making oars

i have an 18ft 70inch beam mirro craft jonn boat. i want to put oars on it so i can use it like a drift boat i am planning to make some oars as the normal oars are too short and all the stores are out of stock. any tips for making oars thank you

You could just buy the head and mount them on some conduit. They are expensive for the store bought oars better to use a trolling motor for the price they want.

Here is a step by step but looks like you need a bit of wood working tools.
Building Wooden Oars

Also if you just google building boat oars it will pull up several videos on you tube. I’m sure somewhere in there is a solution that will help you.

thanks for the info. i like the fact of being able to turn quickly with oars ,electric motors dont come close[unless you had one in front and rear]

20 years or so ago, I built some by just gluing some pine 2x4's together and whittling the oars out. Coated them with marine shellac (don't remember the name of it). They're still going strong.

i did buy two premium 2x4 8ft.question to figure out is how big of a paddle. i may start with a piece of plywood just to get the feel of it. probably trimming the 2x4 in half and bolting the blade to it.

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Originally Posted by rich mc

i did buy two premium 2x4 8ft.question to figure out is how big of a paddle. i may start with a piece of plywood just to get the feel of it. probably trimming the 2x4 in half and bolting the blade to it.

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The length of the oar is the important thing. Too short won't let you get a bite in the water. Too long makes you fight the natural floatation of the oar.