Yuloh, sweeps and getting into the dock without a motor.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

You would have to reverse the tilt of the Yuloh, and have it in a setting where the forces could be away from the traditional notch. This is interesting to me because I will have to design a fulcrum that will not only take stress against the stern, but also one that will "pull" the stern along.
I am thinking of a closed ring, or maybe a ring attached to a ball joint?

I haven't studied the mechanics of the setup much, but what about a gimbal mount similar in principal to a ring/ball joint? That may be much simpler to fabricate than a ball joint with at least as much range of motion. The traditional notch with a gimbaled ring fitted may provide the "Pull" support needed. Just a thought...

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

You would have to reverse the tilt of the Yuloh, and have it in a setting where the forces could be away from the traditional notch. This is interesting to me because I will have to design a fulcrum that will not only take stress against the stern, but also one that will "pull" the stern along.
Look at the joint they have here, you should be able to push and pull the boat with the same oarlock. Then again, we may have to design our own.
Far Reach Voyages Home Page

Yes, I just looked at the link you provided. He is using an oarlock to fabricate a gimbaled mount...good idea.

[Scout 30]

Here's another neat video of a grand Folk Boat propelled by a yuloh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIPf5mDxMcw

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Here's another neat video of a grand Folk Boat propelled by a yuloh.

Her boat is the first one I've seen with a yuloh in action from this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diMB6Ix9jTQ

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by LLCoolDave

I've read about using a yuloh but never seen one in action. Thanks for the video. It seems like the smaller the boat the better they work. Any ideas about how big a boat they would still work with? I'm 6'3 and want standing headroom so maybe I'm looking at a 35'. Would a yuloh work for a boat that size?

Also a yuloh seems like a no brainer for inland lake sailboats. Why maintain a diesel or gas engine just to get into and out of your slip?

Ok, I have experience with this since the 1970's, ie, sculling, rowing, engineless sailing et al.

larger displacement type boats being sculled are for younger guys (ladies if you want to try go for it) I'm talking in the 20yr old bracket. It takes ALOT of stamina to propel a boat off any substanial mass any distance.

on a 35ft displacement boat you are better off with a hip tow tied dinghy with a decent 15hp outboard IMO/E. Especially in any kind of current or winds such as found in Inlets, Rivers, Sounds, and Tidal Waters IME.

inland lake boats may or may not have current issues to deal with. If one is sculling they are at the mercy of the elements ie, wind suddenly pipes up, other vessel traffic making wakes. you are not going above 2knots at best of times, so steerage is easily lost.

having a reliable outboard on a boat over 25 ft liveaboard is a sensible thing. it's your home you are moving around and you are responsible for damages caused by it to dock, other boats, etc.

sculling ususally is done on boats under 20ft because they are more controlable due to their design and lighter weight. I sculled and rowed lots of different boats under 20ft, a few up to 28 ft with some trepidation with years of practice and understanding how to react to changing conditions on the water.

this is the best rig to get for sculling>Scullmatix - an automatic sculling device for boats

oars can be found online, length is going to be determined by beam and freeboard height plus some extra. I've found generally 1/2 to 3/4's the length of a boat is the right size. no science, have to adjust row locks to find the sweet spot on each design.

over 50 now so only going to scull a boat under 20 ft.

yulohs, lots of online, hard to store onboard most boats. kind like a sailboard underfoot all the time when you're rushing forward. there's a good bit of yulohing in the movie 'Eye of the Dragon' Bruce Lee 1970's which is where it caught my eye and I researched it IIRCC Thought it was a novel, non North American way to propel a vessel so I read up on it. Lost all my books on that and more in Hurricane Sandy so can't give you any titles.

the more windage a boat has and the heavier the displacement i have found to be more dangerous to attempt this with. smaller, lower freeboard designs allow some forgiveness if you get caught in a current, wind gust, etc IME.

hope this was helpful from someone who did it for a few years. actually still have an oar, oddly it was one thing i managed to salvage after Sandy

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Thanks. That's what I was thinking as well. The boomkin is solidly bolted and well backed. I was thinking I could mount a chock on it. I'd have to experiment with location before getting it welded on.

Just wondering what you experienced guys think about me even trying this with a 30,000# boat. Am I completely crazy?

no, the sampans are large bulky river boats that use yulohs to move around slowly. though in areas with other more expensive boats you are on your own! I've done smaller boats and don't think the risk is worth it. no wind then just use your dink with it's outboard in a hip tow tie to go where you want. If someone does this with their large 30ft + boat *regularly* for a full year's worth of cruising I'll buy you a nice dinner when our wakes cross! Most folks tired of the gimmick quickly having been raised on iron gennies in North America

[phoenix-marie]

Of course the Pardeys are famous for their yoloh usage. Larry taught me to how to do it one day at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, but gosh, it would take me a lot of practice to feel comfortable! But once mastered...

However we have had a lot of practice with engineless voyaging in our last boat which had a very unreliable engine. My favorite, and my husband's least favorite method of engineless and windless locomotion, is to put him in the 8' rowing dinghy and let him pull our 13 ton boat about. I sit on the transom and (metaphorically at least) trail my fingers in the water, languidly. We have done quite a few miles that way...

