sculling a sailboat

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Shaw and Tenney - Maine Crafted Since 1858

Sculling Oars for Propelling All Sizes of Boats

Sculling with a single oar off the transom is the ancient art of propelling a vessel with a figure 8 or "falling leaf" motion. A proficient sculler can easily move large vessels efficiently, bring them to a stop, and even sculling them backwards! There are many instructional videos and articles available online to learn more about the proper technique.

Shaw & Tenney makes all types of oars including conventional flat blade oars up to 21'. One of the more common uses of our long oars is for sculling sailboats, especially when navigating in and out of the harbor. Beyond sculling oars for sailboats we also make them for commercial fishing vessels operated in shallow waters, gunning floats, and dinghies. Almost any boat can be sculled as long as it can be set up for it.

Sculling offers many advantages to traditional oars (rowing) including the ability to move about in tight anchorages, particularly in smaller boats. Looking for a propulsion method that is environmentally friendly, sustainable and not to mention quieter than a motor, than rigging up a sculling oar to your boat may just be the perfect option.

Equipping Larger Boats for Sculling

The first step in equipping your larger boat for sculling is to properly size the oar. We recommend sizing the oar so it can be used off the transom to scull as well as to row on either side of the boat. This provides three alternate methods of propulsion to select based on the wind and sea conditions.

Now to the sizing formula:

• To size the oar stand in the location you will be sculling from in the cockpit.
• Holding a long straight object to simulate the oar (2x4, boathook, etc.) in your dominant hand about chest height, let it protrude off the transom parallel to the keel of the boat.
• Measure the length from your hand to where it touches the water to determine the correct shaft length.
• Repeat the measurement off the side of the boat in a position where you can take one step forward and one back simulating rowing. When using this technique you can steer with the rudder or wheel.
• If the boat is on the hard have someone visually determine the length in relation to the waterline on the hull.

Once the shaft length is determined the blade length is added to determine the overall length of the oar. For larger oars, from 10' – 21' in overall length, blades range from 42" to 60".

The second, and very important step, is to ensure you have a good location to stow the oar aboard. It may be necessary to reduce the overall length in some cases. Typical locations are attached to stanchions and /or lifelines (be careful of you rigging technique, they can work loose) and on the cabin top. Sometimes affixing the oar to a stay or shroud is an option also.

Finally we need to determine how the oar connects with your vessel. Many smaller boats will have a traditional sculling notch in the transom typically not found on larger sailboats. If not equipped with a sculling notch we recommend using a conventional oar socket and horn oarlock. The type of oar socket, top mount, side mount, or angle mount will be determined by how it will be installed on your boat. The most common installation is the angle mount or side mount socket, oftentimes requiring adding a wooden block on fiberglass vessels. An interesting method for the side rowing position is to modify an oar socket to mount on a winch in place of the crank handle. You can view the various oar sockets and oarlocks we offer on our Oar Hardware & Accessories page.

Sculling Smaller Boats

Smaller boats are allot of fun to scull too. We offer our unique Shaw & Tenney 7'-10" sculling oar which is ideal for most dinghies and smaller boats. Originally designed for the Seacoast Gunning Float and duck hunting, it has an offset, curvilinear blade. Made from a solid piece of native Maine 8/4 ash, it has a superb flex too. It can be custom made in lengths up to 14' also. Please visit our Sculling, Specialty and Large Oars page to learn more about our sculling and specialty oars.

Sculling Tradition at Shaw & Tenney

Creating oars for sculling is a big part of the Shaw & Tenney DNA and we are always proud when a customer tells us that they thought they we pretty proficient scullers… but once the tried our S&T sculling oar they were amazed at how much better they became!

We are quite proud that a customer chose a Shaw & Tenney 17' clear spruce flat blade as their only auxiliary propulsion when circumnavigating the World.

We also make a reproduction of the traditional Merrymeeting Bay sculling oar in spruce and the Whitney sculling oar in ash.

