Quick Fix For An Oarlock
May 18, 2010 by Mike
Filed under Riggers, The Equipment
Sometimes stuff happens, especially during a race.
In this case the little doohicky on the end of the oarlock gate came off. It did not muck up the race but it certainly could have caused a problem. With only a little time before the next race I needed to do a quick repair.
Here is how that played out.
If you happen to know what that little knob is actually called, I would appreciate it if you would let me know. It’s been really bugging me . . .
I think doohickey is the actual technical term.
I thought it also might be a thing-a-ma-bob, but it might be too small for that . . .
Hi Mike: I believe it could be called a gate keeper.
How about calling it a “knob”?
Back in the good ol’ “we all row Pocock days” the bronze bar on the bronze oarlock was called “the keeper” and the swivel with the dimple at the end of the keeper was called the “gate lock” or at least something like that. Bill Titus will know. I remember somebody went over the falls in front of the Philly Museum on Boathouse Row in ’67 because they were rowing a single with a “string keeper”–literally a piece of string tied to the thole pin and the outside tip of the “u” of the oarlock. Probably would get a Darwin Award nomination today. Andy
PS For what that threaded plastic nut is called today, order one from Vespo and see what he calls it.
Concept 2 calls it the “Oarlock Star Nut”.
When I tell crews to tighten the “Oarlock Star Nut” they just sit there and look at me funny.
When I tell crews to tighten the “Knobby Knurl Nut” they tighten it appropriately !
Hello Mike, I usually look forward to your pearls of wisdom but this one didn’t really work for me. What we were supposed to be looking at did not actually make it into frame. Perhaps set the camera in a fixed position and we can still see all, including you. You then have hands free.
Keep up the good work, we appreciate it.
By the way, it’s called, “The thing we have to keep diving for off the dock”.
Michael
@ Mike . . . sometimes it is really hard to get the shot right with a one-handed camera crew, but I certainly understand your frustration.
The next one will be better.
Thanks for reading and watching.