CONTINUOUSWAVE

Q1: can oarlocks be installed on a NAUSET so it could be rowed from the forward seat as a 13-footer can be rowed?

I will be doing a lot of fiberglass work to the NAUSE. Adding wood to the hull [reinforcement for an oarlock] won't be a big deal.

BACKSTORY:
I am new on the forum.

I am planning a total restoration for the NAUSET.

For many years I had a classic 13-footer with a Johnson 35-HP engine

A LONG STORY
One day while fishing in the 13-footer with my diabetic father-in-law a couple of miles offshore in Long Island Sound, the gear case on the JOhnson 35-HP engine failed. My father-in-law had not eaten in a while and was worried about getting a reaction. No other boats were around. This was before cell phones had good coverage. We had no radio.

A fairly strong southwest wind was drifting us away from the north shore of Long Island towards Rhode Island. There was no way we could paddle against that wind. Luckily we had a set of oars with oar locks that fit into the oar locks in the 13-footer.

I rowed angled but into the wind in close to shore for about two miles. Then in the lee of the bluffs, I rowed down the deserted beach about three miles to our house. Once home we made my father-in-law drink orange juice and eat. I was lucky I rowed on the crew in college.

Most owners that inquire on the oar locks on a classic 13 are interested in their removal.

You could install oar locks on the gunwale top but I would suggest you do it differently.

To add a flush mount lock, you will need to route out the foam as well as add some backing support inside and around the area of the lock so that the oar lock does not damage the top surface of the cap. The fiberglass skin is not that thick.

Flush mount similar to original.
https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/products/oarlock-socket-top-mount-bronze-for-1-2--shank-26462.html

An alternative is mounting an edge mount oar lock. To do this one would want to drill the holes, route out the foam inside and inject expanding epoxy (Gorilla Glue) into the voids. The epoxy will bond with the underside of the top and sides of the gunwale to create a "puck" that will hold a screw and give strength to the surrounding area.

Edge mount https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/product ... 26464.html

Pay close attention to the selection of oars. In the seated position a six-foot oar or even seven-foot oar may be necessary.

Do a mockup on the boat with a pole or broom to validate the concept and address oar storage before you do any oar lock installation.

Clarification: In this post I refer to a 1972 Nauset. After I bought it I found the title and the official assigned HIN said it is 1971. The stenciled number on the stern shows it is 1967. I guess it doesn't really matter [with regard to the installation of oar locks].

The year of production of the boat might only be an influence with the location of embedded reinforcements in the hull. The size, composition, and location of embedded reinforcements might vary in different production epochs, and that could affect where the oar locks could best be located.