More oars.

This time made specifically for the dartmouth gig. Much longer than my first oar, significantly tapered, and with a hollowed loom. I made one, to match oars made by colleagues for my city and guilds exam. It is made from douglas fir, with spruce flukes.

Again, it was a hugely satisfying exercise in feel and symmetry, but this time working to very specific dimensions taken from plans and formers, but more significantly measured from oars that my colleagues had already completed. The cigar shaped tapered hollow was made with a gouge chisel.

In the photographs of two finished oars together, mine is the one on the right. And I couldn’t resist the star motif on the handle end which has become a sort of makers mark.

I really enjoyed the leatherwork as well. Stitching up was a beautifully meditative exercise.