From the Boathouse

Managing to get a 220 lb. fragile and expensive shell from the boathouse to the dock can be intimidating. The key to success, like so many other rowing functions, is listening to the commands of the coxswain, and when required, doing it as a crew ... in unison.

Depending on the exact location of the shell in the boathouse, (i.e. on rollers on the floor, on the first, second, or third rack) the object is to remove the shell and carry it to the dock and successfully place it in the water.

The first command is, hands-on, or sometimes, lay hold. This means to place your hands on the boat, usually the gunnels or sides of the boat, and wait for the next command, which is ready to lift (slight pause) and lift. Sometimes the cox'n (or bow person in sculling boats) will say, up an inch, ready (pause) up. This is to indicate that the boat is lifted only slightly off the rack so not to hit the boat above it. It is important that this, as well as other motions regarding handling the boat, be done together.

The cox'n then says, off the rack, meaning move the boat off the rack. The next set of commands depend on where the boat came from, for example, if the boat came out of a shoulder level rack, the cox'n will say ready up over head (pause) and up followed by ready down to shoulders (pause) and down. Sometimes the cox'n will remind the crew to lower the boat to shoulders opposite your rigger. This is to remind the crew to look up at the riggers and be certain to lower the boat opposite the rigger - on the other side of the boat - and not on the same side of the rigger (thereupon bopping oneself on the head)!

If the boat is on a lower rack, before the boat can be raised over head and lowered to shoulders, it may be necessary for the crew to divide alternately ... that is, since the crew is all on one side of the boat, half of the crew (every other person) goes under the boat up to the other side. Once this is done first time it will be easier to understand.

When the boat is on the shoulders, the cox'n will say walk it forward. Moving from the boathouse to the dock is relatively straightforward..., which by the way is how the boat should be carried. Remember, you are carrying 60 feet of something that doesn't bend in the middle, hence keeping it straight until the rear section has cleared the boathouse door is important before making a wide turn. Also, since the riggers protrude at least a couple feet beyond the gunnel of the boat, it is important to make certain that you don't accidentally hook them on anything. Generally, we say that you are responsible for the rigger that is directly in front of you.

From the Dock

Once you reach the spot on the dock where the shell will be placed in the water, the cox'n will direct you to way enough, which means stop. The following commands will be given with a minimum amount of delay. The shell is heavy and we want to minimize the potential of personal injury to you or the shell. So we try to move through the following motions quickly.

Ready up over head ... and up.

Inside grip. Look for that place in the shell that will allow you to place a secure grip on the shell. This could be the foot stretcher bar, the mainstay of the rigger, the shoulder of the shell or another space designed by the manufacturer for this purpose.

Toe to the edge (of the dock). This is to assure that you are close to the edge of the water so that when turning the shell over into the water you will indeed go to the water and not hit the dock.

Ready to roll (the shell to the water) ... and roll. As a crew, the shell is rolled from the overhead position to the water and gently (without a telltale sound or splash) place in the water. The cox'n (or stroke seat in a sculling shell) watches the skeg to avoid hitting in on the dock.

Preparing to Get Off the Dock

Once the shell is in the water, your job is to prepare the shell to be rowed (put the oars in and get in it yourself) as quickly as possible as there is usually another shell waiting for dock space ... either to be launched or coming off the water.

Some of the preparations can be done without the cox'ns command:

1) Holding the shell near the bow and stern seats so that it doesn't drift away from the dock.

2) Go get the oars (that have already been laid out near the dock). Usually you'll carry two oars - yours and one for someone else in the boat.

3) Place the oars in the oarlocks. The black collar should be on the inside of the oarlock. For sculling boats without a backstay, the oarlock should be facing toward the stern.

4) Adjust your foot stretcher to its proper place.

The cox'n will ask if you are ready (having completed the above 1 through 4) by saying, count down from the bow when ready.

After the count, the command will be to run portside oars out. When the oars are flat on the water and the oar handle is being held, the boat is stabilized. (When the boat is at the dock, the port side oars are ones over the water and the starboard oars are over the dock.)

Getting into the boat is easy once you know how to do it. Be sure you know how before you attempt to get in, otherwise you may fall in the water at the dock (embarrassing and dangerous since you may hit something in process) or hurt the shell. There is a certain place where you can put your foot while getting into the shell, for example, and if you don't use this place you may fall and/or damage the shell.

The cox, will say, starboards to hold (the shell from tipping at the dock), ports, one foot in ... and down (sit down on the seat).

Ports to hold (one hand on the dock the other on the oar in order stabilize the shell), starboards, one foot in ... and down.

