Bronze Hardware
We designed our own hardware decades ago when it became apparent that the quality we had been used to was fast going by the boards. We carved our own patterns based on what we needed for our own boats and soon after decided to offer these silicon bronze fittings to others as well. USA made from start to finish, our hardware is sand cast here in Maine and finished off in our own shop.
Right now we're waiting on pricing from the foundry. Hopefully we'll have that soon.
In the meantime have a look at our selection...
and drop us an email to get on the hardware list and we'll notify you when it is ready.
Oarlocks & Sockets
This is where it all began. We always hated oarlocks with chains attached to the tail of the shank. The old style used lanyards attached to the horn itself, so we chose to emulate those from a bygone era. Shanks are lathe turned and the sockets are bored so these fit well. Where our horns were unique we thought the sockets should be too, hence the stylish oval shape. These are sand cast with 2" capacity. The oar seats and sockets are polished.
Standing Oarlock Horns
The old time Maine Lobstermen invariably stood to row their Double Enders (aka "Peapods" to those from away). Why? From a standing position you are facing in the direction of travel and you can see underwater hazards. It's actually a very relaxing way to row, not to mention a decided advantage when working in close quarters. We've installed them on Christmas and Lincolnville Wherries, Double Enders, and Newfoundland Trap Skiffs. Not restricted to pulling boats, standing horns have also been employed on Friendship Sloops.
These are substantial oarlocks with turned 3/4" shanks. Oar seats are polished and they are bored for a lanyard. Installation requires a pad on the rail or deck and a second socket underneath to hold the tail against the considerable rowing torque. Metal sockets are not required and installation is straightforward. Click here for instructions.
Large Capacity Oarlocks
Available in late 2024 or early 2025, our 2-3/8" capacity oarlocks allow for the use of the heavier oars with windings that just won't fit in standard oarlock horns. Other than width, they are virtually identical to our standard oarlock horns.
Once generally available to builders, oarlocks of this capacity these haven't been available outside of nautical antique shops for decades. We have them–or rather we will ASAP.
Stay tuned.
Image coming soon
Rudder Fittings
As mentioned earlier, our fittings were designed for use on our own boats, and we built a lot of wherries and double enders. Shown is what we call a "wherry set", consisting of a pair of rudder gudgeons, a transom gudgeon and a sternpost gudgeon.
The lowermost fitting on a wherry has to be vertical rather than horizontal so that it can be fastened in place. For any boat with a sternpost (or aft stem) two vertical sternpost gudgeons are required.
The rudder gudgeons fit a 3/4" (18mm) rudder body and are cross bored for #10 rivets. All are drilled to accept 5/16" rod that connects all four pieces in the manner of a hinge pin. That's explained on the installation page.
