To wrap up the series of posts on unusual rowing inventions, we will look at rowing submarines!
Source: NewAtlas
This recent project is the U-Scull, an underwater rowing boat for two people. The rowers use sliding seats like a normal shell, with an oar system designed so that the rowers have the normal drive phase, but the recovery has the addition of assistance called a “sling-shot” that returns the oar to the catch so the rowers do not have to overcome the water resistance. The oar is, of course, also feathered on the recovery so that the spoon does not create drag to slow the boat down.
Source: NewAtlas
In this prototype stage, the rowers wear scuba gear and the U-Scull has a limited operating depth.
This is not the first underwater rowing vessel though, with three vessels made by the Dutchman Cornelis Drebbel in the 1620s!
Source: NewAtlas
The final version of Drebbel’s craft reportedly carried up to 16 people, 12 of whom were the rowers. Drebbel’s submarines are believed to have been covered in greased leather, as were the oar ports. Flotation was controlled with bladders under each rower’s seat – the bladders were connected to the outside of the boat through pipes and could be filled with water to dive the vessel and then squashed down to expel the water to rise to the surface again.
Source: Pixels
The air supply was via a snorkel which was held up to the surface via a flotation device.
Source: Alkmaar City of Inventions – Private Art Tours (johannesvermeer.info)
Despite a shortage of accurate details about Drebbel’s submarines, a number of replicas have been made over the years. I think I will stick to rowing above the surface.
Further reading:
The Human-powered Submarine (newatlas.com)
Uscull human powered submarine (diseno-art.com)
Cornelis Drebbel built three submarine in the 1620s – they all worked (newatlas.com)