Scull boat restore

[Cameron ziesak]

First time poster long time lurker. I bought an older home built glass scull that my dad found in a customers car port with 30+ years of dust on it back in 2020. After getting it to the house what I thought would be a wash and go restore turned into my first experience doing glass work when some cracks and delamination showed themselves when I started sanding for a new paint job.

After a few years of mostly ignoring the project I got all the cracks fixed and a new battleship grey paint job on it. Only problem was the oars that the boat had were filled with powder post beetle holes and had chipped blades. So I made an oar using a shovel handle and marine grade plywood for the blade. It worked great until it didn’t. I got into a good rhythm and smacked some tules cracking the blade it the shaft. I should have used some glass at the junction but didn’t. So I redid my oar with glass and for the tiny amount of time I got to scull it worked….. until the boot showed how dry rotted it really was and fell apart mid scull leading to me being the little Dutch boy with my hand in the hole as dad set a rowing speed record back to the truck. At that point college finals, work, and crappy weather were all I got for the rest of season.
(Note old slightly chipped oar in sculling hole. It works but wants to go in circles)
That leads to this season. I’m making a couple new oars with Doug fir blades, adding a new leather around the hole, building a lid so I can keep the scull at my house, and making a new boot.
Today I made a jig out of some scrap plywood to make consistent angles to attach the Douglas fir 1 9/16” railing handle to the blade as I plan to make a lot of versions to try. I am by no means even a novice at wood working or sculling so this is all trial by breaking stuff.

 

[Carl]

Camron, glad you posted this adventure!
Keep working at it, you'll get her back in shape and sneaking up on ducks in no time.
BTW, "in no time" around the DHBP ranges from days to years!

 

[Tom Whitehurst]

That looks like a great project. You might try gluing up two 5/4 boards together as stock for your oar. I also like more of a v shaped blade with adds to the strength of the blade. Hopefully the photos illustrate it well.

 

[Cameron ziesak]

Camron, glad you posted this adventure!
Keep working at it, you'll get her back in shape and sneaking up on ducks in no time.
BTW, "in no time" around the DHBP ranges from days to years!

Oh I know it. Already on year five with no end in sight. It’s functional as is but I was born to tinker so it’ll never end. Over the summer I plan on making oar storage so they’re off the floor and possibly a screen to raise around the cockpit since there isn’t any combing on this boat. Once I finish college here this spring I’ve been mulling around a cedar strip one man scull so we’ll see when that comes to fruition.

 

[Cameron ziesak]

That looks like a great project. You might try gluing up two 5/4 boards together as stock for your oar. I also like more of a v shaped blade with adds to the strength of the blade. Hopefully the photos illustrate it well.

I might give that a shot down the road. When you say v shape are you referring to a cross sectional view or the tip and blade/shaft junction? On of the oars that came with the boat had a similar profile to the pictures you posted but was too damaged to try. Most Humboldt style oars I’ve seen have bee pretty thin with a rounded side and a flat side.

 

[Troy Nicolls]

Regarding replacement of your leather. My friend Skip who is a life long sculler, has opted to fit a rubber drift boat oar stop in his oar hole as opposed to leather. Last's forever and reportedly makes less noise and offers a smoother ride. Just food for thought. I haven't done it yet myself.

 

[Tom Whitehurst]

I might give that a shot down the road. When you say v shape are you referring to a cross sectional view or the tip and blade/shaft junction? On of the oars that came with the boat had a similar profile to the pictures you posted but was too damaged to try. Most Humboldt style oars I’ve seen have bee pretty thin with a rounded side and a flat side.

The cross section from the round shaft to the blade. As the blade thins toward the end I like to maintain the “ diamond” shape.

 

[Geoff Pike]

Oh I know it. Already on year five with no end in sight. It’s functional as is but I was born to tinker so it’ll never end. Over the summer I plan on making oar storage so they’re off the floor and possibly a screen to raise around the cockpit since there isn’t any combing on this boat. Once I finish college here this spring I’ve been mulling around a cedar strip one man scull so we’ll see when that comes to fruition.

You might want to grab a copy of John Gardner's "Building Classic Small Craft". There are plans and lines for a couple scull boats in there, I believe at least on was strip built. I just looked and they are about $20 used online. Also one of my sculler friends uses neoprene for his boot, claims it works well. I've made Greenland style kayak paddles out of cedar 2x6's before and it's easy to work, but i think fir would be just fine for your application. The two 5/4 boards Tom mentions might make it easier to get that curve or "sweep" for a sculling oar as well!

 

[Cameron ziesak]

Today’s progress while avoiding homework involved ripping the rough cut 1x6 to 1x4 and cutting the notch for the shaft. That went pretty smooth for both blades. Both got dry fit pretty well. I epoxied one blade to a shaft as a straight blade and plan on putting some steam bend to it once I decide FSU or FSD. The other oar will have a 10 degree crook at the joint but I only have so many clamps so that’s tomorrow’s project.

You might want to grab a copy of John Gardner's "Building Classic Small Craft". There are plans and lines for a couple scull boats in there, I believe at least on was strip built. I just looked and they are about $20 used online. Also one of my sculler friends uses neoprene for his boot, claims it works well. I've made Greenland style kayak paddles out of cedar 2x6's before and it's easy to work, but i think fir would be just fine for your application. The two 5/4 boards Tom mentions might make it easier to get that curve or "sweep" for a sculling oar as well!

I’ll take a look at that book. I could always use another one for the collection.