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Standup rowing on CS20?


cssailor

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I recently acquired a CS 20 mark 1 for day sailing and boat camping with my family. My boat isn't currently equipped with oar locks, but it seems to me a useful feature for maneuvering around harbors and in shallows, or if the motor dies in a hazardous situation. I've seen a couple threads here about oarlock placement and seating positions. Has anyone tried a standup rowing arrangement for the CS boats? From the geometry of the boats and some of the difficulties in placement of regular sitting oarlocks it seems like a standup arrangement, possibly a removable "joug" as in

http://www.louisianafolklife.org/lt/virtual_books/guide_to_state/comeaux.html

might have advantages. However I've never tried standup rowing and I am pretty new to the Core Sounds. Do any of you have thoughts or advice to share?

Danny

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Welcome to the forum Danny.  I don't have oar locks either, but I am considering a scull chock for my boat for the times the motor is in the laserette.   Are you in the South Louisiana area?  I sail my CS20.3 from the Madisonville south launch site.

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I'm guessing with the geometry, it would require very long oars and would take more room for the strokes. And you have the additional jigs to extend the oarlocks to be stored when not in use.

 

It does look appealing to face forward and would be great in calm conditions. I'm not sure it would be as effective in rough and windy conditions. Nothing beats the traditional rowing position for getting your back into it and pulling hard. There have been times when that was just barely enough to make progress.

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I have been rowing a CS20 standing up for years.  

 

My boat is set up with rowing stations fore and aft of the mizzen.  When sailing solos the forward station is best for long rowing situations as it getting the boat balanced with the stern riding high.  In practice the boat sails so well on a whisper that long rowing situations are very rare.  By the time I get rigged to row using the forward position a breath of wind comes along and moves the boat at least as fast as I can row.  

 

So what ends up happening is I use the aft rowing station standing up facing forward with the tiller between my knees and and oar in each hand while working the boat through close quarters, or getting around the bend to catch the next wind.  I find the position quite comfortable and can deliver enough force to push the boat through a running tide.   My oars are 9'6" and I am 6'2" tall.  

 

I also tried a yulou or sculling oar out the stern.  This definitely works, and sculling at slow speeds with good technique can be sustained for long periods of time/distance. A proper yulou for the CS20 ends up about 14-16' long; I found storing it on board is a problem.   I ended up preferring oars as above.  

 

Brent

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  • 6 months later...

Hello all,

 

Thanks for all your helpful suggestions and warm welcome.

 

Sorry to have dropped this thread. I had a death in the family just after I posted, and so I was off boats for some time.

 

Now I finally have some scope to get my CS20 back in the water for some sailing in the San Juans this summer.

 

I'm intrigued by sculling, but it seems to me that the speed I can achieve will likely be too slow for the currents and winds of the San Juans. Also making a 16' foot oar sounds like a challenge for a first-timer like me, especially since it would likely have to break down to stow on board.

 

So, I made a pair of Culler type oars, 9'6" following Brent's suggestion.

 

Brent, would you be willing to share some of the details of what oarlock positions and heights work well for you?

 

I have a couple of aluminum rods lying around that would be strong enough to support an elevated oarlock. I'm wondering whether a detachable mount for those that is inboard of the side deck might work for stand-up rowing. It seems from sketches and rough calculations that moving the oarlocks inboard of the standard sit-down position in the plans might be more comfortable and effective.

 

Thanks again,

 

Danny

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It does look appealing to face forward and would be great in calm conditions. I'm not sure it would be as effective in rough and windy conditions. Nothing beats the traditional rowing position for getting your back into it and pulling hard. There have been times when that was just barely enough to make progress.

Yup, I proved this again the other day.  Having sculling options or forward facing ones are desirable, but if you have to row in adverse conditions nothing beats the normal method.

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I agree, having both options is important. I plan to also put in the traditional oarlocks for distance or rough conditions.

 

But the uses I anticipate will much more often involve short distances, benign wind conditions but with currents and lots of rocks. Seeing where I'm going as I row seems an important advantage.

 

Did you do the stand-up trial with the thole pins pictured in your other post? What were the main difficulties with the arrangement you tested?

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I put my oarlocks at deck height in a position that allows me to stand as far forward as possible without hitting my face on the missen mast. The tiller is long enough to ride between my knees. Pretty simple.

I also put oarlocks forward of the missen for serious rowing. In 15 years of sailing the boat I have used the forward rowing station twice.

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