placement of oarlocks on a dinghy

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We have a 9'4" fiberglass dinghy for our sailboat we just finished reglassing it and realized that we forgot to mark the placement of the oarlocks. Can somebody out there help us?

The dinghy is 9'4" with a 4'4" max beam, with a weight of 170# It can be rowed from either the center or the forward sear.

Is there a formula for figuring the placement? Thanks for your help

Irene

-- Irene Adler (iadler2728@wowway.com), June 21, 2004

Answers

A basic rule of thumb:

Locate the oarlock pin one foot aft of the aft edge of the thwart or seat.

-- Douglas Martin (echoline@earthlink.net), June 22, 2004.


(I'd add, give or take 1 inch.) Mine are at 13" and it feels right to me, but I've been recommended to have them as close as 10 1/2 inches.

So if you have short arms, you might prefer them closer, long arms farther.

But really, there's no sign of the previous holes?? Try turning off the lights or waiting until night, and shining a bright flashlight through it. There should be a "thin" spot where the previous holes are that you can see. As in the fiberglass will look different. Also an email to the manufacturer might also give you the original measurement. -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), June 22, 2004.


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