We have helped our customers with many, many sculling applications and installations over the years. Please don't hesitate to contact us regarding your specific application, we are always glad to help! A photo of your boat always helps too!

Our S&T quote: "Single oar sculling: How to row with one oar and not go in circles!"

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How to Size Your Oars

To determine the correct length oar for your boat measure the distance between the port and starboard oar sockets. Then apply the Shaw and Tenney oar length formula to determine the oar length that will provide the correct 7:18 leverage ratio. This length will provide an oar where 7/25 the length is inboard of the oarlocks and 18/25 of the oar is outboard of the oarlocks. It is the ideal ratio to row almost all boats. Sized correctly, when rowing your hands will be 1 to 3 inches apart and you will be pulling directly towards your abdomen. If you are popping out of your oarlocks when rowing your oars are far too short. If you prefer an overlapping grip, add 6” to the calculated oar length. If you have more than one rowing station in your boat, measure both. Typically they will require two different length oars which is fine if you’re going to be rowing tandem and need two sets. Otherwise you’ll need to compromise the correct length to work properly in both stations. If you are rowing more than 75% in one station size the oar to that length. As always feel free to call us and were happy to help you select the correct oar length and blade style for your boat.

The Original Shaw & Tenney Oar Length Formula

To help our customers size their oars correctly, we’ve been using the same formula since 1858: Measure the distance between the center of the port and starboard oar sockets, which hold the oar locks on each gunnel. This is called the “span” between the oarlocks. Divide the span by 2, and then add 2 to this number. The result is called the “inboard loom length” of the oar. Multiply the loom length by 25, and then divide that number by 7. The result is the proper oar length in inches. Round up or down to the closest 6” increment.

How to Size Your Paddle

For traditional wooden paddles the ideal length for the Stern paddler is the bridge of your nose or 6 inches less than your height. For the bow paddler the paddle reaching the cleft of your chin or 9 inches less than your height is correct.

For our Racine paddle if you are over 5’6” tall select the 63-1/2” length and the shorter paddle if you are under5’-6”tall.

When paddling solo we typically recommend a bow length paddle. For Canadian style solo most paddlers prefer an even shorter paddle.

For paddling canoes when standing (yes our mother let us do this) a 69 inch or 72 inch paddle is usually about right.

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Single Oar Sculling

This isn’t the sort of sculling done using two, ridiculously long, oars to ‘row’ a long skimpy scull.

This is the sort done with one oar, waggling it backwards and forwards over the transom.

Ok, there is more to it than just waggling the paddle.

Yes, it does take a bit of practice but this is a skill well worth acquiring .

The Oar or Paddle.

The technique..

• Making a Paddle

This is a handy way to propel a dinghy through a crowded anchorage, not only can you face forward to see where they're going but steering is easy.

It is also an efficient way to move a sailboat when the wind has dropped or any boat if the engine is playing up.

I first became intrigued with this method of propulsion when I saw large, heavy, traditional, French fishing boat being sculled out of the anchorage on Les Îles des Glénan.

When you are sculling you are exerting the propulsive power slowly and continuously making it easier to move large loads relatively easily.

If this is something you are thinking of doing with a light dinghy over short distances then a normal oar can be used quite adequately, preferably one which is at least two thirds the length of your boat.

However, there are several designs of paddle shaped especially for this technique which are easier and less tiring to use.

Perhaps the best known is the Chinese Yuloh.

Specialist sculling oars usually have longer shafts and longer blades than a rowing oar.

And more important they are angled so that virtually no wrist rotation is required.

The yuloh is usually made from two or three straight pieces set at an angle so the blade curves down into the water at an angle of about twenty five degrees.

The long blade should be shaped so that it is flat on the bottom and curved on top.

When used with the flat side down the oar reverses pitch easily at the end of each stroke.

The Chinese also attach a rope from the handle end down to the deck.

While this helps keep the oar from digging too deep, it is mainly used to help twist the oar and assist the sideways pull.

