Question for Wes- oar stowage

[Randy C.]

Wes,

I was looking on your website at the gear storage(and admiring your boat) for your binoculars, etc. You say the gear storage can be removed easily to get to the oars. Are you able to get to your oars without removing the mast?

One more question. How did you attach the oar tubes inside the forward compartment?

Thanks,

Randy

[wkisting]

Hi Randy,

Yes, I can get to the oars without removing the mast. They will just slide past the base of the mizzen. I have to pull them out toward the aft bulkhead, then they can angle up just enough to lift clear of the aft deck so that I can pull them all the way out from under the thwart. It is good that I used oversized diameter PVC to make the oar storage tubes (3" diameter, I believe), as it gives enough wiggle room to work the oars out from beneath the thwart. Had I used smaller diameter (closer to the thickness of the oar shafts), I might not be able to angle them upward enough to clear the aft deck in order to remove them.

I attached the oar tubes by cutting holes the same diameter as the outer diameter of the PVC used for the tubes. Then I stuck the tubes in place, sticking through the bulkhead and protruding out the other side by approximately 1". Then I ran an epoxy fillet around the tubes on both sides of the bulkhead. This resulted in a very strong bond. (I roughed up the PVC exterior with 60-grit sandpaper first to create a grooved texture for the epoxy to grab.)

There is a picture of the tubes at the top of this link: http://www.roguepaddler.com/cs20m.htm

[Randy C.]

Wes,

Thanks. Sorry I didn't respond quicker, I had to go out of town. I didn't ask the right question. I saw that they stuck out through the bulkhead. I was wondering if you supported the forward ends of the tubes. I was thinking of cutting two holes in a scrap piece of plywood the same distance as the ones going through the bulkhead, then attach inside on the bow. Maybe that's overkill???? I suppose there's really no weight on the tubes because the bulkhead takes it all.

[wkisting]

On the forward ends, I didn't bother supporting them. The double fillet made such a strong bond at the bulkhead that I didn't feel it was necessary. However, if you expect to stow loose gear in the forward hatch which may tumble around and hit the tubes, then you probably want to support them at the forward end too so they don't get knocked loose (unlikely, but theoretically possible). I went another direction: I built a drop-in storage box that hangs just below the forward hatch rim, but well clear of the oar tubes. I like this solution because it keeps gear closer to the hatch (for easier access), rather than requiring me to reach down deep inside that voluminous forward area. You can see a picture of the hanging storage box at the bottom of this link: http://www.roguepaddler.com/cs20u.htm

By the way, when you install the oar tubes, I would prop them up at the forward end temporarily while the epoxy is setting because you want to make sure they don't shift before it cures. When you do, level the tubes, then raise the forward ends of the tubes by 1/16" - 1/8"... just to give them a tiny bit of downward tilt as they run back toward the cockpit. That way, if any water somehow gets in them, it should run right back out to the cockpit/bilge, rather than pooling in the forward ends of the tubes where it could stagnate or create a sweat locker effect and attack the oar handles.

[Randy C.]

I checked your hatch compartment out. I like it!! Much better than trying to reach the bottom of the compartment. I will probably make one also.

As far as tilting the tubes, I hadn't given that much thought, but also a good idea.

I was about ready to glue down the seat tops when I saw the oar tubes, so I will have to put off glueing the seats for a couple of days. It would be quite a bit harder to do the tubes after the seats!!

I can actually see the light at the end of tunnel, hope it's not a locomotive.

I know, I really need to post some pictures.

(I meant to put this on the B&B site, oh well).

[wkisting]

I will have to put off glueing the seats for a couple of days. It would be quite a bit harder to do the tubes after the seats!!

Yes, probably so. When I installed the tubes, I did both at once, but be warned... this can get messy. It's trickier than you think trying to run an epoxy fillet around them, so you may want to do one at a time. Otherwise, have plenty of rags or plastic scrapers on hand to wipe away excess globs of thickened epoxy. Try to work as clean as you can, but you'll still likely have a bit of touch-up sanding on the bulkhead to do afterward.

[Randy C.]

Well, I cut the holes and installed the tubes tonight. It was hard to make the first hole. I looked at the bulkhead for about 45 minutes before I could actually do it. I cut matching holes in a small piece of ply to support the forward end of the pipes. It turned out very nice, I'm very satisfied. When I do the fillets I use a plastic spoon and cleanup with a plastic auto body scraper. I've done some drywall finishing, very similar to doing this, cleanup or have a mess to sand(I learned the hard way). Thanks for your help.

[wkisting]

Hi Randy,

Glad it turned out for you. I've always been glad I adopted this solution for oars on our CS20. I suspect you will be too.

Wes