Pedal power???

[tane]

aerodynamic drag of the pedaller will likely be less than of the rower & his oars..

& apart from sailboat auxiliary propulsion I find both types of "locomotion" mesmerizing & addictive (& while we have enough mountains around here for mountainbiking, bodies of water where one can "get into the flow" rowing are sadly absent (all crowded, one has to crane the neck all the time to avoid accidents...)

 

[Panoramix]

aerodynamic drag of the pedaller will likely be less than of the rower & his oars..

Good point, may be wind angles determines  which one workss better! In @JohnMBpaper they talk of a really small difference between the 2...

And +1 on the mesmerizing aspect of both means of locomotion!!!

 

[tane]

...Brittany...much better for rowing...not to speak of the sailing...(on the other hand. "Andouille"...)

 

[JohnMB]

Good point, may be wind angles determines  which one workss better! In @JohnMBpaper they talk of a really small difference between the 2...

And +1 on the mesmerizing aspect of both means of locomotion!!!

I'm thinking the last piece of the puzzle is the psychology of the power source. The ability to provide continuous steady power over a long period will depend heavily on how the engine feels. Its much easier for a pedaller to eat and drink, read a book etc. , but for me its a lot easier to get into a flow state rowing (I think the rhythm is key here.)  Not sure which would be most important in the long term.

 

[Panoramix]

but for me its a lot easier to get into a flow state rowing (I think the rhythm is key here.)

There is nothing like the sound of a well coordinated four to make me give out everything!

 

[fastyacht]

I'm thinking the last piece of the puzzle is the psychology of the power source. The ability to provide continuous steady power over a long period will depend heavily on how the engine feels. Its much easier for a pedaller to eat and drink, read a book etc. , but for me its a lot easier to get into a flow state rowing (I think the rhythm is key here.)  Not sure which would be most important in the long term.

But they are homonymns in the past tense. So both work.

 

[MisterMoon]

I've pedaled my Hobie kayaks a lot of miles and hours, including a nearly 200 mile trip down the Savannah River. I can pedal for 12 hours solid. I can't row anywhere near that long. Pedaling >>>>>> rowing. 

 

[TBW]

Rowing can be efficient, but setting up a sailboat for rowing can be a head scratcher. 

You don't want too much beam or you are probably going to need some pretty big oars.  My outriggers give me a beam from oarlock to oarlock of about 5 feet.  That requires 9 ft 6 inch oars.  Put oars on a boat with an 8 ft beam and a foot and a half or two feet of freeboard and you are going to want some pretty big oars.

Then there is the sliding seat conundrum.  Where do you put an almost 5 ft rail in the cockpit of a small sailboat?

Think rowing should be fine with low freeboard, beam 5 feet or less and somewhere to put the sliding seat, start getting much outside those parameters things are going to get more challenging.

 

[WCB]

Is it more efficient than rowing?

I watched some of the older R2AK footage and a boat with oars wanted pedals.

I think that setting up rowing on a sailboat with freeboard much higher than a shell is not as practical and the boat that had the oars, an Olsen 30 I think, didn't use sliding seats if memory serves, just the long oars.

 

[Panoramix]

I've pedaled my Hobie kayaks a lot of miles and hours, including a nearly 200 mile trip down the Savannah River. I can pedal for 12 hours solid. I can't row anywhere near that long. Pedaling >>>>>> rowing. 

The trick is not to rush the recovery and you can row for hours.

 

[Panoramix]

Rowing can be efficient, but setting up a sailboat for rowing can be a head scratcher. 

You don't want too much beam or you are probably going to need some pretty big oars.  My outriggers give me a beam from oarlock to oarlock of about 5 feet.  That requires 9 ft 6 inch oars.  Put oars on a boat with an 8 ft beam and a foot and a half or two feet of freeboard and you are going to want some pretty big oars.

Then there is the sliding seat conundrum.  Where do you put an almost 5 ft rail in the cockpit of a small sailboat?

Think rowing should be fine with low freeboard, beam 5 feet or less and somewhere to put the sliding seat, start getting much outside those parameters things are going to get more challenging.

