A rowboat is a small boat propelled by oars and human power, made of wood or aluminum, with a flat or V bottom. It’s used for fishing, recreation and pleasure. Advances in technology have created more efficient oars.
A rowboat is a small boat that is propelled by oars and the power of a human being. The boat can be made of wood or aluminum, with the aluminum version being the most common. Oars are long paddles that have a metal yoke attached to them and fit into the oar locks on the side of the rowboat. One person sits in front of the back of the boat and pulls the oars toward his body, effectively driving the boat forward through the water. The rowboat can use either a flat bottom or a V bottom, with the flat bottom style in shallow, calm water and the V bottom being used primarily in deeper, rougher water.
Using human muscle power to propel the vessel, the rowboat takes advantage of the operator’s ability to propel the boat through all types of wind and weather conditions. Unlike a wind-driven boat, the rowboat can maintain forward propulsion in zero wind conditions. Depending on the strength of the rower, the wind can occasionally create a difficulty in propelling the rowboat forward against blowy conditions. However, with the wind at the boat’s stern, the rower is assisted by gusts and can often maintain a brisk speed with little effort.
At home in both fresh and salt water, the rowboat has been a staple for anglers for centuries. Used for setting and hauling in fishing nets, the small boat had sustained the fishing industry long before motor boats appeared in the world’s waters. Many small boats are used for recreation and pleasure on the world’s lakes and rivers, offering the calm, soothing sound of creaking oars and the lapping of water against the hull to accompany a romantic picnic or overnight excursion.
Advances in rowing technology have created lightweight aluminum and composite oars that are easier to use and more efficient at propelling the boat. By altering the shape of the oar blade, or the part of the oar that pushes through the water, the amount of water captured and pushed against the face of the blade is greatly increased. This causes the rowboat to require less force from the rower to glide through the water at the same speed and velocity as a similarly equipped boat using older rowing styles.
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