[Rhodes22-list] Ro, Ro, Your Boat...

[Bill Effros]

No, that's not right.

They sometimes use their oars as poles, but many of the canals are far 
too deep for that, and the oars are specialized.

There is a fulcrum at the rear that the oarsman puts his oar into.  The 
motion of the oar is to and fro, similar to what you described in the 
Japanese boat.  The oarsman can put his full body into the stroke from 
the pad on which he stands at the stern.

It looks like an inverted version of the Japanese system, and it seems 
that the physics of the propulsion is similar.

But the mass of the boat is much less than the mass of our boats.

I have sculled with the rudder on my R22 on windless days, and traveled 
miles.  I have tried pulling my boat with my dinghy--that doesn't work 
if there is any current at all.  In fact, my sculling may have been 
floating in the current for all I really know.  I see people paddling 
their boats from the bow, but this has never worked for me.  I have an 
electric motor, but I find I never turn to it in an emergency.  I have a 
reliable outboard which almost always comes through.  My sails are my 
back up.  Then I break out the anchors.

Just wondering if you knew the physics of gondolas.  They move 
beautifully, not zig zagging through the water with a single oar.

Bill Effros


Robert Skinner wrote:
> Bill Effros wrote:
>   
>> Robert,
>> How do gondolas work?
>>     
>
> Generally, they use poles, as the canals are shallow.
>
> http://www.bergercollection.org/artwork_detail.php?i=27
> http://www.coasterville.com/Italia/ItalyPage3.htm
>
>   
>> Does the Japanese boat weigh a ton and half?
>>     
>
> Often more.  The ro is used both alone at the stern, or
> in some cases, multiple ros were used along the sides of
> boats.  The article that I cited showed a picture of one.
>
>   
>>> Reference:
>>>
>>> Wooden Boat Volume 192, Setember/October 2006, page 54
>>>
>>> "A Different Way to Ro -- Complex Japanese traditional
>>> oar makes sculling simple"
>>> If you want a copy of the article, contact:
>>> Woodenboat
>>> 41 Woodenboat Lane
>>> P.O. Box 78
>>> Brooklin, ME 04616-0078
>>> 207-359-4651
>>>       
>
>