I've never rowed the Wherry but I do row the Oxford. You should match your blade to your intended activity and conditions. Hatchets are great for going fast on very flat water but Macons are better in chop. You have to lift Hatchets further out of the water on the recovery. In choppy conditions you might be smacking the H-blade into wavetops on the recovery part of the stroke and this wreaks havoc on your timing and rythmn. If you're looking to get only one set and want to row in open water you should get M-blades.

Thank you Dusty..........I really appreciate that advice............Ron

I have a pair of Piantedosi wooden Macons and a pair of Concept2 Fat2's (hatchets) that I use with my Annapolis Wherry. The Macons look great, the C2's are lighter, faster and more efficient. If I had to choose only one it would be a simple choice. The hatchets. The Macons are a little easier if you are just learning to scull but you will soon want something more. Get on Concept2 website and see what the scullers are using. Light, low swing weight = good. They can also help you set up your oars for the proper gearing to prevent injuries etc.

happy rowing, 

Thank so much.......I certainly appreciate your input.  Any suggestions are especially helpful here in the desert of rowing or biking or anything else......Omaha Nebraska........Ron

Concept 2 can make you Macons that are as light as the hatchets, with more predictable characteristics in chop or in the hands of less experienced rowers.

You might want to borrow some differnt blades and test them in your Wherry. I tried some Concept 2 hatchet-style oars and some Macons (also Concept 2) in my Northeaster Dory. On the maiden voyage of my Northeaster Dory we were able to switch back an forth between the oar sets. There is a bit of difference in the feel between the hatchets and the Macons. Another difference is that the Macons seemed more sensitive to correct pitch angle than the hatchets. We initially when out with one of the oarllocks over-pitched because I had not set the one pin to vertical. When the pitch angle on the oarlocks was corrected, both the hatchets and the Macons moved the Dory very well.  

@McCarty J,

I'm considering purchasing a set of Concept2 Fat2 oars for my Wherry as well. I'm curious about what length you chose, did you just get the standard length from Concept2? 

The Dreher oars that CLC sells are 9'6" long (289cm), but the standard length Concept2 oars for Fat2 blades come in are 278-283cm. I'm trying to decide if I should order a custom length, any help is appreciated. 

This is a follow up on my previous message asking about oar length.

I contacted Concept2 and they recommended purchasing oars with the Smoothie2 Vortex blades for use with the Annapolis Wherry. The shaft length is adjustable from 284-289cm, so the same overall length as the fixed length Dreher oars CLC offers is available, but with the added adjustability/customization of a typical Concept2 oar. I'm coming from a collegiate rowing background, so these features are welcome.