FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 123 



APPARATUS ACCESSORY TO RIGGIXG FISH IXG- VESSELS. 



Rowlocks — Continued. 



•250'J7. Galvaiiii-.e-d iron patt-iit s\vivt-l ro\vloc-k. Wilcox, Crittendcu »fc.Co., 



[Middlt'towu, Coiiu. 

 250Do. Galvaniz;Ml ii-oa patent .swivel rowlock. 

 '25073-4-5. Polished brass patent swivel rowlock. " 



•25102-3. Galvanized socket rowlock. 



25111. Conutersnnk rowlock. Used on Ohio Kivcr llat-l)oats. Wilcox, Crit- 

 tenden & Co., Middletown, Conn. 

 '29459. Rowlock. Newport and Providence River style, Wilcox, Critten- 



[den & Co., Middletown, Conu. 

 25087. North River pattern rowlock. " 



25089. East River pattern rowlock. " 



29319. Socket-joint rowlock. Frederick A. Gower, Providence, R. I. 



" The socket-joint rowlock is intended to increase the speed and improve- 

 the convenience of racing boats. Its advanteges have proved so easily 

 apparent tooarsaien that there is little need of detailing its strong points, 

 bnt the following are aratmg its leading features : 



Wabbling of the oar is wholly avoided. If the oar is a properly good 

 lit, it will have less than i inch of fore-and-aft motion in the lock. 



Catching crabs is largely avoided by preventing the oar from jam- 

 ming in the lock at the beginning or end of the stroke. If a cral> 

 shonld he canght, the rowlock is not strained, and the oar can be recov- 

 ered without stopping the boat. 



A good grip of the water is assured to even the inexperienced oarsman 

 by th(! shape of the back of the rowlock, which corresponds to that of the 

 oar. The oar settles itself into the proper position on beginning the 



stroke. 



Any length of rea di may be taken 1>y long-bnilt iiii-n in going forward, 

 avoiding an evil often complained of. 



A .space half as wide admits pa.ssage of the boat. E.piipped with thi.s 

 rowlock a six or four oared shell passes through an opening the width of 

 the outriggers. Crews rowing on narrow or bridged water will lind this 

 advantage worth the price of the rowlocks in a single season. 



Uniting the rods at a single point brings the wh(de strength of the out- 

 rigger into play at every part of the stroke, and an outrigger thus made 

 can hardly be demoli-shed while the boat stands. 



Any oars may be used if of recent pattern, i. c, without the unsightly 

 'bulge' on the loom. It is only necessary to nuike a .slight change iu 

 the button, as described below. 



Better time may be made. Experiments thus far iddicate that the 

 socket-joint rowlock is perceptibly speedier than the connnon pattern, by 

 the stoppage of wabbling, and general smooihuess of action. 



Raising a rowlock with the connnon outrigger is a half hour's trouble 

 with rusty nuts (one or two of which usually twist the bolt oil' in start- 

 ing, and experimenting to get the right thickness of washers. With the 

 socket-joint rowlock the same thing is tlone in two nunutes liy slipping 

 half or three-(iuarter.> of an inch of washers on the .shaft under the top 



rod. 



Superior strength. The ordinary iron tliole-pins are strong in one direc- 

 tion oidy; a backward or sidewisc blow is likely to bfend them. The 

 supportiiig shaft of the socket-joint rowlock is equally .strong all around 

 and withstands a greater strain than the best oars made can apply to it. 

 The whole rowlock is made of the best bronze metal, whi(di will not rust 