[Don C L]

So after pondering the thread regarding the pros and cons of outboards I came looking for this one. As a river guide since I was 16, I have done a lot of rowing in whitewater dories that at times may weigh up to around 1700# or more in extreme cases, BUT usually that was rowing to keep it in the current or to ferry across the current. Occasionally we had long hard slogs on flat water at the end of a trip. With that in mind I experimented with 12 foot oars on my 7500# Columbia 29 which is narrow enough and low enough freeboard to make it work. I can stand and push on the oars and steer the tiller between my legs. They work fine in a very calm anchorage and harbor. It does take a few strokes to get her moving but once moving she pokes along pretty well. For those who say they can scull at 2 knots I say more power to you! I am not up to that yet. To try to get the best of both worlds, my next experimenting will be to mount an oarlock on the stern and scull with one of the oars when needed in narrow confines. I doubt they would work too well on a much higher or heavier boat, but you might be amazed how much boat you can move in or out of a slip. I'll send photos one of these days...

[Folkboater]

I agree with AdmiralSlater "no matter what anyone says it works in a pinch and its batter than another".
My experience was waking up on new years day, half asleep and not expecting any shipping traffic hauled my anchor and headed out. About then three things happened; the tide ebb was stronger than I'd hoped. the wind was weaker than I hoped and a mob of tug boats shot past me. As I drifted down the shipping channel my worst fear (at that moment) was realised, a Panamax coal ship came through the heads straight for me. Short version of what worked in my International Folkboat is that I lashed a 12' oar to the potatoes headsails winch and got to work.Lots of sweat, casting a finger to someone ready to post a calamity on Facebook then squeezed around the breakable for a leisurely few days at sea.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Folkboater

I agree with AdmiralSlater "no matter what anyone says it works in a pinch and its batter than another".
My experience was waking up on new years day, half asleep and not expecting any shipping traffic hauled my anchor and headed out. About then three things happened; the tide ebb was stronger than I'd hoped. the wind was weaker than I hoped and a mob of tug boats shot past me. As I drifted down the shipping channel my worst fear (at that moment) was realised, a Panamax coal ship came through the heads straight for me. Short version of what worked in my International Folkboat is that I lashed a 12' oar to the potatoes headsails winch and got to work.Lots of sweat, casting a finger to someone ready to post a calamity on Facebook then squeezed around the breakable for a leisurely few days at sea.

Good thing you had a 12' oar handy! Not many do!

[Folkboater]

Yeh, thanks. I did ship it in case of emergency. The tiller wagging worked ok, but I needed more leverage...

Apologies for the spellchecker typos... I lashed the oar to the headsail winch on the portside, and made it around the breakwall.

It may be of nterest to some, on this topic. I tried to mount a stern roadblock on my Folkboat yesterday, but with solar pvc, backstay, windvane and pushpit, there was no room So I installed rowlocks near the winches. Took her cor a test drive and won a couple of knots and a bucketload of child-ness. Just my way, that's all...

[Don C L]

2 knots? You were flying! I haven't put the oarlocks on mine but I have 'em ready! If I can get two knots out of me and my 12' oars I may just ditch the engine finally!

[Folkboater]

Hehe, now Don, my apologies, I didn't actually measure that speed. I will do though. I rowed off the mooring between gusts and though it was calm, going home I was favoured by what little benefit there was on offer (from inertia of wind current perhaps) and the mooring line needed quite a heave to pull her up. But underway, once I got a head of steam up, it did feel very close to 2 knots.

"Lose the engine": that's what I'm aiming at. I do have an out-of-service engine, but a bit more sail and oar cruising, to build confidence, and the engine will get the deep six, heave ho or whatever. Underneath all this is as an interest in greener cruising and "pure" sailing. Have you read "Penelope" sailing a engineless cat boat on the Maine Coast? Cheney captures some of the attitude and skill this sailing needs.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Folkboater

Hehe, now Don, my apologies, I didn't actually measure that speed. I will do though. I rowed off the mooring between gusts and though it was calm, going home I was favoured by what little benefit there was on offer (from inertia of wind current perhaps) and the mooring line needed quite a heave to pull her up. But underway, once I got a head of steam up, it did feel very close to 2 knots.

"Lose the engine": that's what I'm aiming at. I do have an out-of-service engine, but a bit more sail and oar cruising, to build confidence, and the engine will get the deep six, heave ho or whatever. Underneath all this is as an interest in greener cruising and "pure" sailing. Have you read "Penelope" sailing a engineless cat boat on the Maine Coast? Cheney captures some of the attitude and skill this sailing needs.

OK here is what I have so far, and I will say, more extensive testing is needed. But with 11 foot (12 was too long) Carlisle oars (hope that plug helps me get a discount someday) I am able to get my 8000# (more stuff now) Columbia 29 go 1/4 mile in 15 minutes, (1 knot?) without breaking TOO MUCH of a sweat. The Columbia, like the folkboat, and other classics, benefits from the low freeboard. But as I was practicing in the harbor an older gentleman called out to me in appreciation and said he had a sweep for his 25,000# boat too! Needless to say, he must be in a lot better shape than I! The Yuloh has the advantage of constant thrust over oars, but oars give you a reverse gear!
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Don C L's Album: Oars?

[Folkboater]

Well done Don, you have a neat set-up there. I notice you have extended sleeves on your oar stops to protect the oars and gunnels. I am repairing my oars right now, and after a coat of paint I will sew on a leather sleave.
I also noticed you had to make mounting blocks, with fibgreglass coaming I got away with recessing rowlock plates nnto the cockpit coaming just behind the winches.. but I need plugs to stop water entering the quarterberth.
Yes, oars offer good speed adjustment and fine steering too.
Best.