West Marine adjustable aluminium oars

[sb1946]

We have a small Avon RIB, 4 years old, that came with what appear to be West Marine adjustable aluminium oars (Watsonville as the only bit of the label remaining legible is the clue).

The 2 parts of the oar are held together with a plastic insert fitting in the smaller tube and with two spring loaded "buttons" protruding through the larger tube. Te springs have corroded such that the parts are no longer usable. The blades are held on with similar inserts.

The UK supplier of the RIB was unable to advise on the parts. Zodiac could not or would not identify the supplier.

West Marine are unable to identify the part, despite being supplied with a photograph (attached).

The only advice any of the above can give is to buy a new pair of oars.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and/or resolved it?

[JPA Cate]

Yes,

Have had the problem. We through-bolt them, and use them that way. If you can do something with a spacer to galvanic isolate the screws from the alloy, you can use them for quite a long time. IMO, you do not have to try and get new oars; that's a total PITA. Do give them a fresh water rinse before storing them.

Another hint, if you have access to scrap styrofoam: if you glue some tight fitting discs of styrofoam in the tubes of the oars, you can make them float, rather than sink. Now that's cool!

Ann

[sb1946]

Hi

Thanks for the post. We have through bolted them but we need to be able to separate the halves easily for stowage so it's not really ideal.

Richard
SEA BUNNY
Phuket, Thailand

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sb1946

Hi

Thanks for the post. We have through bolted them but we need to be able to separate the halves easily for stowage so it's not really ideal.

Richard
SEA BUNNY
Phuket, Thailand

So what's so hard about undoing a wing nut and pulling a 1/4-20 screw out? Takes less than 30 seconds for us...

Or, you could buy new oars which would then start to corrode just like the old ones!

Jim