As a small update to my previous comments about paint stripping, here are some photos to illustrate.

This set of oars has certainly had a few lives. As best as I can see, they have had at least three different paint jobs.

• White with a blue band (white undercoat)
• Yellow (white undercoat)
• Yellow front with black back (grey undercoat), and
• a second coat of the same with slightly different paint