Oars

Oars

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by means of rowlocks or tholes which transmit the applied force to the boat. In this system (known as a second class lever) the rowlock is the fulcrum.

Oarsmen generally face the stern of the vessel, reach as far as they can towards the stern, and insert the blade of their oar in the water. As they lean back, towards the vessel's bow, the blade of their oars sweeps the water towards the stern, providing forward thrust – see lever.

For thousands of years vessels were powered either by sails, or the mechanical work of oarsmen, or paddlers. Some ancient vessels were propelled by either oars or sail, depending on the speed and direction of the wind . 

Oars

Oars

 

Oars

 

Oars

 

Oars

Oars

 

Oars

Oars

Oars

     Oars

 

     

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe Company is a historic maker of wood and canvas canoes in Old Town, Maine. It was established in 1898 in buildings constructed in 1890 for a shoe business, and incorporated in 1901. The company adopted more modern materials to maintain competitiveness in the later half of the 20th century. The company's plant was located along the Penobscot River.

Old Town is the largest and best known American canoe manufacturer. It was the leading manufacturer in the world before competitors pressured it by adopting aluminum for manufacture. It adjusted by moving to using fiberglass and plastic in the 1960s. Old Town also makes kayaks, and its newer production plant is also used to make paddles.

The Old Town Canoe Company "is one of the few Maine businesses to have achieved legendary status nationally" along with Mount Katahdin, L.L. Bean, Moosehead Lake and Portland Head Light.[4] Old Town was featured by the Discovery Channel for an episode of Some Assembly Required (TV series) in 2008.In 1998 the company celebrated its 100th anniversary; with brass tacks and wood planks still used in the manufacture of its traditional lines of canoe. The town of Old Town and surrounding communities have hosted a week-long Old Town Hullabaloo canoe festival.

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

 

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

Old Town Canoe

       

Canoes

Canoes

A canoe is a lightweight narrow boat pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel using a single-bladed paddle.

Canoes are used for racing, whitewater canoeing, touring and camping, freestyle, and general recreation. The intended use of the canoe dictates its hull shape and construction material.

Historically canoes were dugouts or made of bark on a wood frame, but construction materials evolved to canvas on a wood frame, then to aluminum. Most modern canoes are made of molded plastic or composites like Fiberglass. Until the mid-1800s the canoe was an important means of transport for exploration and trade, but then transitioned to recreational or sporting use. Canoeing has been part of the Olympics since 1936. In countries where the canoe played a key role in history, such as Canada and New Zealand, the canoe remains an important theme in popular culture.

Canoes can be adapted to many purposes, for example with the addition of sails, outboard motors, and outriggers.

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

Canoes

       

Row Boat

Row Boat

Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat, whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.

This article deals with the more general types of rowing, such as for recreation and transport rather than the sport of competitive rowing which is a specialized case of racing using strictly regulated equipment and a highly refined technique.

In some localities, rear-facing systems prevail. In other localities, forward-facing systems prevail, especially in crowded areas such as in Venice, Italy and in Asian and Indonesian rivers and harbors. This is not strictly an "either-or", because in different situations it's useful to be able to row a boat facing either way. The current emphasis on the health aspects of rowing has resulted in some new mechanical systems being developed, some very different from the traditional rowing systems of the past.

Rearward-facing systems: This is probably the oldest system used in Europe and North America. A seated rower pulls on one or two oars, which lever the boat through the water. The pivot point of the oars (attached solidly to the boat) is the fulcrum. The motive force is applied through the rower's feet. In traditional rowing craft, the pivot point of the oars is generally located on the boat's gunwale. The actual fitting that holds the oar may be as simple as one or two pegs (or thole pins) or a metal oarlock (also called rowlock - "rollock"). In performance rowing craft, the rowlock is usually extended outboard on a "rigger" to allow the use of a longer oar for increased power.

Row Boat

Row Boat

  

Row Boat

Row Boat

Row Boat

Row Boat

Row Boat

Row Boat

   Row Boat