I think you will find that rowing with the legs is primarily a part of
racing where the boat is fitted with a sliding seat, or an exercise
machine. Granted that the time a workman rowed a boat is probably long
past, but I can tell you that rowing, say an 18 ft. dory, was not done
with the legs :-)

But greek warships were, and that let them row circles around the Phoenicians, and defeat them.