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| the Prodigal, complete with tweaks |
I've been rowing Lake Como a lot lately. Sorry, nothing new about that. Instead, I've been working on a few "tweaks" for my little boat.
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| The fourteen foot Alumacraft is probably the most popular boat in Minnesota |
Here in Minnesota, the most common boat is the 14 foot Alumacraft. It's rugged, lightweight, inexpensive and dependable, a perfect choice for fishing. The trouble is that it's not necessarily the best choice for the city lakes. The Alumacraft needs to be trailered and parking is not always available at the launch sites. Outboards are not permitted in the cities and an electric trolling motor is useful, but the range is limited. One can always row, but this larger boat can be tough especially when the wind blows. It's just too long to row through the winding stream that connects Round Lake and Keller Lake. Finally, a few of the smaller lakes such as Como, Lake of the Isles, and Hiawatha do not have a launch ramp at all.
I must say that the Prodigal has proven to be a real nice little light water craft. It's not the best for crossing open waters. It's pretty stable but it just doesn't glide like longer boats. But it's easy to transport, requires no trailer and you can carry it down to almost any shoreline. Most importantly, it's nimble enough to negotiate the narrower channels and bridges in the Chain of Lakes, Round Lake, etc. Little boats tend to track poorly. They do not row easily in a straight line. In these winding channels however, this is a real advantage. You can turn on a dime, pivot in place, and even get sideways to the current.
I must say that the Prodigal has proven to be a real nice little light water craft. It's not the best for crossing open waters. It's pretty stable but it just doesn't glide like longer boats. But it's easy to transport, requires no trailer and you can carry it down to almost any shoreline. Most importantly, it's nimble enough to negotiate the narrower channels and bridges in the Chain of Lakes, Round Lake, etc. Little boats tend to track poorly. They do not row easily in a straight line. In these winding channels however, this is a real advantage. You can turn on a dime, pivot in place, and even get sideways to the current.
Nonetheless, I felt a need to tinker, to enhance the performance just a little. The Prodigal will never be a racer. But that's not the point. Improved performance allows for greater range and, therefore, more time on the water.
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| A "store bought" drop-in rowing unit |
The first tweak was to remove the fixed seat in the center and install a home made drop-in rowing unit. Mine is vaguely like the models found in racing craft. The principle is simple. A sliding seat offers the operator a great deal more leverage. But a real rowing unit in a little dinghy is actually overkill. The sliding seat creates a rocking action, pitching the stem downward, which is not good in a short boat. A little slide is helpful anyway, but not enough to justify the expense of a store bought unit. (Chesapeake Light Craft sells them for $530.00.)
In a little dinghy, the real benefit of a sliding seat is to trim the boat. Sliding aft helps to launch and beach. Slighting forward trims for a passenger sitting at the stern. Most of all, the sliding seat is perfect for slipping over submerged logs in tight places.
In a little dinghy, the real benefit of a sliding seat is to trim the boat. Sliding aft helps to launch and beach. Slighting forward trims for a passenger sitting at the stern. Most of all, the sliding seat is perfect for slipping over submerged logs in tight places.
With these thoughts in mind, I decided to rethink this idea. I made a mock up out of wood and used a few small straight casters from the hardware store. It didn't work: too much friction. So I tried teflon glides. Also a flop. Finally I took a good look at the wheels under my wife's Nordic Track. I was sure that they would work better than the hardware store variety.
So I went to the junk store in search of the same. Jackpot! I found an "Alpine Tracker." This particular ski machine would work even better. The "skis" were actually foot pads that rolled back and forth on two stationary extruded aluminum tracks, much the same as the rowing unit from Chesapeake Light Craft. And that was how the final version came together.
I bought the Tracker for $3.99. I splurged and bought a wooden chair for $8.99. I cut out the seat and fastened it to the rolling foot pad. I did not make a version of the foot braces found on most rowing units. Actually when I'm alone I put my feet under the rear seat and push off on the transom.
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| A trial fit showing an end view of the track and the foot pad/carriage |
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| The completed unit and another view of the original foot pad and extruded aluminum unit from the tracker |
The second tweak was to counterweight the oars. I use a cheap set made Caviness. They are okay, but kind of clunky. The blades seem to be a little on the heavy side. Granted, this might be just a couple ounces, but if you are rowing for hours at a time, that's enough. Counterweights are for sale on the internet, but the going rate is about $70.00.
This was a real simple fix. I cut a couple pieces of steel gas pipe and slipped them over the handles. Problem solved! Rowing has become a dream! The oars move with a minimum of effort. I haven't gone for an extended trip just yet, but I'm sure that I can row further with the counterweights.
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| Oars are counter weighted with pipe |
I learned something else about oars. Granted, this might be a personal choice. It is certainly a debatable topic, but I found that when it comes to the twin city lakes, shorter seems to be better. I shall explain. My little pram is approximately four feet wide. Using a formula for desired oar length, the ideal oar should be six or more feet long. Some people may even question this, arguing for longer. The longer the oar, the faster the row. I couldn't agree more, especially in open waters. I've got a pair of seven footers and really enjoy them. On the other hand I have a set of oars which are 5'6". They get around well in tight places. The Chain of Lakes is connected by a series of bridges and channels, some of which pinch down to twelve feet wide or less, a real problem for longer oars.
This could be a real problem especially in the channel that connects Lake of the Isles to Cedar Lake and Brownie lake. Just as you approach the narrow railroad bridge (which has an opening of only ten feet) a fallen tree lays across the water. One needs to swing over to side and skirt the edge of the far bank, then pivot sharply to get back to the center, and then pivot again to approach the opening straight on. Even 5'6" oars are too long to row through, so it's important to build up as much momentum as possible, ship the oars inside the boat and glide through. Bigger oars are just too clunky for this sort of maneuver.
Finally, where passages get really tight, I bring along a couple of canoe paddles.
These are the tweaks. I had a lot of fun fussing and tinkering. And maybe if you are reading this blog, you might want to try the same thing. Maye you have come up with some other innovations for the Twin City Lakes. If so, I would be interested in hearing from you.
This could be a real problem especially in the channel that connects Lake of the Isles to Cedar Lake and Brownie lake. Just as you approach the narrow railroad bridge (which has an opening of only ten feet) a fallen tree lays across the water. One needs to swing over to side and skirt the edge of the far bank, then pivot sharply to get back to the center, and then pivot again to approach the opening straight on. Even 5'6" oars are too long to row through, so it's important to build up as much momentum as possible, ship the oars inside the boat and glide through. Bigger oars are just too clunky for this sort of maneuver.
Finally, where passages get really tight, I bring along a couple of canoe paddles.
These are the tweaks. I had a lot of fun fussing and tinkering. And maybe if you are reading this blog, you might want to try the same thing. Maye you have come up with some other innovations for the Twin City Lakes. If so, I would be interested in hearing from you.
