Oarlock History

Oarlock Design- Original Conception
Just how far back men started rowing, and what their first gear was like, we don’t know for sure. It’s well known how boats were propelled in ancient times in the Mediterranean and in Norse waters; boats in both of these areas relied very much on oars (Culler 81). A relief from about 700 BC shows Phoenician galleys with very pointed, curved rams, single rows of oarsmen, curved sterns, and fighting decks with shields along their sides (Lavery 23). Less warlike vessels also appear in the relief, without rams but still propelled by oars and with a deck above, carrying distinguished looking passengers (Lavery 23). By about 600 BC, the Corinthians reached the next stage and built the famous trireme, with three levels of oars. The trireme was copied by the various city-states, such as Athens and Sparta, and by 500 BC it was the most successful warship in the eastern Mediterranean (Lavery 24).

Oarlock Design- Early Design
The early Norse way for holding the oar to the boat was a naturally grown chock ahead of the oar, with a hole and thong to help retain the oar. Other craft used a pin of wood for the oar to work against; this pin was usually mounted on a block, with a strop used to retain the oar (Fig. 1) (Culler 81). Another version was similar to an oarlock- two nicely shaped chocks of wood forming horns to retain the oar. (Fig. 2) There were many variations of the same principle, some removable and some adjustable (Culler 82). Thole pins are still in use, and many people are familiar with them. In the past some pins, notably those used in Europe, were often oblong in section, shaped on the inside to suit the oar, and fitted in sockets shaped to them in the rail. Some tholes used a fairly high chafing block if the boat was low, sometimes the forward pin was higher and stronger then the after one (Culler 83). Dory thole pins always used lanyards- all tholes should have lanyards- but there are few other absolutes in thole-pin design. There are many slight variations in the shapes of both the round and squarish-type tholes- some of this design work is very good, based as it is on what works and what does not (Culler 83).

Oarlock Design- Modern Changes
With the creation of new technology, demand for highly specialized oarlock hardware decreased rapidly. Many different patterns of oarlocks were discontinued. There were little or no sales of specialty locks, so the lines were dropped. Now only a minimal choice of types that still sell can be found (Culler 71). Stock patterns available now include a couple of models of side-mount sockets and flat mount sockets, some of these tapered, some not. (Fig 3) Also to be found are round-type locks that stay on the oar, using a leather “button” to keep them on. (Fig 4) The standard horned type is still available in ribbed or plan pattern, sometimes with a lanyard eye. Still available is the North River pattern, (Fig. 5) which is similar to the guideboat pattern. It features a pin through the horns and the oar itself, so the oar cannot be feathered. The North River usually uses a side-plate for mounting. That these work for the intended use, there is no doubt; they have much advantage [in] fishing, but for most rowing you want to feather the oars, and you can’t do it with these (Culler 73). There is still available the ram-type lock, (Fig. 6) with fixed horns on a plate. Many now will look with doubt on such a rig, but these oarlocks have stood the test of time- the principle of their use may go as far back as the use of oars. The ram-type lock is easy to mount stoutly; one pattern has been used in Jersey beach skiffs for years- very practical for the right boat (Culler 74). Materials for today’s oarlocks are now either galvanized iron or bronze, and most seem to be some sort of a drop forge or casting. In the past, bronze oarlocks were highly finished; some even were nickel plated. Now, for the stock ones, the story is different. They are very rough, and often, though they are supposed to be matched, they can be found either to be very slack or to bind in the sockets (Culler 74).