# Time to use your spare oar(s)



## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

I have seen boats entering rapids with their spare oar(s) lashed so tight to the boat, that the one handed maneuver to remove and set the spare in the oar tower would be very difficult if not impossible to accomplish. For safety reasons, and if I am able too I will mention it to them. I am usually acknowledged with mixed reactions from thank you to what are you talking about. So I thought I would bring it up here on the buzz. I use the pins/clips set up on my oars, with the spares hanging loose enough from a front and back loop that with one hand I can push the oar foward releasing it from the back loop than pulling it backwards releasing it from the front loop, than I slam it home onto the pin, with only a couple simple moves. I have never used oar locks, so I do not what technique is used with them.


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## [email protected] (Apr 26, 2006)

This seems important to people that are very good rafters that are running the shit in rafts. But for most people who do trips like the grand canyon and other pool drop runs, I think it is more of a concern to have the spar oar secured so if they flip it doesn't fall out. Have you ever had the problem of loosing your spare oar, it seems like you have you system down pretty good though. I like the fact that somebody else uses pin and clips everyone made fun of me for using them on the grand but I never lost an oar in the middle of a rapid.
-tom


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> This seems important to people that are very good rafters that are running the shit in rafts. But for most people who do trips like the grand canyon and other pool drop runs, I think it is more of a concern to have the spar oar secured so if they flip it doesn't fall out. Have you ever had the problem of loosing your spare oar, it seems like you have you system down pretty good though. I like the fact that somebody else uses pin and clips everyone made fun of me for using them on the grand but I never lost an oar in the middle of a rapid.
> -tom


Yes I have temporarily lost my spare oar(s) when my loops were to large or had multiple spare oars in the same loop. But with correct adjustments I could achieve the proper loop that would secure the spares firmly and also allow quick removal of the spare oar to replace the one that broke or became damaged in the middle of running the rapid. Ran the Grand Canyon twice in the 70's and loved it, never fliped there. But fliped on Cat. at huge, scary water levels once, when wooden oars were not the quality of todays wooden oars and it was not unusal to have one snap in your hand while standing on them in the middle of a big drop. In those days of inferior wooden oars having three or four spares was the norm and sounded like a logging truck rolling over when you fliped.


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## atg200 (Apr 24, 2007)

I used to lash them tight because I didn't know any better. The benefits of looser attachment became really obvious after I had an oar pop and fought to get the tight one on. Loose rig for me now, and its easy to get an oar into oarlocks.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

I lash them relatively tightly. If I need the spare in an emergency I will pop open the straps. My spare oar straps are rigged with a few winds around the D-ring so they stay with the D-ring after I pop them open.

I don't think that popping straps will take much longer than fishing the paddle out of loose loops. If I was fishing it out of the loops and the blade caught on the way out I'd have a fit and that would end up taking twice as long. I would scream in rage, yank even harder on the oar, and then go pop the strap and throw it in the river.


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## Shcooner (May 28, 2008)

I use a loop to hold the blade end of my spare. The oar stopper has a piece of rope tied tight around it with a small loop hanging off. The loop is held to the boat through a panic hook( ArthayasaTackShop Panic Hook ) which is tied to the frame. 

One quick pull on the hook and the oar is free to pull out of the front loop.


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## Skyman (Jun 26, 2006)

When my boat flips, I don't want loose straps and oars waiting to entrap me. Be careful not to create a bigger problem solving a small one.

Skyman


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Skyman said:


> When my boat flips, I don't want loose straps and oars waiting to entrap me. Be careful not to create a bigger problem solving a small one.


 
Agree, my spare is tight to the frame. I can release it with one hand in seconds. Nothing is "loose" on my boat! I want to be able to climb back on and reflip my boat without any thing moving.


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

I consider my spare oar just as importand as my throw rope(bag) and secure it with the same attitude, that is not to create another hazard, but for them to be readily available, quickly enough to be of any usefull benefit. I use the loop system myself but have seen other methods.


