[Mumbles]

The plans for a family cataraft outing on a local lake for plentiful panfish fizzled as the neighborhood kids arrive to play. I could not run them off so I loaded up the Kodiak, unhitched the cataraft trailer (we were minutes from getting away for the family outing), and drove to another local lake. It was warm, so I chose a place that only has stockers. I had the WM unloaded, blown up, loaded up with gear and on the water ten minutes after pulling into the small parking lot. Carrying the Kodiak to the water's edge with all the gear onboard was really quite easy.

I rowed around getting used to the boat before fishing. It handled well, the oarlocks squeaked a bit but I put some water on them and it worked well to silence the noise. The six point attachment kayak seat I got to upgrade was not ideal. It was a bit narrow and my legs would actually contact the seat platform.

I patrolled the lilly pads and downed logs staying in the shade. The water temps in the shade were around 65*. I stayed until well after sun down and enjoyed the lake to myself for the last couple of hours I was there. Two small stocker trout and a bluegill to hand. I was not expecting the bluegill. All taken on a camo carey pattern that I've tied up to mimick Islander's great fly.

Loaded the car and boat in under ten minutes. Happy Water Master Kodiak owner! Maybe next I'll get it on moving water and see how I like it there.

 

[Michael Nelson]

My Rampage has the same oarlocks and I got tired of them squeaking and groaning (I do lots of stillwater and the noises were annoying me). I too had used water to silence them, but found it only worked for a little while.

When I returned home I disassembled the oarlocks by removing the two Phillips screws on the side and then prying off the cap on the end (one end has a hole, the other has the cap) and then using a T-handled 4mm allen wrench through the hole to drive out the pin.

With everything out, it was obvious that there was zero lubrication in the mechanism. I wiped everything clean and then applied some white lithium grease to all the parts, and reassembled. If you have trouble lining up the holes for the screws, don't worry about it. Just get the pin back in and then use a drill to drill appropriately sized holes in the pin for the self-threading screws.

After doing the lube job, the oarlocks are completely silent and should remain so for a while.

 

[themaninthemoon]

Nice touch Mr. Nelson!

 

[Michael Nelson]

Nice touch Mr. Nelson!

I think that squeaky, groaning oarlocks aren't going to be annoying to those using their boats on rivers, but on stillwater you hear it on every single stroke (and sometimes I wonder if the noise gets transmitted through the boat into the water so fish can hear it). Anyway, for me, on stillwater silence is golden.

 

[Kent Lufkin]

I tried the grease route with my oarlocks as well but it wore off a lot sooner than I'd hoped. When I had my WM back at the mothership in Missoula a couple summers ago for a tune-up, I asked what they recommended. Their reply: a couple squirts of motor oil! Huh? I asked. They said anything you put on the oarlocks to silence 'em is gonna wear off eventually. Motor oil from a squirt can is the easiest to reapply and lasts just as long.

K

 

[Mumbles]

Yikes. I'll find an environmentally friendly product or keep using water. I don't like noise, but I also don't like being talked about like BP.

 

[Kent Lufkin]

I've never talked about you and BP in the same breath! Exxon-Mobil maybe, but never BP!

K

 

[Michael Nelson]

Olive oil! Those oarlocks are made in Italy by Bravo.

 

[Mumbles]

Olive oil! Those oarlocks are made in Italy by Bravo.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any old olive oil. Would the fish know any difference?

 

[Mark Walker]

Only the Italian ones.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any old olive oil. Would the fish know any difference?

 

[Greggor]

I tried the grease route with my oarlocks as well but it wore off a lot sooner than I'd hoped. When I had my WM back at the mothership in Missoula a couple summers ago for a tune-up, I asked what they recommended. Their reply: a couple squirts of motor oil! Huh? I asked. They said anything you put on the oarlocks to silence 'em is gonna wear off eventually. Motor oil from a squirt can is the easiest to reapply and lasts just as long.

K

I have been considering 100% Silicone Spray. It was recommended for use on the running deck of our treadmill to lubricate between the deck and the inside of the belt. I use it for other applications such as for grass clippers, pruners, etc. The real advantage is the fact that it doesn't collect dirt and create a grime the way grease and oil does. No grimey stains, no clean-up before reapplication. I had yet to research if silicone spray and PVC are compatible. So, in true Mumbles' fashion, I Googled-up this: http://www.pecuniary.com/synthetics/spraylube/silicone.html. Seems to check out OK on multiple fronts.

