An oar is not an oar it’s a pivot; no water is being moved at all but a boat is being rotated. two oars on opposite sides acting simultaneously rotate the boat in opposite directions such that the components of each rotation which are opposite cancel and those which are not sum together. the oars are also levers and at the same level will hold the boat steady so that it skims neatly over the water. if not, some of the energy of the stroke is wasted lifting the boat to port or starboard. or dropping it towards port or starboard, one lift is another drop, seen through the mirror of the water.

this is just one of the things that not in knowing i was hopelessly wrong about and which makes me wonder what other simple things have i missed, or mistook. you think you’re so fucking smart, more than one person has said to me. meaning the opposite.