A modern take on the Yuloh / Sculling Oar - Would you be interested?

[Don C L]

Btw I have always wondered if what were referred to as steering oars were really not just yulohs on the ancient Egyptian river craft as well. They did employ oars but smaller models did not. There must be some nautical historians among us here!
Another btw, any boat that you design the yuloh for will need to have enough room and platform for the person sculling to get a good stance for leverage. There may be more needed than just the oar, but a fixed or moveable platform to work from. Just thinking here

[Voiliers_Libres]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I think it's an excellent idea.

Your post inspired me to do some reading about yulohs, and from that I conclude that a yuloh could be viable on sailboats up to maybe 25 ft, depending on vessel weight. It could be very practical on small trailerable sailboats like ours (17 to 22 ft), if you can address issues like storage.

You should consider sharing your ideas with the readership of Small Craft Advisor, because that publication's focus is smaller boats, and they are very receptive to ideas for alternative propulsion.

Speaking personally, I'd be very interested in a modernized affordable yuloh, if it was simple to store and deploy.

Happy to hear your opinion on this Lake Effect. Thank you for the tip with Small Craft Advisor, that was a good idea!
BG / VL

[Voiliers_Libres]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds great. Can I put in a plug for making your design scalable to my boat: 37’, 15 tons .

Thank you Mike for the feedback, your plug is noted!

BG VL

[Voiliers_Libres]

Hello fellow Sailors!


We are three Innovation Engineering students and sailors at the University of Halmstad in Sweden, and we have the idea as a thesis to invent a cheaper and manufacturable modern take on the yuloh. The result of the work will consist of a prototype and a business plan.

Our vision is to enable sailors to sail more with less and with greater independence and satisfaction. We think therefore this project is interesting, perhaps it's possible to create something that has the potential to help out sailors sail more, with a greater feeling of security, working as a complement (...or fully replacement?) to their engine.

We are considering to do this as our thesis. What do you fine sailors think about this idea? Would you like to buy it? Any input is greatly appreciated.


Best Regards
Oskar / VL

PS. If you are interested giving us more input: We also have a secondary idea of designing a rudder, having a separate thread.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by StuM

Boat Alexandra?

Yes, when he came through this area last Winter he was using a sculling oar and mentioned it on here (CF)

He used it to go down the ICW when he wasn't sailing it.

[Voiliers_Libres]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I think it's an excellent idea.

Your post inspired me to do some reading about yulohs, and from that I conclude that a yuloh could be viable on sailboats up to maybe 25 ft, depending on vessel weight. It could be very practical on small trailerable sailboats like ours (17 to 22 ft), if you can address issues like storage.

You should consider sharing your ideas with the readership of Small Craft Advisor, because that publication's focus is smaller boats, and they are very receptive to ideas for alternative propulsion.

Speaking personally, I'd be very interested in a modernized affordable yuloh, if it was simple to store and deploy.

Update: I have now contacted Small Craft Advisor awaiting reply, I will keep you informed.

I have also created two new posts on the forum regarding this question, and also a secondary idea of designing an emergency rudder. You find the links below:


A modern take on the Yuloh / Sculling Oar - Would you be interested?


Manufactured Emergency Rudders - are you in need of it?


I suggest this discussion can continue on the threads above.



BG / VL

[sailormed]

Maybe you tell us first what a yuloh? is. Might help.

[Pete7]

Before we answer this question, have you read the feedback from your previous question about Yulohs and what conclusions have you drawn from this advice?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ar-207532.html

Have you ever made a Yuloh?

Have you used a Yuloh in poor weather or strong winds?

Who do you feel will use the information in your thesis on a Yoluh? have you spoken to any of these people? what did they say?

[Shrew]

Inventing the Yuloh was innovative. Manufacturing and marketing a Yuloh is not. Unless you're inventing an innovative manufacturing process, you are simply drafting a business plan.

I'm surprised an Engineering Professional greenlit this thesis.

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Before we answer this question, have you read the feedback from your previous question about Yulohs and what conclusions have you drawn from this advice?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ar-207532.html

Have you ever made a Yuloh?

Have you used a Yuloh in poor weather or strong winds?

Who do you feel will use the information in your thesis on a Yoluh? have you spoken to any of these people? what did they say?

Pete, while I'm inclined to agree that the yuloh is not going to take the world by storm, it can be an interesting option on a small, simple cruiser to get in and out of ports or anchorages when there is no wind.

In strong winds I'd assume the sailor will have the sails up, reefed and trimmed for the conditions.

Lin and Larry used a yuloh on their first boat (and perhaps the second boat- but at 29 feet and 19,000 pounds I think it might not have been very effective).

I can see the attraction of a yuloh on a boat under 28 feet, if simplicity is your goal and you are willing to wait for wind when out of port.

[SuW]

I have periodically thought about using a retired sweep rowing oar (about 11 feet/3.5 m of carbon fiber tube shaft, wooden handle and composite foam sandwich blade) as a yuloh. My rowing club has been changing from old-fashioned macon blades to hatchet style blades, so there are several free ones available.

They are moderately flexible when pulled hard. There is a movable plastic collar to spread the load from the oarlock.

The main impediment in my mind (apart from a pile of other projects) is to find a mechanism to attach it to a boat and finding a place to stand as Archimedes might say.

It really needs to have a vertically swivelling oarlock held firmly a short distance off the transom or perhaps the hip of the boat. I do have old rowing rigging with oarlocks (3 aluminum spars and oarlock with gate) but they work on the horizontal plane not vertical.

All this to be done without chipping any of the boat's paint, of course...

[Pete7]

I asked the question about strong winds thinking about moving around a marina or busy anchorage. It could easily go horribly wrong. Our club pontoons can have a couple of knots of tide at certain states of the flood. Add a bit of cross wind not exactly an unknown phenomenon off the NW coast of Europe and it would be easy to loose control.

Lin and Larry seem to have a reputation of arriving somewhere and asking for a tow into the harbour. Nothing wrong with that I suppose but I would rather use the perfectly good diesel engine on board.

I am also interested in what research they have done. Is it just make a post on a forum or really research the topic, speak to possible manufacturers, create a prototype, thoroughly test it etc.

Pete

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Lin and Larry seem to have a reputation of arriving somewhere and asking for a tow into the harbour.
Pete

So did Mr Joshua Slocum, as I recall! Time and tide are often against us...

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by SuW

So did Mr Joshua Slocum, as I recall! Time and tide are often against us...

Indeed, I live in a world that whilst I don't need to wear a watch I do at least need to know the time. Must be lovely to live a life style were you don't need to know what time of day it is. That is either super rich or so few assets and obligations that it doesn't matter. Most people are somewhere in the middle, taxes to pay, kids to look after and jobs to go to. That means being home Sunday evening in time to sort yourself out not sit waiting for a wind change or the tide to turn to make land fall or enter a harbour.

Paddle against a wind or tide? or turn the diesel on?

Pete

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Paddle against a wind or tide? or turn the diesel on?
Pete

We just got back from our annual cruise through the 1000 Islands. No wind for 2 weeks, then too much wind for 2 days. We used nearly 10 gals of diesel and only disturbed the spiders on the sail covers a couple of times (once, to no effect, when we ran aground).

I don't intend to sound whiny. It still beats doing almost anything else!