Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Friday, 26 July 2019

building wooden oars for a sailing dinghy 9

I'm putting some copper bands on to stop splitting and to just add finishing touches. I will also be coppering the oar tips as well although doing rounded blades could prove tricky. It is expensive stuff but I found a cheap, malleable supply in a local hardware depot - copper slug resistant plant name tags. Yeah, you read right!


They superglue together well to make a long length, are bendable and are easily drilled. I'm doing a practice run on some wood off-cuts first though. Currently in the middle of cutting up bronze ring nails to a suitable length to knock in and hold the copper in place. The strips will be bedded on marine sealant as well. Or epoxy.


Now, I just have to work out how to do the tips - curving the strip around so the tip is encased - tricky stuff this copper tipping oar blades!!

Postscript

Epoxy and superglue and the bands have been done. Working out how to protect the tips though is proving a little more problematic. 


Epoxied or superglued and any tiny gaps left filled with marine sealant as well


Postscript 2

Well they match Arwen's general decor

And stick out a bit over the stern but I still think it is seamanship like......


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