Oars and a Spare Paddle: Why Every Boat Needs Both

Every boat has a day when the engine quits. A flat battery, an empty tank, a rope wrapped round the prop. In that moment a phone does not move your boat. Two oars do.

Why a Spare Paddle Is Not Optional

Engines stop for dull reasons: fuel, filters, a fouled prop, a battery that will not turn over. Most of it is fixable, just not while current is walking you towards a breakwater. Oars give you steerage and a choice instead of a wait.

With the engine off, wind moves a small hull more than anything else on board. Ten minutes of drift is enough to put you on rocks or alongside another boat. With oars you hold your distance and pick where you wait.

Stow It So It Is Actually There

An oar in the garage is not safety gear. It has to live on the boat, secured, somewhere you can reach in a second while standing up.

• Lashed with a short lanyard or clipped in a holder, so it cannot go over the side.
• Out of direct sun, since wood and plastic both suffer in Kuwait heat.
• Near the helm, not buried under the forward hatch.
• Two of them, because one oar cannot row a boat.

Keep a long line with them. Sometimes the right move is passing a line to another boat rather than rowing into the wind.

Choosing the Length

Length matters more than material. Too short and you do double the work while stooping to reach the water. Too long and the blade digs deep and control suffers. Sit or stand in the boat and check: the grip should come to about shoulder height or slightly below, with your hands comfortable on the handle.

A wide hull needs a longer oar to reach the water without hanging off the side. If storage is tight, a two-piece oar is practical, but confirm the joint is locked before you launch, not after.

Rowing Against Wind and Current

Open water is not a river. Wind and current push the hull, so you will not track straight, and the goal is a safe destination rather than a tidy line.

Into the wind, take short firm strokes and let the bow sit slightly angled so it cuts through rather than slams. With the wind behind you, use it and keep the strokes light, but do not let the boat run past where you want to be. In current, row with it towards a safe point when you can, and do not fight a strong current to hit one exact spot.

Rhythm beats effort. Four organised strokes are worth more than twenty frantic ones. Alone, lash the tiller or set the engine leg straight so the boat holds a line while you row.

The Pre-Trip Check

• The oars are on the boat, not at home.
• Lanyards are sound, no chafe, joints locked.
• A second oar and a spare line are aboard.
• You can find them without searching.
• You have rowed once in calm water, not for the first time in an emergency.

The check takes a minute. After the trip, rinse the oars in fresh water and dry them before storing, because salt eats line and fittings faster than anything else on board.

Before you launch, check wind and sea state in the B7R app. For anything bigger than a dead engine, use the SOS button in B7R instead of rowing out of trouble.

Want wind and tide before you head out? Download the app free on Google Play: Google Play