156 ANIMAL RESOURCES AND FISUERIES OF UNITED STATES. 



Apparatus accesxjory to rigg^ing^ fimliinis^-vessels. 



Eowlocks. 



25188. Rowlock for dory. Showing new mode of fastening. Wilcox, Crit- 

 tenden & Co., Middletown, Conn. 



25765. Dory tholo-pin rowlock. Samuel Elwell, jr., Gloucester, Mass. 



25090. Gun-metal dory rowlock with Soutbwick's ])atent fastening. Wilcox, 

 Crittenden & Co., Middletown, Conn. 



25100. Dory rowlock, showing patent mode of fastening. Wilcox, Critten- 

 den & Co., Middletown, Conn. 



26902. "Lyman's patent bow-facing rowing-gear." Williiim Lyman, Mid- 

 dlefield, Conn. 

 This bow-facing, i. e., front view, rowing-gear is an invention which 

 allows the rower to face forward instead of backward, pulling in the same 

 manner as with the ordinary oars. This reverse movement is obtained by 

 having the oar in two parts, each jiart having a ball-and-socket joint, 

 which is attached to the wale of the boat by means of a slot .and button, 

 and the two parts connected by a rod (with hinged bearings) which 

 crosses the wale of the boat. 

 The advantages claimed for this rowing-gear over the ordinary oar, are : 

 " 1. The oarsman faces the direction in tchich he goes. 



2. The arrangement of the levers is such that the oarsman applies his 

 strength to the best mechanical advantage, enabling him to row faster and 

 more easily than with any other oar. • 



3. During the stroke the bow of the bo.at is slightly raised by the mo- 

 tion of the rower instead of being lowered by his motion as in oiuinary 

 rowing. 



4. The stroke is longer than with ordinary oars. 



5. The oars can be closed up out of the way along the side of the boat 

 •without detaching them from the gnuAvale. 



6. It is better from the fact that the blade of the oar is in front and can 

 be seen at the beginning of the stroke, so that there is no difficulty in 

 avoiding obstacles, and in a rough sea there is little danger of "catching 

 crabs." 



7. With these oars the boatman makes no more eftbrt in steering than 

 in directing his course while walking, and this advantage lessens greatly 

 the e£fort of rowing. 



8. While rowing there is no noise from the bearings. 



9. A pair of these oars weigh about 5 pounds more than the oars, but 

 this additional weight has this advantage, that at the beginning and end 

 of the stroke it helps to lower and raise the blade owing to the peculiar 

 position of the oar. 



10. When these oars are detached from the boat, no wood or iron pro- 

 jections are left on the wale of the boat, as in ordinary rowing-gear, and 

 thus a serious inconvenience is obviated. 



These oars can be attached to and detached from the boat very quickly 

 and they can be closed up in a convenient form for carrying. 



These several advautages, viz, the front vieiv, the increased ease and 

 speed in rowing, the raising of the bow instead of depressing it, the closing 

 up of the oar out of the way while on the boat, the increasd facility in 

 avoiding obstacles, the diminished effort of hand and eyes in steering, 

 the rowing without noise, the better balance and swing of the oars, have 

 commended this new gear to all who have tried it. 



This gear can be attached to almost any boat, and is especially adapted 

 to hunting, fishing, and all kinds of pleasure boating. 



