Maintenance & Usage Tips for Croker Oars

Croker Oars are designed to withstand the forces of the rowing stroke and the occasional unexpected light impact with waterborne debris. Unfortunately, the desire for and pursuit of lightweight materials have reduced the ability of all oars, all brands, to survive moderate impacts and beyond. Every incident on the water that impacts a blade or shaft, even a strong crab, should result in diligent inspection of the oar to ensure that the components have retained structural integrity. Chips or dings in the blade are relative easy to repair, but cracks in the shaft require more technical attention. Please see our section on repairs for more information.

On a more regular basis during "uneventful" usage, oars should be inspected for wear and tear or deterioration of the plastic sleeve and collar, the foam, veneer, or rubber grips, and the stainless steel screws and fittings.

These materials and fasteners undergo a range of conditions and treatment during the course of the year. Inspect them the same way you would inspect and maintain your car's fluids, filters, brakes and tires. The oar shaft and blade cannot function to your satisfaction if you neglect the key pieces that make it a functional rowing oar.

The following tips will help you safeguard and maintain your oars in between regular resleeving and regripping efforts.

Salt Water

If you row in salt water, rinse oars with fresh water after each use, paying special attention to the sleeves, collars and oarlocks. Grips should be wiped down, then dried or squeegeed, and never stored in pooled water.

Dock Launching and Landing

Avoid pushing off docks or shorelines with oar blades. This can create create dings or gouges in the tips, which may splinter or cause other damage. Splintered or jagged tips also represent a danger to others on the water, if you were to be involved in a collision.

Landing on concrete or wood docks, it is best to approach at low speed. The blades are not friction brakes. As you approach slowly, blades should be concave up (tips up) to avoid scraping and getting caught on nails, and you should used your hand to grab the dock. If you know your hand is going to grab the dock, you'll likely adjust your speed appropriately.

Adjustable Handles

Ever remove the screws and drop the clip inside the oar? Very easy to rethread. Retrieve the clip and place the oar on the ground with the holes facing up. Place the clip, curved side up, on a yardstick, tool handle, or even the grip side of the rowing or sculling handle. Carefully guide the clip into the shaft opening and align the holes. Rethread the screws.

Screws and adjustable clips are stainless steel, but salt water, as well as the salt in your sweat, does not always treat the material well. Fresh or salt water rowing, every few months, loosen and retighten the screws. Lubricate with a waterproof compound like Starbrite Snap and Zipper Lubricant.

Stuck Handles

If you keep the handle set at the same position for extended periods of time, it is possible that they will become temporarily stuck in this position. To avoid, simply loosen the handle screws and slide the handle in and out a few times, every few months. Dry out any moisture that may have infiltrated into the interior of the oar through the handle junction or screw holes. If the handle has swelled a bit from moisture, let it dry out and then lightly sand and wipe clean before reinserting and tightening to your desired length.

If you cannot remove a stuck handle after loosening the screws sufficiently, there are several options to remove it. First, utilize other people to help hold the blade, or wrap the blade in a towel and snugly strap it to a fixed pole or 2x4 with a boat strap, then tug the handle. If that does not produce results, completely remove the screws and allow the adjustment clip to fall inside. Again, utilize other people to hold the blade or strap it to a fixed structure, and this time try to spin the handle. If it will not budge, reverse the application. Have other people hold the handle or wrap and strap the handle to a fixed structure. Use the blade like a giant windup key and turn the blade and shaft. The key is to make sure the wrap & strap is really binding the handle. Better to spend 10 minutes on binding it effectively and 30 seconds turning the shaft, than the other way around. Once the handle is free, clean and lightly sand until smooth passage is restored. Clean and lubricate the screws and adjustable clip and reinstall per the instructions in "Adjustable Handles" section above.

Cleaning Blue Foam and Wood Veneer Handles

For both the blue foam and wood veneer sweep handle surfaces, we recommend frequent cleaning--twice per month--with a diluted solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP), available at any hardware store, and water. Use a ratio of 1 cup of TSP to 1 gallon of water. Wear nitrile gloves and lightly scrub the solution into the handle surface with a wire brush, gently removing the accumulated grime that has compacted into the pores of the wood or foam. You should find restoration of surface tone to be quite noticeable. If portions of your blue foam are still a little flat and compacted, softly rake the areas with the edge of a hacksaw blade until the foam fluffs up. For the wood surface, twisting the handle inside a sheet of 80 grit sandpaper on occasion will provide similar benefits.

Touching Up Blue Foam Seams

If the long seam or end tip wrapping on your blue foam sweep handle begins to fray or come loose, touch up the area with a little cold vulcanization rubber cement. Small dabs on the underside of the foam and on the handle surface will suffice. If you want to isolate an area, we recommend using green painters tape (3M's "233+") to cordon off the working area. Once you have applied the cement, use clear packing tape and wrap the handle tightly with the sticky side out. Allow to dry overnight. Remove the packing tape and the handle should be ready to go.

Wood Veneer Handle Special Care

DO NOT groove your wood veneer handles with a hand saw, as was once popular in the days of solid wood handles. The wood veneer is only 1/16-inch thick. Light scuffing with a wire brush or 80 grit sandpaper is okay, but only if you truly need to rough up the handle. Cleaning it regularly will probably keep the handle in more desirable form than any scuffing.

DO NOT store wood veneer handles in pooled water on trailers or in oar racks. Over time the wood will swell and crack.