Yes,

this one is interesting :

 

[randii]

Rowing can be efficient, but setting up a sailboat for rowing can be a head scratcher. 

You don't want too much beam or you are probably going to need some pretty big oars...

Then there is the sliding seat conundrum.  Where do you put an almost 5 ft rail in the cockpit of a small sailboat?

Think rowing should be fine with low freeboard, beam 5 feet or less and somewhere to put the sliding seat, start getting much outside those parameters things are going to get more challenging.

Try this exercise on a 30' cat. Plenty of space on the tramp, but that's 3' off the water and 18' beam.

Well astern though, pretty simple to put an oarlock (port?) through either sidewall of one of the cockpits, maybe 18" off the waterline and 12' inboard between hulls (unlimited outboard). The slider rack can rest on the floor and pivot up to clear the cockpit.

Idle thoughts to avoid working in a cramped dagger well.

 

[oldsurfer]

It's all about muscle groups.

With the amount of time left before R2AK there's no way anyone, who hasn't developed the muscle groups necessary for either pedaling or rowing, will develop those groups before the race this year. Even if you are an accomplished cyclist, every pedal power set up I've seen is sitting in a recumbent position. Traditional upright cycling uses the quad muscles in your legs. The recumbent position uses the glute muscle group. You will be making a big mistake to think that because your quads are well developed that your gonna do well in a recumbent position. It's also a big mistake to not 'fit' the rider to the pedaling position. The lack of proper leg extension, while pedaling, will blow your knees out permanently.

.  

 

[Expat Canuck]

Another consideration:  In the R2AK, some teams will pedal when there is just a bit of wind, with the sails up (pedal-assisted sailing).  That would be a lot harder to do with oars in the cockpit.

 

[MisterMoon]

The trick is not to rush the recovery and you can row for hours.

But you can’t eat, drink, steer, trim sails, look forward without getting a crick in your neck, play with your phone/gps/charts when your rowing. When you’re pedaling you can do all of this without stopping. It’s just better. 

 

[Panoramix]

But you can’t eat, drink, steer, trim sails, look forward without getting a crick in your neck, play with your phone/gps/charts when your rowing. When you’re pedaling you can do all of this without stopping. It’s just better. 

You soon learn to look forward, during a river head, a coxless four will go down a relatively narrow river at say 10 knots if the river is a bit fast while the bow rower will be steering manoeuvring a tiny rudder with his foot, it takes some training but at sea it is much easier, you need to look every minute or so. Some people use a mirror.

As for the rest, yes I agree with you.

Another consideration:  In the R2AK, some teams will pedal when there is just a bit of wind, with the sails up (pedal-assisted sailing).  That would be a lot harder to do with oars in the cockpit.

As long as you are not heeling you can row and sail, if you are heeling, you probably don't need to row... but yes it probably is still easier to pedal.

 

[TBW]

Rowing and sailing are not a problem under about 3 or 4 knots.  Above that there is no reason to row.  Conserve energy and sail.  

 

[couchsurfer]

I wonder if this technology might be applicable for R2K?

Pedal/Electric.   I suppose you could run it off solar, but not 'store energy'? 

I'm sure it would lose usefulness then,, but the pedal system on it's own?    ...Looks like a cool toy!

https://envodrive.com/water-conversion-kit/

 

[tane]

It's all about muscle groups.

... Traditional upright cycling uses the quad muscles in your legs. The recumbent position uses the glute muscle group. ....

.  

something that I do not quite understand. Why is rotation of the whole rider-cycle system, without changing the rider's position relative to the machine, changing the muscle groups that are working. Obviously it is a fact (otherwise we would not take pains at having the right saddle position on the bike & a recumbent (training) bike would feel quite awkward when tried for the first time)

 

[TBW]

On the subject of rowing.  

Currently experimenting with a Hobie BravRow.  

Put a sliding row rig on my Bravo.  9'6" Carbon Fibre oars.  Bravo is narrow enough for this to work.  Boomless main, so can row and sail.  Not sure if I am convinced the sliding rig is worth the contraption factor, but fun to messabout.