Drop In Sculling Systems

The very first sliding seat drop in unit ever made, the Oarmaster I (which is still a favorite of many scullers) was a state of the art sliding seat sculling system in its day. This drop in unit was developed in the mid 1970s and evolved over several different versions and subsequently replaced by the Oarmaster II. The Oarmaster I is still a favorite among many scullers as it can be a cost effective alternative to the more expensive and current Oarmaster III, Row Master, and TESLA. We believe the Oarmaster I is the cost effective choice for a drop in unit as they were very well made with high quality components and seldom break. We recommend purchasing this older unit when you have an older shell or purchased a shell at a “great price” or free to help you keep costs down. The original issue Oarmaster I had brass open oarlocks which we have upgraded to include Concept II oarlocks and stainless steel pins. Some of the replacement parts for the Oarmaster I can be hard to come by in the future but at present, most essential parts are obtainable.The Oarmaster I has the ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and Appledore Pods, past and present models.

The Oarmaster II was a natural progression of the Oarmaster I and featured radical changes in design. The biggest change was eliminating the two separate riggers that fitted to the bottom of the Oarmaster I. The new wing rigger was designed in one piece, fits to the top of the footstretcher, and is easily removable with four spin knobs. The Oarmaster II was also upgraded to include a pressed composite seat. There are still Oarmaster II rowing units on the market with the white composite seat though most have been retrofitted with the more comfortable wooden seat. The production of this Oarmaster II unit lasted approximately 10 years. There have been several versions of this rowing unit that included changes to the footstretcher assembly from separate wooden foot clogs with heel cups to a metal pan with or without heel cups. The Oarmaster II rolls easily and quietly and was a nice improvement (especially the wing design) over the older style Oarmaster I. Overall, the Oarmaster II is a durable, affordable sculling unit with very good geometry. The Oarmaster II has the ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and Appledore Pods, past and present models.

The Oarmaster III incorporated the Oarmaster II improvements to the footstretcher as well as changing the footstetcher side panels to allow for the possible bigger physique of an older sculler. The wing rigger was also redesigned. The rigger of the Oarmaster III was changed by slimming the rigger tubes, pitching the rigger arm, eliminating the clamps for the oarlock pins, and providing a slot at the end of the rigger’s arms to drop the oarlock pin into. Essentially, instead of the customer trying to get the correct oarlock pin pitch using the clamping system on the Oarmaster II, the new rigger makes it easier for the rower to just drop the oarlock pin into the appropriate slots at the end of the rigger arms, thereby eliminating the inaccuracy of trying to pitch the oarlock pin. The Oarmaster III is a quiet, easy rolling sculling system. The Oarmaster III also has an ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and Appledore Pods, past and present models.

This Oarmaster was a limited production; only producing a relatively few sculling units over its short life. It proved to be too time consuming and expensive to manufacture and was replaced by the Oarmaster III and Row Master. The Oarmaster III also has an ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and Appledore Pods, past and present models.

The Oarmaster V has the same rigger as the Oarmaster II and III. The Oarmaster V has the same base unit as the Oarmaster II. The Oarmaster II has very pleasant geometry, is quiet, comfortable, and very smooth to row. The Oarmaster V has the ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and Appledore Pods, past and present models.

This sliding seat’s name stands for Total Ergonomic Sculling and Leveling System. The TESLA was designed to provide just the right amount of give with each stroke that allows the sculler to end their workout with the best feeling of joint comfort. The TESLA has an adjustable seat for height, adjustable fixed or rotating heel cups, as well as adjustable width and height on the heel cups. The foot plate adjusts for angle allowing for more mature ankles and feet. The TESLA has the ability to fit all Alden 18s, Alden 16s, Alden Martins, and some Appledore Pods, past and present models.

The Ro-Wing is uniquely suited for converting larger boats and canoes into sliding seat sculling boats. This rowing unit has wonderful geometry and the seat slides easily on the single monorail. Examples of our use of the Ro-Wing include our Guideboat 15, Guideboat 18, Adirondack Wherry, Annapolis Wherry, Annapolis Wherry Tandem and sculling canoes. In the Guideboats and Wherries the Ro-Wing is either screwed into the bottom of the boat with a plate or stantion system or attached to the Annapolis Wherries existing seats. Fitting the Ro-Wing into a canoe requires a gunwale clamp kit that uses a 2″ section of ‘C’ shaped aluminum designed to clamp to the boats gunwale. An assortment of shims are provided to accommodate for various gunwale angles. The clamps will not slip or twist nor will they mar your boat. The gunwale clamp kit system is not meant to support the rower’s weight off the gunwales. At either end of the monorail are leveling legs with padded feet which are height adjustable. The leveling legs make up the distance between the bottom of the monorail and the floor of your hull, thus supporting your weight. At this time, the canoe adapter kit is not available for purchase. 

The sliding rigger sculling system is a unique and efficient sliding rigger system that eliminates the ‘hobby-horsing’ experienced with a traditional sliding seat rig on a short (less than 15 foot) hull. The Surf Scull Rig is mainly used for paddleboards. It firmly attaches/detaches in seconds to your Stand Up Paddleboard using specially designed attachment points that do not impede the normal use of your Stand Up Paddleboard.