"The more you fail, the more you will succeed." - Andy Ruina
Ordered five add-and-connect links from McMaster, $2 each.
Proper way to install spring clip:
This info could help us in preventing chain breaks, because those are the most common errors we've encountered. See also the very complete The Complete Guide to Chain.
We went to Olin library to do some research. I found a paper called "Electromyographic Analysis of Rowing Stroke Biomechanics (1987)," in which the authors, Rodriguez et al, found which muscles are used when and to what intensity during the rowing stroke.
I checked out Rowing Faster, by Volker Nolte, and Rowing Fundamentals, edited by John Ferriss. Nolte covers every thing from training programs to the physics of an oar.