by GreenLake » Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:47 pm
I've never installed a set, but I rowed across a marina with @jeadstx's setup and would say it works better than using paddles, but doing any real distance will be work. (With paddles, I've managed about a quarter mile on several occasions; let's say a mile in a real emergency). Advantage over oars is that they are deployed more quickly and easily in close quarters, like the last little bit to/from a dock. But you can have both if you keep a collapsible paddle for when oars would be overkill.
When you install spacers, think about lever arm. If you raise the oarlock, the additional support should not just raise the height, but be able transfer the rowing load as well. Now, with the usual design of these oarlocks you have three holes, one for the pin and two for the bolts. A shim piece would have the same. If it's loose, the bolts and tube would have to hold it in place and the rowing load would get transferred to the bottom of the tube, thus increasing the lever arm on it.
It might be enough to use an adhesive sealant to immobilize it well enough that it can take the rowing loads directly. Especially if you oversize it a bit to allow a ramp on either side.
You might also dimension it so it is as shallow as possible w/o interfering with the rowing.
From the video, the laminate thickness looks just about perfect to support oarlocks in that location. If that is all laminate then it should be pretty beefy.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~