what size oars should I use for a 14 foot aluminum rowboat

-- mark ives (marki76@hotmail.com), October 30, 2004

Answers

Mark,

Without a better decription it's hard to suggest the proper length of oars for your boat. I'm guessing that your boat is not a true rowing craft but, rather, some type of outboard utility. If it has a wide transom with a motor pad it almost certainly is. Boats of that type are usually fitted with six to seven foot oars. Longer oars get in the way when running under power.

Yours,

Andre

-- Andre de Bardelaben (middlepath@aol.com), October 31, 2004.

the standard way to calculate proper oar size depends on the span between the oarlocks, rather than length. here's how it goes:

measure the distance between the oarlocks. divide by 2, then add 2 inches. take this number, multply by 25, divide by 7, and that's your approximate answer in inches.

for example, if a boat is 48 inches between the oarlocks, then the proper size is: 48/2=24+2=26. 26x25=650/7= approx. 93. That's 7 feet, 9 inches. thus, either 7-1/2 or 8 foot oars should work well.

performance rowers with a rowing shell may do it differently, but this formula works well for most rowing craft.

-- steve paskey (paskey@earthlink.net), November 01, 2004.

Dear Mark,

I generally agree with every statement made by the previous respondent, but I would like to add this. If your boat is indeed an outboard utility, no oars, no matter how good, are going to turn your craft into a satisfying rowing craft. Good quality oars are expensive. If you are seriously interested in rowing perhaps you should consider applying those funds towards a real purpose built rowing craft.

Yours,

Andre

-- Andre de Bardelaben (middlepath@aol.com), November 01, 2004.

8' oars are about the longest that are reasonable priced. Buy a good pair of 8 footers from Shaw and Tenney and you won't go wrong. When you outgrow the aluminum skiff and move on to a better rowing boat you can take them with you.

Jon

-- Jon Aborn (joneaborn@aol.com), November 01, 2004.

Alumacraft reccommends a 7.5 to 8 foot oar for my 14.5 ft boat which has a 68 inch beam. Another formular is one half the beam times three plus 6 inches. Both seem to work fine.

-- Andy K (kingfish@intercom.net), January 13, 2005.

What size oars did you end up getting and how did they work out? I'm in the same boat (almost - 14' Smokercraft Voyager). I think I might get a pair of 8'-6" spruce oars.

-- Chris Burkart (chrisb@isp.com), February 20, 2005.