This was the site I relied upon to build my sculling oar: http://councill.home.mindspring.com/sbjournal/sculling/scull1.html Good information on how they are used and different designs. Horizontal stroke sculling oars will ride up the moment you stop or rest. Vertical stroke oars will feather if you stop and could even be used as a rudder to help steer. Jay has it right........the more vertical the blade is, the more forward thrust you can generate. Using a lanyard on a shorter, bent loom, would be one way to shorten the overall length of the oar. It also helps for me that I have an older M17 with the transom cutout for the motor. I have an oar socket mounted to one side. Some type of block with notch or some way to get the loom more vertical would be an improvement. On Nov 28, 2012, at 12:57 PM, Conbert Benneck wrote:

Hi gang,

Here is a website I found with instructions on how to build a sculling oar; and how it is used.

I initially went to "sculling oars" and in poking around, this is the one I found.

Knockabout Sloops: How to Build a *Sculling Oar* by Jerome FitzGerald <http://knockaboutsloops.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-build-sculling-oar-by-jerome.html>

As you will see from his diagrams, the end of the oar that's in the water is bent downwards so that as you swing it back and forth it acts as a vertical paddle propelling the boat.

I also found some YouTube videos that show Chinese boats using yulohs in action.

Connie