 

[Mumbles]

Good find and information Gregg, thank you. I had sent an email to the Big Sky Inflatables with a few of my questions about their craft, the oarlock lube to reduce noise was one of them.

 

[Wormonhook]

Ed, as a Navy guy there are a couple of things that probably get under your skin quick: uncoiled lines and squeaky stuff. Glad you had a pleasant outing on the water and many good adventures await. Now, has your wife, the kids, or you named your new craft? My wife always has some cute little name with just enough sarcasm in it to convey her humor with my toys.

 

[Mumbles]

Karl, that is a funny and almost $$Money$$ pickup. The line is my fly line so that is not a big deal. I was mostly the land bound type anyway so all that real seafaring stuff is not my bag. The noise irritates the hell out of me...kind of like Old Man squaking at me. I know he does it just to rib me and guide me in the right direction as are the squeaky oar locks getting me where I need to go. The ladies of the house have considered names but as of yet have not named a single one of them. I'd ask for open suggestions, but I'm sure that I'd get some things that I could not repeat or put on the pick list!

 

[Michael Nelson]

Have you considered lubricating Old Man?

 

[Mumbles]

When I first met him I handed him a bottle of Jim Beam as lubrication. Not sure that experiment worked! He's really pretty cool though, despite his internet tough guy persona.

 

[Salmo_g]

I haven't used it yet, but I've thought of treating the squeaking oar locks with parrafin or White Lightning, a parrafin based bicycle chain lube. Stays relatively clean compared to oil or grease type lubes, which might be nice for this particular application.

Sg

 

[Mumbles]

Sg, good point. I have used some of my bike grease on my cataraft oar locks to keep the noise down. It is paid for and on hand. I have other chain lubes like white lightning that would merit a try. Anyone who squaks as much as me should not mind noise. Repetetive noise makes me mental. Squeaking, rattling, a chattering derailleur...co-workers phones...people shuffling their feet. I'm a mess.

 

[themaninthemoon]

Hey to Ed, and everybody else out here that doesn't like the squeaky noises created with every stroke of your oars.
There is only one place that I know of where un-lubed metal to metal contact wouldn't make a vibration style noise. It only happens when a valve makes contact with a valve seat in a combustion engine. (But only because it is machined that way to create a sealed surface.) Other than that, I have no squeaks on my oars because I bought the "el cheapo" nylon insert ones from Bass Pro Shops, but I also have inserted brass bushings into the holes where the oars ride. And I just got six, three-quarter inch brass sleeves a week ago, that are just a few thousandths larger than the diameter of the holes. Using three per hole, I got six, three-quarter inch lengths, placed them into a baggie in the freezer for a half hour, then removed them one by one, & tapped them into position with a drop of red Loctite, into the oarlocks. (The bottom one sticks out of the hole by about 1/4th to 3/8ths of an inch, but it'll be ok.) Freezing them shrank the diameter just enough to reduce the out side diameter, giving me a press fit of about three-thousandths. They are good and tight in the frame but have enough clearance on the inside diameter to allow the oar pins to swivel quite freely, without any sloppiness. Had they shrank the ID, then I would have had to ream the id open a little with a 1/2" drill bit, just enough to allow the pins to swivel freely. The upside of this is that it won't have/create a bad chemical reaction with the aluminum frame.
Depending on how long they last, with a normal amount of use, I should be able to knurl & ream them at least once, just to extend their life a little longer. Three- four seasons, I'm not sure.
And yesterday I received four one inch lengths that I will place into the other oarlock holes. ( That's using two per hole), (and I won't toss out the nylon ones either, but save them in a bag for a just in case scenario.)

And, as an afterthought, I gotta tell ya, nix, nein, & HELL NO!, I would not recommend trying this on the OLD MAN.

Summer's just gotten started!

 

[Michael Nelson]

The oarlocks we are talking about here are all plastic and rubber except for the actual pin that goes through the oar (and that is stainless). Sounds to me like you are talking about conventional oarlocks here.

I did consider trying to find some kind of teflon tubing to act as a self-lubricating bushing to take up the slop between the long plastic pin and the plastic O that goes around it, I really see no need for all the slop that exists there.