Thought I'd throw in a post to show recent progress on the oars that I need to make. Oar-making is also a new enterprise for me, so I have read a bit about the topic and have decided to make spoon - bladed oars. The boat plans include dimensions for oars that are 2.365m long - 7'8" in imperial measure. Some books have indicated I could do longer oars for the beam of the boat but as a novice I'm sticking to the designers' instructions. Two pairs of oars are needed so I've recently bought a couple of beams to provide the stock. I've been unable to find any spruce in NZ so have opted for either Douglas Fir or Oregon. NZ White Pine (Kahikatea) was another option, but all the stock I could find was treated and a little green in colour which didn't really appeal. The first beam I bought was advertised as Oregon but turned out to be Kauri which I was delighted about! The second beam was Douglas Fir but unfortunately this turned out to be so knotty I don't think I can use it. However, I made some progress with the Kauri and the photos show progress so far. I think the Kauri will be a little heavier than some other options but its such beautiful wood I couldn't go past it. So, as you can see, I started with two large chunks of wood and now have two smaller chunks of wood ready to become oars plus a large pile of shavings!