A deep oarlock will make sculling much easier for the novice as it will help overcome the beginner’s tendency to allow the oar to jump up out of the rowlock, some even use a captive rowlock or a rope tie-down.

If you watch an expert, sculling looks easy.

However there is a knack to it which requires patience and practice to get it right.

There are two basic methods;

• where you start off with the oar blade vertical in the water
• and where you start with it flat.

Both methods use the same basic principle.

The oar blade is swept back and forth across the stern with the leading edge always angled downwards.

For the beginner and anyone using a standard oar the first method is the easiest to master (which is why I do it this way).

This vertical or slalom stroke also makes it easier to steer the boat and there is less tendency for the oar to jump out of the rowlock.

With this method the lower edge of the oar blade always leads.

So start with the blade vertical then use your wrists to turn the oar blade then push it so that bottom edge is leading.

At the end of the stroke reverse the twist so that the bottom edge is facing the opposite way then begin the reverse stroke.

To begin with just use a small amount of twist until you become more adept at reversing the pitch at the end of the stroke.

As you get more confident begin to give the blade more twist so you get more forward momentum and less zigzag.

With practice, you'll find that you can steer by varying the pitch on alternate strokes.

The second method with the blade starting in the horizontal position is the one most commonly used with a specialist oar.

This is a much more powerful and efficient stroke.

The stroke begins with the flat side of the blade facing down.

It is then twisted and the lower of the edges is always the leading edge as you push from side to side.

With either method, the pitch of the blade must be changed as the direction of thrust is altered otherwise the oar will come out of the water.

With the Chinese yuloh, one hand holds the oar end at head eight while the other hand uses the lanyard to move it from side to side.

The yuloh’s lanyard also puts the required twist on the oar so little or no wrist action is required to put the pitch on the blade.

Sculling is not as fast as rowing, however it is a skill worth learning.

It is a handy way to thread your way through a crowded harbor or narrow creek.

And it is an easier way to move a heavy boat in an emergency.

All it takes is a little bit of practice.

Building a Sculling Paddle

This is how I recently built a quick, easy and rough sculling paddle.

The bend in the shaft at roughly 1/3 of the distance from the handle end and at roughly about 20 degrees from the blade.

The bend was created while laminating the outer strips to the central shaped piece.

Below is how the paddle is used.

It can also be used very easily one handed by just holding the handle.

It is an easier way to move a heavy boat in an emergency.

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How to build an oar

Ever since I started posting videos on sailing without an engine my sculling oar has been getting a lot of attention.   One problem people run into when working out a sculling oar arrangement for their boat is that the size of the oar required for the job is far larger than anything you will typically find on the shelves of most chandleries.   My 31-foot cutter, for example, requires an oar of around 14 feet in length.   But with suitable lumber, a saw, wood chisel, and plane, an oar can be a fun project that requires only a modest amount of woodworking skills.   The oar I build in the photos is for the dinghy and is made of ash.  I would not recommend using ash for oars, but something lighter like spruce or Douglas fir.  My current sculling oar  (I’ve lost two of them overboard …) is made of Douglas fir.

We start off by cutting out the shape of the oar with blade, that is, the projection of the oar onto a board with the blade parallel to the board (see photo above). If you cannot find a board thick enough for the oar you wish to build, you can laminate the cut-outs together. My sculling oar is made from three 1″ Douglas fir boards glued together.

Next we cut out the grip. Everything is square now, we will round later.

Now let’s put the taper into the blade.   The best way to do this is to saw into the blade, transverse to the oar, down to the taper marks on each side of the blade. Make these cuts at about one inch intervals, then use your wood chisel to hack away the wastage.  Hopefully the photo below will make all of this clear:

Then we will use our carpenters plane to smooth the taper.   After that we will revisit the blade with our chisel and plane to taper the edges, so that the blade drops into the water cleanly. 

