Yoluh test on a Grampian 26

Ok, I may be going way off the beaten path here, off course, or whatever.. but I accidently came across this thing called a "Yoluh" during a "Grampian 26" google search which took me to http://sveasygo.blogspot.com/2011/04/easy-go-yuloh.html This guy and his wife push their good ole boat with one!

Here are a few snippets from their blog:

"..The Chinese yuloh is a viable alternative auxiliary propulsion devise for small to medium size sailing yachts. The thoughts of a Chinese lady with child slung on her back who can propel a 2 to 3 tonne sampan at up to 3 knots for prolonged periods is enticement enough for me... We have found, through experimentation, that it is indeed possible to abandon the Internal Combustion Engine for an environmentally superior form of auxiliary propulsion... 
..a Grampian 26 fibreglass boat was a test for both rowing and sculling with conventional yulohs. Rowing was a success and sculling left a great deal to be desired. The future of moving the yacht without a motor was a firmly planted idea and has encouraged our continued ongoing research...
The desire to push the yuloh quickly is counterproductive. Our modest experiments to date show that about 20 complete stroke cycles per minute, (20 to the left and 20 to the right for 40 strokes total) can be maintained for extended periods...
 Physical fitness will improve with use. Stomach muscles, arm muscles and the entire cardio respiratory system will leave one tired after extended use. The yuloh is a product of an ancient civilization and its use was ingrained at a very young age. Remember the baby mentioned at the beginning. In an era of rediscovery the yuloh is a device that is practical and valuable in the world of modern sailing, yachting, and small craft.
View the Photo Essay of the Easy Go Yuloh in action  "

On another site is provided plans for The $10 Yuloh! A cheap introduction to "scientific sculling." http://www.simplicityboats.com/yulohpage2.html
Snippets:

".. "yulohing" has been described as "scientific sculling" and it has remained the oar locomotion of
choice in the Orient for hundreds of years and maybe longer. Was it  only a matter of long standing tradition that kept the Chinese or Japanese from adopting western rowing techniques once they were exposed to them? I think not. Let me try to explain the Yuloh's advantages...   ...Like the western oar, the Yuloh makes use of a fulcrum and a lever, however rather than merely having your muscle and your body weight at the working end of the lever, you have a lanyard attached to the deck or bottom of the boat. This gives great assistance to the rower in counteracting the pressure of the water against the business end of the blade, which translates into forward thrust. "

A much more technical research approach look is found in this 12 page document entitled; Some Thoughts on the Yuloh, which concludes by saying..:
".. It would appear that western attempts at making yulohs with the bend designed to stow neatly around the gunwale and not designed for easiest use are not ideal, and by not placing the camber on the lower surface cannot achieve high efficiency. They do not encourage good use of the lanyard and good technique. It would appear to be pointless to make the shorter length yulohs used in most western attempts which do not encourage a relaxed stance. If the design can be optimised and the technique learnt then it may be possible for a westerner to compete with the little lady with the (grand) child slung on her back to produce good performance for long periods."

 

Here's a video of a 75 year old man setting out from Newport Beach Ca.for an approximant 3 month trip to Hawaii, then another 4 months to Japan using nothing but a Yoluh on his 20 footer with no engine or sails.. (crazy!).. A little research determined he actually made it to Hawaii in only 48 days, not sure if he went on to Japan or not..

 

 

There are quiet a few Yoluh videos on youtube, here's one of girl who appears to be making good progress!



I doubt I'll ever put a Yoluh on my Grampian, but you never know.. It's kinda fascinating