# shipping oars



## windknot2 (Aug 15, 2010)

Been rafting a few years now and have moved up to some milder class 3 water primarily to access for fishing. Just wondering what the forum thinks is the best technique for shipping your oars when you hit a narrow spot or get near a wall or rock. Is it better to have the blades forward or to the rear? Or, do you just go with whatever works for the moment. Floated one time with a guy who would simply draw the oars inward through the oarlocks. That looked really dangerous to me for the person who was seated in front if one of the blades happened to hook a rock. I think that would knock someone out of the front in a hurry. Thanks in advance for the advice.
windknot2


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## RiverCowboy (Mar 14, 2011)

Keep the stops against the locks and ship blades forward. You should have enough reach from your seat to lay the blades on the bow. If you try to ship blades to stern, you won't be able to keep hold of the handles and ship completely. Just don't jam a blade directly into an obstacle because you didn't ship to the bow completely, that's a good way to end up with a handle in your gut.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

You will probably get a variety of opinions on this one. It depends on whether you use open oar locks or pins & clips, how wide your boat is, and personal preference. I use open oar locks and have tried all 3 methods (pull oars in, blades forward, blades backward). For me, I can ship faster & easier with the blades forward. My rafting buddy always ships his oars back, and gives me crap for shipping mine forward. His says I'm asking for an oar handle injury. I can usually ship forward and still have control of the oar handles. When I tried shipping back, I had to lean way forward or even come up off my seat to get the oars back far enough. I don't want to leave my seat in a rapid, and this method wasn't as quick for me as going forward with the oars. Pulling the oars in doesn't work well at all for me. It's too cumbersome, slow,and potentially dangerous. Pulling in 9.5 feet of oar in a split second doesn't work very well.
I'd say try either method and see what works for you. But mostly, keep control of your oar handles so that hitting a rock with the oar doesn't cause an injury.
KJ


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

Fedex ground


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

Now seriously. I usually yank Downstream oar across the boat and then place downstream oar onto above the front cat tube. Then i reposition upstream oar or ship it if necessary. My frame is 72" so i'd need gorilla arms to try and do both at the same time


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

Also helps if you ask a passenger to grab the blade and secure it inside the tube


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

slamkal said:


> Now seriously. I usually yank Downstream oar across the boat and then place downstream oar onto above the front cat tube. Then i reposition upstream oar or ship it if necessary. My frame is 72" so i'd need gorilla arms to try and do both at the same time


I meant yank upstream. Too much Herra Durra here in Mexico ...


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## bob larrabee (Apr 4, 2007)

if you ship forward you can use them sooner. You must fully commit to this to avoid unpleasant oar handle pokes. The correct position is with your arms fully extended out like Jesus.


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

bob larrabee said:


> The correct position is with your arms fully extended out like Jesus.


Jesus take the oars!


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

mania said:


> Jesus take the oars!


I've prayed that prayer a few times!
KJ


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## Kendi (May 15, 2009)

cataraftgirl said:


> I've prayed that prayer a few times!
> KJ


Me too! lol


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## Kyle K (Dec 17, 2008)

I've been rowing commercially for 40 years now, although I've taken a lot of time off, so I have thousands and thousands of hours on the oars and I agree with all the ship forward folks. Think about your body and oar position in all three cases and you'll figure out that forward
1. Is the quickest.
2. Keeps the oars in a position of readiness.
3. Keeps you in a position of readiness.

Also suggest you use free oarlocks, if you're not already. You'll have much better control over your blades for feathering and getting an oar "un-crabbed".


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Ten foot oars. Seven foot wide boat. Pull oars straight in. Three feet of oar still sticking out one side or the other.

