The guy who set up a full outrigger rowing rig on an M17 for an early R2AK wrote somewhere that about 2 mph was max speed they could maintain for long distances. I have used a SUP paddle to move my M17 short distances in glassy conditions (like into a marina slip). It is a much heaver boat than an M15 (or a SCAMP, which I have also briefly moved using a SUP paddle) so I would not plan to try any distance that way. I have set up a sculling option on my M17, using the Scullmatix device (https://duckworks.com/scullmatix/) with oarlock on starboard portion of transom, but so far have only been able to try it with an oar that is at least several feet too short. I was able to move the boat around a bit in glassy conditions, despite the awkward angle and low effectiveness with the too-short oar. A long enough oar would clearly work better, and, then there's the issue of stowing a long enough oar on a small boat. It would need to be a two-piece oar to stow inside anywhere (the R2AK M17 stowed their long sculling oars outboard of the toe rails when sailing IIRC). cheers, John On 6/7/23 09:14, casioqv@usermail.com wrote:
I agree, I don't think it's necessary to have a full rowing station on an M boat for R2AK. Special sails for extreme light winds, a sculling or SUP oar, and some kind of dinghy that can tow would all be fine IMO. A full batten main with a preventer and a nylon 'windseeker' jib will ghost along an M boat at about rowing speeds even when there seems to be zero wind. There is never really zero wind if the sun is up and there is a shoreline nearby, there is always a thermal heating gradient causing light winds near the shoreline.
I once rowed my M15 several miles with a canoe oar, sitting high up on a pile of PFDs and my feet down in the cockpit locker, and it was fine, I felt I could cover distance that way if absolutely necessary.
Sincerely, Tyler Sage 17 #0 Goshawk
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