Frequently Asked
Questions
How do you steer with the
FrontRower?
Why do people row
backward?
Why is the FrontRower
frame made of wood and not some other material?
How did you come up with
this idea?
How does the automatic
feathering work?
Where can I try a
FrontRower equipped row boat?
How do you steer with the
FrontRower?
You take longer strokes on one
side. This makes the boat turn gradually. Each oar and pedal
is completely separate from the other, so you can stroke forward on one
side while stroking rearward on the other. This makes the boat turn
very sharply, enabling you to turn around in your own boat length.
Why do people row
backward?
Rowing is done primarily as a "sport". The rules of the sport of
rowing require the participants to row backwards. Rowing clubs that
promote the sport of rowing use regulation (rear facing) equipment.
If you go to a rowing club, you will be taught rear facing rowing as the
proper way to row. But the rowing of work boats is often done in a
forward facing position (for example: the gondoliers of Venice, Italy).
Why is the FrontRower
frame made of wood and not some other material?
The wood we use (cherry) is the
best material for the job. It is lightweight, strong, rot resistant, and
it floats. Wood is a natural "fiber composite" which is hard to
improve on synthetically. Each piece of the frame is tank dipped in marine quality varnish, sealing every pore
and making it very stable. Varnished cherry is pleasing to look at
and to touch. No other material has better qualities for the
purpose. Our cherry is sustainably harvested in upstate New York and
does not endanger the forest.
How did you come up with
this idea?
I've been a paddler since I was 16 and bought my first wood and canvas
canoe (which I still own). Eventually I began taking long solo
voyages in this canoe. I moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I
worked as an engineer, and saw scullers on the Charles River every day.
I could see the advantages of using a pair of oars and getting leg power
into the stroke, but the idea of going backwards in the unfamiliar waters
I liked to explore did not appeal to me. Just for fun I built an
experimental rowing system using a pair of oars with the handles and oarlocks
reversed so the motion of each oar was similar to that of paddling (giving
forward motion while pulling on the handle). The results were better
than I expected. With some refinement to this system, I was
outperforming canoes with two expert paddlers aboard. This
was using arm power only. Then I experimented with sliding seats to
get leg power. I found that they wasted a lot of energy, so I
experimented with and perfected moving
pedals, which are more efficient. With this system I could outperform expert single scullers
in identical boats. And the FrontRower was born. From then on
it was refinements to this system, including automatic feathering and
hands free rowing.
How does the automatic
feathering work?
The oars are free to rotate 1/4
turn. The springs that pull the oars forward are connected
off-center to the top of the oars. As they pull the oars forward,
they rotate the oars 1/4 turn into the feathered (flat) position.
Likewise, the handles are connected off-center to the top of the oars.
As you pull the handles rearward, they rotate the oars 1/4 turn into the
squared (vertical) position.
Where can I try a
FrontRower equipped row boat?
You can make arrangements to try a FrontRower at our location in Warren, RI.
Email or call for an appointment. |