Now back to the grip.  We will round both the grip and the loom (the shaft, the round part of the oar) using the same method.  First  we turn the square into a octagon (stop sign).  This requires a bit of algebra to get exactly, but roughly you want to draw lines about one quarter of the thickness of the square shaft in from each corner of the square.   So for a three inch thick loom–now square, three inches on a side–draw your lines slightly more than 3/4″ from each corner so that you leave 1-7/16″  untouched when you chisel and plane the edges off.

As with the blade, we use our saw and chisel to cut away the wastage and turn the square into an octagon. Here’s the partially completed grip as an illustration:

Then we use our carpenters plane to turn the octagon into a sixteen-sided figure.  For small oars we can do this by eye–plane down until all the sides are approximately the same width.   Finally, to get the loom perfectly round, we glue (contact cement) some heavy sandpaper inside of a half pipe of PVC and sand …

Then we give everything a thorough sanding and our oars are ready for some varnish, or paint if you prefer:

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Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Sculling over the stern

• Ben Meakins
• April 14, 2015

How to scull over the stern: Learn to propel your dinghy using a traditional skill that's still relevant today

Ferrymen and watermen could once be seen piloting surprisingly big and heavily-laden craft across crowded harbours with a single oar worked over the transom, but these days it’s much less common.

You’ll still see sculling over the stern in use around our coasts, however, if you look in the right places. Fishermen can sometimes be seen sculling noiselessly out to their trawlers on early mornings, and Sea Scouts, old gaffer sailors and traditional village regattas do their best to keep the skill alive.

What is sculling? Single oar sculling is the art of propelling a boat with an oar over the stern. If you grew up reading Swallows and Amazons, you may remember Arthur Ransome’s evocative description: ‘In the stern of Swallow there was a half-circle cut out of the transom, like a small bite out of a slice of bread and butter. ‘There was room for an oar to lie loosely in it, so that the boat could be moved along by one oar worked from side to side, and this way and that, so that it always pushes against the water. ‘A lot of people do not know how to scull over the stern of a boat, but it is easy enough…’ The sculler, holding the oar with both hands, makes a figure-of-eight motion with his hands and arms and at the same time, by twisting the oar, causes the oar’s blade to emulate the motion of a fish tail or a ship’s propeller. A skilled sculler can make a boat travel very fast and move large loads. It’s a skill that most yachtsmen can master with a little practice, and can come in really useful. I learned to scull some years ago, but have never managed to master standing up and using both hands well enough to make it effortless. Time to talk to an expert. Glyn Foulkes, lifelong resident of the River Hamble and well-known local chandler, is the local sculling champion, having learned at an early age and won every sculling race at the annual Swanwick, Bursledon and Warsash Regatta since the early 1970s. Glyn could recently be seen at the regatta’s water carnival sculling a lighter with a half-sized London bus atop it!

Why scull? Why bother learning to scull? After all, what’s wrong with rowing with a pair of oars? Well, sometimes it’s simply not possible to row in the conventional manner. Sculling is a useful way of moving a loaded dinghy that’s too laden for you to use both oars. In a sailing dinghy it means you can make headway even if the boom is too low or furled sails prevent rowing. It’s handy for making headway up a channel that’s too narrow for a pair of oars, between moored boats, or in busy harbours where standing up and looking over your shoulder allows you to see where you’re going. It’s a useful ‘get you home’ skill in case you break an oar. And you can use the same technique to propel big boats too: all you need is a long enough oar, commonly known as a sweep. Try sculling and you’ll soon find that once mastered, it’s a traditional skill that is immensely satisfying.

How to Scull

The aim is to move the oar through the water in a figure-of-eight movement. You’ll need a sculling notch, or a rowlock fitted to the transom.

1. Start by placing the oar in the water with the blade vertical.

2. Move the oar to one side and twist your wrist so that the blade ends up at around 60° to the vertical.

3. Now move the oar across the boat, rotating your wrist so that the blade is twisted 60° to the other side. Repeat back and forth in a figure-of-eight movement.

