We’re rolling right along on our TotalBoat Sport Dory build and it’s finally time to install the oar locks. The most important thing here was to find the right height and the right distance from the aft end of the middle seat. We did a lot of research and sat in the boat with a set of oats and tried it in several different positions until we found what we thought was the most comfortable spot. The oar locks are going to rest on pads that we’re going to make out of some nice quartered white oak. Because the sheer is curved and twisted we need to plane the pad down so that it will sit flat on the surface. Before we drill the holes for our oak locks we’re going to put some pieces of wood into the space in the sheer to stop the drill bit from wandering around as we drill. Once we have our holes we’re going to shape the pads to make them look a little more aesthetically pleasing. So we’re going to make a couple passes on the bandsaw until we get a nice shape we like. Then we’re going to spread some TotalBoat Thixo on the bottom of our pads, clamp them into place and drill and fasten them down.