, after watching this video. I can see where the oar would be very useful when trying to maneuver in a tight turning basin. I can also see where you could get in trouble if there was some significant wind or current to deal with. It must be fun and learning a new skill is always worthwhile, Steve.

[John Stone]

In the spirit of providing more information on our sculling oar I just published the following post on our website.

https://farreachvoyages.net/2019/08/13/ ... s-you-can/

[Kickin Bears]

Awesome writeup with video and pics! Just bookmarked your page so I can check out / follow along!