To gain extra speed, give the blade a positive ‘flick’ at the end of each stroke to complete the twist: this gets maximum thrust from the blade. You should find that the movement of the oar, scything through the water, provides enough of a downward force to keep it in the notch.

One hand or two? It’s best to use two hands when sculling standing up. ‘Although you’ll keep both hands on the oar, don’t use both arms all the time,’ advises Glyn. ‘Instead, use one arm in turn to push the oar across the boat, to share the workload between your two arms’. When sitting you might find it easier to use just one hand.

1 With the oar blade at an angle of roughly 60° and your hand on top of the oar, pull towards you.

2 At the end of the stroke give the oar a slight flick with the wrist to twist it the other way.

3 With your hand now underneath the oar, push it back on the opposite stroke.

When standing you’ll need a longer oar than you’d normally use for rowing

Using a longer oar To scull standing up you’ll need a longer oar than you’d normally use for rowing. Ideally, you want the oar to reach shoulder height when the blade is submerged. Most dedicated sculling oars are flexible and long, with a thin and lengthy blade which allows the oar to twist and turn with minimum effort. Most rigid dinghies should be suitable boats for single-oar sculling: the bigger the boat, the more likely it is you’ll be able to stand up – and the longer the oar needed. If you master the technique but find the oar jumps out of the notch, or you’re struggling to make headway, it could be that your oar is too short.

A standard length rowing oar might suffice if you’re sitting down

Standing or sitting? Many people scull sitting down, either because their boat is not stable enough to stand, or because they’re more comfortable sitting. But as long as your boat allows it and you have a long enough oar, it’s much more efficient to stand up. ‘Standing up, you can use your whole body,’ said Glyn. ‘Sitting down, you’re relying on your arms, which is much less efficient.’ Another advantage of sculling standing up is that you can use your feet to keep the boat level. As you use each hand in turn, gently shift your weight on to the opposite foot. It might take some practice but you’ll soon be able to keep the boat on an even keel, which is much more efficient, wasting much less energy than if the boat is rolling around. But ultimately it’s down to the stability of the dinghy and the length of the oar whether or not you feel comfortable standing up. Some people find it easier to scull one-handed, and If you’re struggling to scull with both while sitting down, learn the movement with one and add the second hand once you’ve got the hang of it.

Turning corners Altering course while under way is easy – you simply work the blade to one side, with a shorter lateral movement, until the bow is pointing the right way. To make bigger course alterations, you just need to ‘row’ the stern around until the bow is pointing the right way.

Other uses An everyday use of sculling is when coming alongside in an inflatable dinghy. This works especially well with flat-bottomed, traditional Avon-style dinghies, which you can simply scull sideways using the normal rowlocks.

Sculling backwards… and the art of stopping

1 The notch in the boat’s transom won’t be used here. Instead use your neck and shoulder to support and pivot the oar’s handle.

2 With the blade at 45° to the transom, work the oar from side to side, ‘pulling’ the water towards you.

3 At the end of each stroke, rotate the oar so that the blade faces the other direction.

4 To alter course, simply favour the relevant side to pull the boat, transom first, 4 To alter course, simply favour the relevant side to pull the boat, transom first, that way

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can i do sculling with my sailboat?

• Add to quote

i was just wondering could i do sculling with my size boat. im only thinking for no wind days so instead of running the motor i can just scull get a work out and do something instead of sitting there going slow anyways. my 8hp doens't pushing me fast effiecntly so i go slow to save gas so i was thinking why not just scull any ideas? and how can i make a oar that big and how will i make it?  

Due to a temperamental outboard I have regularly sculled my 28 foot (fairly 'heavy') Triton without too much trouble. I am not built like Hulk Hogan either btw.  

With a little practice, you should be able to get the boat to move along in nice conditions but don't expect it to be fast. In and around a marina it works reasonably well but I wouldn't want to try to cover any real distance with it. The furthest I have ever sculled was a little over a mile in a 20' boat and I certainly noticed it. To me, the advantages of sculling are that you can see where you are going, you can fit in narrow places and it works on boats that can't otherwise be rowed. Just be careful, it is much harder to stop the boat when doing this.  

