"BetaB4" wrote in
:

Thanks. I'll do the measurements and see what the calsulations
suggest.

I am also trying to figure out what kind of oars to get. I see wooden
oars, aluminum oars, synthetic oars...., and I don't know if it
matters what I pick. Since the aluminum boat has a gas and an
electric motor, the oars are really just in case the motor dies as a
back up way to get to shore or back to the launch ramp.

snip

Light is good, but balanced is better. My preference by far is wood; it
floats, it has great strength for its weight, and is quiet. Also, wooden
oars have a tapered shaft, improving the balance. I made some 9 foot oars
over the winter; the balance point is about a foot and a half outboard of
the oarlock, and at under 4 pounds each they are real easy to use. When
you go to buy oars, check where the balance point is - the farther away
from the oarlock, the harder you have to work on the recovery part of the
stroke. Here's another point - traditional oars have fairly narrow blades
- 4 or 5 inches tops. The wider the blade, the harder it is to pull
through the water and the greater the air resistance on the recovery. If
you're going to row a racing shell 1000 meters, then big fat blades are
great. If you're going to row a skiff several miles against even a fresh
breeze, big blades are gonna kill you. The narrow blade traditional oar
evolved to suit normal guys rowing all day in all weathers (think coastal
fishermen or Grand Banks dories). So if you are depending on the oars to
get you home when the motors go belly-up, think long, balanced, narrow
blades. Remember you may have to row several miles.

Another point - on some fine, calm, sunny day it might be a good idea just
to go for a row for a couple of miles, so you know what problems may arise
and have some experience before it becomes critical. If your buddies give
you grief, throw a lure over the side and troll...