More About Slide-one

Here is a more technical description of Gustav Rennerfelt’s Slide-one, the A version. Mr. Rennerfelt writes:

Slide-one A has a slide rail made of aluminum. The rail has a support bar in the aft end.

Slide-one A version is used as retrofit from old conventional slide systems which often also have hatches, bungs and other similar components places at the boat deck where Slide-one A will be fitted.

Slide-one A has for that reason a support plate of foamed plastic which should be cut off at the places for these components.

Slide-one consists of a slide carriage and a slide rail. The slide carriage has a seat and an undercarriage with two cylindrical wheels each with a guiding track and two ball bearings. The slide rail, fitted to the boat, has a flat upper side with a guide cam for the wheels guiding tracks. The sternward part of the slide rail has a conical shape.

The bow ward wheel has full contact length to the slide rail along the whole rail even when the slide carriage is in contact with the sternward's end stop. No risk for side tipping. In other words, by side guiding the wheel tracks to the rail cam, the slide rail can be made narrow and longer in its sternward end, passing between the rower’s legs with no risk for interference.

Slide-one suits all rowers, no matter his or her length. Only the adjustment of the foot stretcher to the best position in relation to the center of gravity of the boat is necessary. The length of the oar stroke will never be limited. The only limit is the human body.

Two overload ribs at the undercarriage structure are moving with a small clearance to two underside surfaces of the rail and then prevent tilting which may occur when the rower is entering or leaving the slide seat when one of the oars is in contact with the bridge.

At transports of the boat on land, the slide carriages are normally locked by rubber band or other type of bands.

Slide-one has a locking device in the front end of the slide rail based on a spring plate acting against the front wheel’s track. At releasing, the free end of the spring plate is pushed down. In some cases the slide rail should have a certain tilting angle to get the rower in a higher position at the end of a rowing stroke. In that case the plastic support plate is made as a wedge.