Wooden boat forum has a lot of threads about this do a forum search there.  

It can be made quite affordable out of 2x4's btw, I have made several oars and paddles this way and the guys at wooden boat prob even have free plas up somewhere  

A friend of mine (he also has a 28 foot Triton) uses those sports rowing oars, the big long ones, and he moves his boat at quite a good clip too. In other words, he rows instead of sculls.  

Depends a lot on the boat. Something smaller than 30 feet and with preferably an outboard rudder and you should be able to move along reasonably. I do it all the time to get into my berth in light air when I am sailing in. Never tried to cover much distance but your best bet is to try it. Gary  

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Sculling Oars (yuloh)

• Thread starter Perry Solheim
• Start date Jul 4, 2016
• Tags sculling oar yuloh
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Perry Solheim

Anyone build/install a sculling oar (yuloh, actually) on their full keel boat? Worth it? (I'm a woodworker, among my many hobbies and have a large well equipped shop, except for a lathe that I could use to build a wooden oar with...). I'm looking for tips on where to locate the oar lock (can't be close to center because of the tiller and rudder, but my IF is also very narrow so if I get too far to the starboard, I run the risk of banging the life line stanchions...) If you use one, how far do you tend to move the oar back and forth? How much space should I allow? Also, does the line that attaches to the deck need to be directly below the center of the oar, in line with the oar lock? Thanks for the help. I'm excited to be in the forum and actually have a boat to ask real questions about.  

I don't have your answers, Perry, but I'm also interested in a yuloh as back-up propulsion for my little catboat. I too have the woodworking skills and shop to easily build one. Looking forward to having someone with some practical experience chime in.  

Scott T-Bird

I think you'll find lots of experience and help with diesel mechanics but not so much with a sculling oar! But you never know ... give it some time!  

Scott T-Bird said: I think you'll find lots of experience and help with diesel mechanics but not so much with a sculling oar! But you never know ... give it some time! Click to expand

Ukeluthier said: P Problem is, diesel mechanics generally aren't aboard when the auxiliary quits on a windless Chesapeake day. I'm pretty good with a wrench myself and keep my auxiliary well-maintained, but I'm a self-reliant "belt-and-suspenders" man who thinks a low-tech back-up makes sense for a smallish boat. I keep a canoe paddle in one of the cockpit lockers, but that doesn't cut it for any significant distance. I suspect there are a few more of us Luddites out there. Click to expand

My experience using a single sculling oar dates back to about 1973-75 when I taught Rowing Merit Badge at a BSA camp in northern Wis. However that was on a 16 foot rowboat. You will want the oar lock mounted off center but on a rowboat that was primarily for balance, on our boat probably enough to clear the rudder and tiller is fine. Your range of motion is probably limited to an arm length plus a little more if you lean into it. Not sure what you mean by the line that attaches to the deck? Our sculling oar lock was a U shape and the oar had a leather wrap about 8 inches with a leather collar that helped keep the oar from slipping down the oar lock. I have also seen some type of loop on the oar that fit over a post on the stern rather than using an oar lock. I did a quick google search (images) and saw a variety of ways to hold the oar in place. One pix of a ~25 foot sailboat looked like the captain was using a small telephone pole. There is also some YouTube videos of folks facing aft and working the heck out of the oar with both hands. The proper position is feet planted firmly on the deck, facing the side with the forward foot pointing somewhat in the direction of travel. Your aft hand working the oar and the forward hand holding your favorite adult beverage. Don’t forget to send pictures of the oar and a video of you gliding effortlessly through an anchorage.  

brazenarticle

check out this article for some info on making and using a yuloh http://triloboats.blogspot.com/2012/04/windless-running-on-grits.html  

brazenarticle said: check out this article for some info on making and using a yuloh http://triloboats.blogspot.com/2012/04/windless-running-on-grits.html Click to expand

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