Why a Compass?

According to Ritchie Navigation, the advantages of using a compass are:

1 Real time compass headings whether your boat is dead in the water, on a plane or moving slowly against an outgoing tide, the compass gives the boat heading. 

2 Straight line steering helps the helmsman avoid steering a serpentine path when steering by the compass heading.

3 Reliability in all situations is a given and it works without power.


I'd add, Able to continue when locked in fog. I can think of two situations I’ve been in when the fog became so bad that visibility was reduced to just feet… The compass enabled me to continue to the destination.

But what if you don’t have a compass?
Point the boat to where you want to go, them immediately look over the stern of the boat and select an object (e.g., tree) centered over the transom. As you row, keep that object centered. Periodically check your heading, since wind and/or current can move you sideways, and you can miss your target, even though you have been faithful in keeping that tree over the center of the transom. 

To maintain a straight line, in calm conditions, use the wake of the boat as a guide for maintaining a course. Note that wind/current can still blow you off course, in spite of maintaining a straight course.

I use the Ritchie ‘reverse reading compass’, available at Duckworks.

Ritchie Reverse Reading Compass

When mounting the compass, make sure there are no nearby metal objects. or wires with current, which can affect the accuracy of the compass. The Reverse Reading Compass pictured here has compensation adjustments which enable you to correct for minor compensation errors. See Ritchie instructions for compensation adjustments.

Reverse Reading Compass Mounted in my Lillistone Flint

The lubber line (the red line on the compass which must be aligned with the bow of the boat) shows the heading of the boat. In the first photo, the boat’s heading is 350 degrees, read from the floating card in the center of the compass. The movable bezel around the base of the compass is a way to remember what course you want to maintain.

To use the compass, point the boat to where you want to go, or, using a chart, identify the magnetic course, then either move the bezel so that the desired course is directly under the lubber line. Or just remember the course.

As you row, you’ll notice that you may have ‘wandered’ off your intended course due to wind, current, uneven pulling on the two oars, or just plain being mesmerized by the joy of rowing. To correct the course, turn the boat so that you move the red lubber line toward the desired course.

I like having the compass: I maintain a straighter course when using it… and it’s comforting to know I can still row to my desired destination in spite of low, even zero, visibility.

In the next blog, we’ll show you 7 examples of foot stretchers.

Colin Angus' RowCruiser

An oar-powered, multi-chine (8-panel) boat designed from the bottom up to be an Oar Cruiser. Kits and plans are available at Colin's site.

Lines:

Specifications:

• Length Overall: 5.7 m (19')
• Width: 1118 mm (44")
• Weight: 67.2 kg (148 lbs)
• Maximum recommended touring load: 400 kg (880 lbs)
• Waterline Length: 5.67 m (18' 7 ")
• Waterline Width: 32" (813 mm)
• WLL/WLW Ratio: 7:1
• Watertight compartments: 5
• Hull Speed: 5.8 knots, 10.7 kph, 6.7 mph
  

How does Colin's “RowCruiser” Fulfill Our Definition of an Oar Cruiser?

• At 148 pounds (67kg), it’s just able to be car topped by one person (lifting one end at a time)… and easily loaded onto a light trailer.
• Obviously oar-powered. She can be rowed either with a sliding seat or fixed seat. (Note that Colin has added available plans for a sailing rig, with outriggers, for full sailing capabilities.)
• Waterline length (18’ 7”, 5.7m) to waterline width (32”, 81.3cm) ratio is 7:1.
• Freeboard forward is 20 ½“ (52cm), while at the stern it’s 16 ½” (43cm).
• With a self-draining cockpit, full decks, massive water tight compartments (with hatches closed), “RowCruiser” is very sea-worthy.
• She is designed to be cruised by one person with a 6’2” (1.88m) totally enclosed and ventilated berth, plus generous storage space in the aft compartment. In addition, Colin provides plans for a ‘kitchen’ that can be used in the cockpit for cooking and eating, then stored while rowing.

