Here you see a neighbor performing the ancient art of “sculling” off the back of a nutshell pram through the byways of a large lily pond on Sunday:
(Technically, he’s performing “one-oar sculling,” since “sculling” is a synonym for “rowing” and a “scull” is an oar; but, most people seem to call such one-oar propulsion “sculling” and call propulsion with two or more oars over the boat sides “rowing.”)
Sculling with a single oar off the transom (back end) of a boat involves propelling a vessel with a figure 8 or "falling leaf" motion. A proficient sculler, such as the one here, can maneuver boats intricately, bring them to a stop, and even scull them backwards. It’s a very good way to propel a boat in a delicate environment, if you know what you’re doing.
To preempt questions from sharp-eyed Brooklinites: “Yes,” that’s Jon Wilson, founder of WoodenBoat, and “Yes,” he’s in the WoodenBoat pond, where he has been trying to use humane diversions to thwart a family of energetic beavers. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 3, 2023, and published with permission.)