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## mountaincrash (Jun 21, 2006)

Running commercial with many boats in a fleet we would roll with the loose set-up, as it's wonderful to pull and attach if you lose one. However, running privately with a small group, and perhaps only two rafts, the loose method creates a scary situation if you flip, and subsequently lose your spare. I'll use both methods, depending on the availability of other spares on other craft.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

My spare oar is snug to the frame. The cam strap is configured so I can release it from sitting in the boat, then the strap runs around the oar twice, so there is hopefully enough friction to keep it from dropping into the river when I release it, but not so much that I can't just pull it free once I release the cam strap. I've seen catboaters who actually run their spare on the inside of their oar tower, but I am not comfortable with the thought of anything getting in the way of me (or me stuck in) flailing myself around trying to keep my boat right-side up. 

On my raft I rig it to a spare set of d rings, so it's more loose but far away (lower since it's on d rings that hang down, not d rings that are up holding the frame on) from any significant entrapment hazard.

For the record, I use oarlocks


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## mania (Oct 21, 2003)

these are the only spares I bring.










haven't you guys heard of hand rowing?


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## dograft83 (Jun 16, 2008)

Ok I have to say I have never thought about it to much. I keep mine snug to the frame with cam straps. I feel like I could get them off easy and fast if needed. I have never worried about lossing a oar while rowing just in a flip. I use leashes so hopefully I wont lose an oar any time and have yet to. I hear some people dont like leashes. Why is that?


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## WhiteLightning (Apr 21, 2004)

a lot of people don't like leashes because they try to minimize things that you could get tangled in.


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

Lately i've been keeping my spare strapped to my frame just inside of my oarlock. Makes it a lot closer and easier to access. Plus when unstraping it it tends to not fall into the water. Haven't decided if I am going to keep rigging it this way or not.


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

mania said:


> these are the only spares I bring.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those spares always stay strapped in untill the third night, when we are done with them the camp site looks like a Smithsonian dig. Looks like the majority of boaters know when and how to pull their spares or at least have good recipe in the works.


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

I'm new to owning my own raft and rigging, but I started with the spare oar straps that hang pretty loose. After a few trips with them and seeing how they get in the way when getting in and out of the boat, I decided it would be safer to strap them tight to the frame. I'm much more comfortable with them there, but I haven't been in an emergency situation yet (knock on wood).


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## caseybailey (Mar 11, 2008)

I think that seeing your way as the right way is bold. While it is the right way if you only consider that you want it in the oar lock using one hand, It could be the wrong way when you consider losing it or a swimmer getting caught in it. 
If you truly have a fear of having to run a rapid with only one oar, I suggest you either 1) practice rowing rapids with only one oar (or) 2) rig your boat with 2 oar set ups so that if one person loses an oar, the other person still has total control of the boat.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

caseybailey said:


> 2) rig your boat with 2 oar set ups so that if one person loses an oar, the other person still has total control of the boat.


Either I'm not following you, or if I am, this sounds like a crazy idea?????


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

lhowemt said:


> Either I'm not following you, or if I am, this sounds like a crazy idea?????


Actually it works pretty good, but it has nothing to do with spare oars.
Took my daughter down the Grand when she was 17 and we rowed a tandem cat. Two cat day frames, one in front of the other, mounted on 18' Aire cat tubes. We had double the power for all the big moves (and the wind). Had about 14' of frame, so we had massive load capacity.

When I got knocked out of my seat at the top of Hance, we still had one set of oars in the water. On Badger, the very first rapid, it seemed like a very bad idea as I tried to yell directions from the rear seat. We quickly realized that the best plan was for me to match her stroke for stroke since I could see her and she could not see me (and neither of us could hear the other since we were both facing forward). So for the whole trip I was just extra power and she was reading the river and picking the lines.
There were several times I was rowing as hard as I could to somewhere I did not want to be. But it worked out great and with the "4 stroke" we had plenty of power.


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