(literary) boats and oars; watercraft in general

To beat an oar in midstream; describes a person's patriotic ambition and determination to restore their country and recover lost territory. Originally referring to Zu Ti of the Jin dynasty who crossed the Yangtze River and swore to recover the north.

Determined to recover lost territory or serve one's country; based on the story of the general Zu Ti striking the water with his oar while vowing to reclaim the north

The mast leans and the oars are broken; used to describe a ship being severely damaged by heavy wind and waves.

A classic work on calligraphy by the Qing dynasty scholar Kang Youwei, written in six volumes to expand upon the theories in [[艺舟双楫|藝舟雙楫|yi4 zhou1 shuang1 ji2]]; it famously advocates for the study of stone tablet inscriptions over traditional copybook models.

boatman or ferryman

A Pair of Oars for the Boat of Art, a famous work on calligraphy by Bao Shichen published in 1844