Is This OK? (oar lock position)

[Jim Boyer]

My boat is about ready to launch. Most everyone I've seen with mud motor rigs on the Mississippi have a paddle. For some reason, I really want oars. After buying a set of 9 "footers", I used liquid sander, Bullseye 1-2-3 primer and gave them two coats of Clark "camo" green. They look good!

The boat is 16' X 48". Sitting on the extended front deck, the ideal position for rowing has the oar locks installed 7' from the bow. This leaves 9 feet of boat behind the oars. This looks good to me, but is it?

 

[Eddie Kershaw]

Jim
Your rowing position all depends on which way to want to row either backwards or forwards but usually it is calculated 14 inches back from midships if you are rowing backwards.
Take care and God Bless
Eddie and Amber
Its all about Building that Bond.

 

[Scott Farris]

Jim,

No one can tell you where they should be located without seeing you and the rig loaded up the way it will be when you're at the oars. You want the boat trimmed out, possibly a bit light on the bow to help it rise with any waves (open water or barge traffic). If you have 150 # mud motor on the transom, you will probably want to sit forward of the center. If you row facing aft and have a buddy and motor aft, well you need to be farther forward. If you have a dog of substantial weight, that could factor in. Many small boats come with two sets of oarlock sockets, not for two rowers but to allow you to pick from single person or three people (row centered) or two people row from front seat w/ passenger in the stern.

So, a 16 X 48 with mud motor on the transom, your 1 ft forward of center sounds good as long as you have an adequate seat to sit on that aligns you with oarlocks, both fore & aft plus height.

Scott

 

[Jim Boyer]

Thanks Eddie & Scott, I'm good to go.

The mud motor actually weighs 275 pounds. With where I would be sitting (to row), the setup will be perfect. I don't plan on rowing much, but at least it will be setup properly for any emergency. In addition, weight in the boat can be manipulated by moving decoys, the dog and/or having friend(s) just relocate their bucket seats.......or they could row. Ha!
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