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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Rhodes Kingfisher - New Oar Locks

It's been a long winter but spring has come to New Hampshire in full force, and I'm chomping at the bit to take this little guy (and my Catalina 22) out for a sail.  One of my desires with my Kingfisher was to be able to row it as well, either as a tender, or if I'm out sailing and the wind dies.  I already have a nice set of 7.5' oars for my Dyer Dhow dinghy.  I put new leather protection on these over the winter.  On the Kingfisher, I bought some stock Perko Oarlocks (4 in total).  My friend Joe has a woodshop and he took a piece of 1" thick mahogany I had laying around and made me some blocks to raise the oarlocks above the lip on the gunwale.  I through-bolted them using 2" #10-24 stainless machine screws and nylock nuts.  I made a backing plate out of an old 1/2" kitchen cutting board.  

Maybe I'll get this out for a row and a sail this weekend at the Massabesic Yacht Club.  

Fair winds! 


Closeup of the forward port oarlock.  I should have clearance over the chainplate, even if the mast is up and the shrouds are installed.  The forward one will really only be used if I do not have the mast stepped though as it is stepped right where I would sit.  



Rear port oarlock.  This will be the one used most often.


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