The Prototype "RowCruiser"

Two People Can Take Day Trips

The 6' 2" Berth for Warm, Dry Sleeping, Fully Ventilated

The 'Kitchen'

Heading Into a Secluded Anchorage for a Good Night's Sleep After a Day's Row

Colin Angus, designer of the RowCruiser:

“The RowCruiser offers comfortable sleeping accommodation for one person without sacrificing performance. This boat moves at about the same speed as a sea kayak, and will travel comfortably in rougher waters.
The RowCruiser makes multi-day excursions extremely simple; drop the anchor and retire into the comfortable cabin when you’re tired. The watertight design protects the occupant from the heaviest of wind and rain, while an over-sized hatch vent provides plenty of ventilation and keeps condensation at bay.”

Summary-Pros:

• RowCruiser is an Oar Cruiser. No conversion is necessary.
• A cruising speed of 4.5 mph (7.2 kph) for ten 45" sessions per day results in 34 miles (54 km) a day cruising.
• Seaworthy.
• Sleep is in a dedicated ventilated compartment.
• Can be rowed with either fixed or sliding seat.
• Large weather-proof storage in the aft compartment.

 

Summary-Cons:

• Heavy to car-top.
• No protection in the cockpit from rain when cooking/eating.

All photos used with permission from Colin Angus.

Oar Outrigger Options

Following are examples of oarlock outriggers… some elegant and some not, but all do the job of providing spread to the oarlocks enabling the use of longer oars.

Selway-Fisher 15' Adirondack Guide Boat Outrigger

Outrigger on a Selway-Fisher 15’ Adirondack Guide Boat for David O' Dempsey. Note the thin metal plate on the outboard side of the gunnel that absorbs the torque of the rowing stroke. These outriggers fold 180 degrees to enable coming alongside docks and other boats.

Custom Wayland Marine Merry Wherry Outriggers

Chris Duff, a long-distance ocean rower, had these outriggers built for his 19 foot “Northern Reach”, a modified Wayland Marine Merry Wherry.

Monfort’s ‘wing’ outrigger is similar to many commercial outriggers. I would make the interior angle greater than his 60 degrees for fear of hitting my knuckles on the ‘catch’ portion of the stroke. I would also have a third bolt at the apex of the wing attached to a cross beam or the forward edge of the aft deck.

Simple 'Hinge' Outrigger

“RowerWet” uses this simple outrigger on a canoe as described in this "Instructables" article. I would be concerned about rowing torque either twisting the hinge and/or loosening the fastenings. Fastening a 3/8 or 1/2 inch triangle of plywood to the bottom of the hinge, with the base of the triangle (6 inches) a tight fit against the outside of the gunnel and the apex at the end of the hinge, would provide sufficient strength to prevent the twist from doing any damage.

 

Model of Gavin Atkin's OarMouse Outriggers

Galvin Atkin’s OarMouse plans show another outrigger. Based on those plans, I made a model and here are photos of the outriggers. The outriggers slide under two vertical “L” shaped runners attached to the inside of the topsides as shown in this photo.

Side View of the Outrigger

This is a side view of the outrigger. The oarlock socket would be mounted on the upper right. The angle of the (white) top to the vertical slide accommodates the flare of the topsides.

Two Braces Support the Oarlock Platform

There are two braces to support the top of the outrigger.

 

Outriggers that Slide on the Coaming and are Removable

These outriggers (from a model) hook onto the coaming. They can be slid on the coaming to make room for a passenger and/or to adjust the rower’s location for fore and aft balance.

End View of the Sliding Outrigger Model

This side view of the outrigger shows the ‘hook’ that goes under the inner strut on the coaming.

There is no single best outrigger… they each have their pluses and minuses. Hopefully, these samples will give you ideas on how you can make outriggers for your oar cruiser.