If that works for you, fine. But swinging them blade forward, parallel to the length of the boat, was always more effective and efficient for me -- for all of the reasons cited above.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## rubberduck (Nov 9, 2011)

maybe us U.P.S. and tell em you want saturday delivery


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## malloypc (Jun 6, 2009)

Agree across the lap is most dangerous for passengers (we needed to evacuate one after an oar handle to the back of the head injury in Mule Creek Canyon). 
Blades forward provides the most continuous control and is usually the best choice.
There are times when blades back has advantage due to being less likely to clip something alongside the boat. 
Check out this oar popping about 3:15 into this clip (blades back would have been better):
http://youtu.be/MnIEZ11HhMM


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## Jones (Apr 5, 2005)

I agree with most that shipping the oars forward is easiest and quickest, but there are a few instances when you defiantly want to ship back. If you are squeezing through some rocks and then going through a wave or dropping into a hole I like to have the blades back. Although it takes more work to use them again, I don't have to worry about the blade catching water like it might in the forward position. This is the same reason as to why you want your spare to be rigged handle forward, so it doesn't catch water and turn the boat, or worse, snap off. 

If you ship forward and get the oars all the way into the boat you significantly reduce the chance of them catching water, but my arms aren't long enough to do that and hold on to the handles. Going back they might not be all the way in the boat, but they aren't in a place to cause problems.


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## windknot2 (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for the excellent, well thought out advice as well as the humor. I am rowing a Super Puma with 8 foot oars, so I can usually ship oars forward and get the blades inside the tubes. I especially like the Jesus analogy, since the way I row a boat I probably need to petition for all the help I can get. lol. The river we most often float where this is an issue is the Gunnison Gorge which has some pretty skinny spots to slip through. I'm sure my friends and I will put the advice to good use.
windknot2


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## David L (Feb 13, 2004)

Another factor is if you can see downstream, will you want to do a push or a pull on the oars next? Given enough time, ship them appropriately.

And, if the oars are being shipped because you are floating near a wall, a back shipped oar puts it in better position to use to begin to row the boat away from the wall.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

*I agree that most of the time putting the oars forward*

and inside the tubes is fine .

couple years ago one of my buds rowing a super puma down the Ark numbers at number 5 rapid shipped his 8 ft oars blades forward but somehow the right oar hit something and shot straight back into his groin area. According to him, hurt a bunch. Lesson here is to somehow get those oar handles pointed so they will slide past your body if at all possible.


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## willieWAO (Jun 14, 2005)

just look up some good old cherry creek vids, there you will find the answer. and also, to all the paddle boat guides who dont know how to row or think oars are dangerous,stupid, or afraid or whatever, here is some inspiration:www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSUCdp97bk


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Just had to reply to this one! Generally ship the blades forward, like Cowboy and RichP (and others said), because you can keep your hands on or close to the handles. But sometimes you can just ship buy pulling them straight in. You haven't lived until you get your oar caught between a rock and drybox and it breaks off in your hand. You haven't lived until your double-tied up and the outside boat gets his oar stuck between two tree limbs. You haven't lived until you catch a downstream oar and it comes up under your armpit HARD. You haven't lived until your dory pitches and the upstream oar catches a rock and snaps free, breaking your right arm (spiral fracture of the humerus) at the top of Big Drop 3. 

It's good to think about oars and what to do with them. They can be the most dangerous thing on a boat.

Cheers!


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

willieWAO said:


> just look up some good old cherry creek vids, there you will find the answer. and also, to all the paddle boat guides who dont know how to row or think oars are dangerous,stupid, or afraid or whatever, here is some inspiration:www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSUCdp97bk


Wow....that was an oar shipping extravaganza !!!!!
Just goes to show.....sometimes in the middle of the Shizz your oars are all over the place. Just so long as they aren't flying into anyone.
KJ


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## Kendi (May 15, 2009)

willieWAO said:


> just look up some good old cherry creek vids, there you will find the answer. and also, to all the paddle boat guides who dont know how to row or think oars are dangerous,stupid, or afraid or whatever, here is some inspiration:www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSUCdp97bk


 Holy crap that's good stuff!!! Thanks for sharing!


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## oarbender (Feb 3, 2007)

willieWAO said:


> just look up some good old cherry creek vids, there you will find the answer. and also, to all the paddle boat guides who dont know how to row or think oars are dangerous,stupid, or afraid or whatever, here is some inspiration:www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSUCdp97bk


Yep, those guys pretty slick with the oars.


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