Cruising Tip #21 by Tor Pinney                                                                                                                          Back to Cruising Tips

                  

LOCK THE DINGHY OARS
© 2014 Tor Pinney - All Rights Reserved

Their inflatable's oars had recently been stolen; none were aboard. So when the motor died outside a St. Thomas harbor they simply drifted away downwind, with no food or water. A couple of days later they were spotted and rescued off Culebra, sunburned, dehydrated and lucky to be alive. Of course, if only they had locked the dinghy's oars in the first place, the entire misadventure would've never happened.

 

It's no secret that inflatable dinghies row indifferently at best, so their oars tend to get short shrift because they're so rarely used. If they're aboard at all you'll often see them, cheaply made and under-sized, perched atop the side tubes or lying haphazardly on the dinghy's sole. Mostly, they're just in the way, and yet when you need them - when the engine suddenly stops working - you really need them. That's why it is prudent to invest in a pair of quality inflatable-boat oars (as opposed to toy paddles). However, they might tempt an admiring passerby. To at least keep honest sailors honest, drill a hole in each oar blade; it will not noticeably affect their performance. Make up a cable with a thimbled eye at each end, run it through the paddle holes, and pad-lock it to the transom. Always keep the key handy, perhaps hidden in the dinghy, and the lock well greased so you can deploy the oars quickly if necessary. Treat your dinghy's oars with a little respect, and protect them. They just might save you some day.

 

 

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