The cox'n then gets in the shell asking, hold for cox (hold the shell ... one hand on the dock the other on the oar).

Once everyone is in, the cox will say, tie in and count down when ready. This means loosely tie the laces on your shoes or close the Velcro straps. The bow person begins the count when he or she is ready and the count proceeds down the boat to the stern: Bow (instead of saying one), two, three four, five, six, seven, stroke (instead of saying eight).

From the Water

Before pushing off from the dock, it is important that you know a few major sets of terms.

These are explained below and apply to the following areas: First, the shell, second, the use of your body during the stroke, third the location and use of your hands during the stroke, fourth, where your hands go on the oar, and fifth, where you go in the shell!

In the shell, you'll be called by the seat number you occupy rather than your proper name. No name tags needed here and if you mess up, chances are no one will know that it is you!

Finally, you're on the water! Your first time out you may experience that the shell is tippy! That rounded bottom of the hull is indeed conducive to tippiness. However, the oars, properly used, will stabilize the boat extremely well. At the end of Part Three you'll read, Setting the Boat which will help make your first time out a memorable one!

The Shell:

Bow - the front of the shell where the little white ball is located (bow ball). When sitting in the shell, it is behind you. You get to see where you've been!

Stern - the back of the shell which is in front of you while sitting in the shell.

Starboard - the side of the shell that is on your left hand side while sitting in the shell.

Port - the side of the shell that is on your right hand side while sitting in the shell.

And few other things,

The rigger - the metal structure protruding from each side of the shell usually alternating from port side to starboard side.

The oarlock - at the end of the rigger, the metal and plastic part that actually holds the oar. It is made up of the gate, the metal bar that opens up to allow the oar to be inserted and the star nut which is at the end of the gate and locks it down. You screw the star nut open and close.

The seat - the place where you put your seat! It rolls on four little wheels on the seat tracks. Usually there is a seat keeper, which allows the seat to stay in the shell when it is lifted up overhead. However, not all shells have seats with keepers. Care should be taken to remove these seats and carry them separately or else the seat could drop out and hit you on the head or get lost in the water!

The footstretcher - a torture mechanism used on oarsmen and women who take rowing too seriously! It is adjusted fore and aft according to the height of the rower by three wings nuts (port and starboard and keel nuts)

Your Body During the Stroke:

The finish - the end of the drive or power section of the stroke. Your back is slightly angled or laid back toward the bow of the shell and your hands holding the oar are at mid-chest. This is the finish of the drive, but the beginning of the recovery.

The recovery - that portion of the stroke that includes the next three body positions. It is always done at about half the speed of the drive. The rower may hear the cox'n command: slow up the slide or slow slide or ease the recovery or the reprimand: your rushing the slide!

Arms away - from the finish position, your arms are set straight away from your body. Your back is still in the layback position.

Body angle - with arms already away, you swing your shoulders and back forward bending at the waist. Your legs remain mostly flat. At the end of this move, your hands are roughly over your shins.

Up the slide to the catch - with your body angle set as described above, you come up the slide by fully bending your legs and arrive at the catch. Your shins are about perpendicular to the bottom of the boat. Your arms are still out straight in front of you and your legs have separated at the knees to allow one arm - your so-called

Outside arm - (rowing at port your left arm or rowing at starboard your right arm) to reach through your legs. This position allows you the most reach and compression of your legs. This is the end of the recovery. (See below also, level hands)

The Stroke:

The catch - the beginning of the drive portion of the stroke. Your body is fully compressed. You're ready to begin the stroke with the drive.

The drive - from the catch position (arms fully straight forward, body angle leaning forward, and legs compressed) you begin to push off from the foot stretches with your legs. There is a dynamic, but definite connection between your feet, through your straightening legs, your engaged lat muscles, straight arms, and the oar during the drive. Most of the power, indeed 70%, comes from this leg drive. The drive is done about twice as fast as the recovery.

Open with your back - the legs are almost fully down (this is the completion of 70% of the power of the stroke) and you begin swinging back toward the layback position.

Finish with your arms - the upper body is now laid back and the arms are pulled back to the chest.

The location and use of your hands on the oar handle:

Outside hand - rowing at port your left hand; rowing at starboard your right hand. Your outside hand is at the end of the oar and is held loosely during the recovery. A firmer grip is held during the drive.

Inside hand - rowing at port your right hand; rowing at starboard your left hand. Your inside hand is about eight inches away from the outside hand. It is your feathering hand. The hand that turns the oar from the feathered position (during most of the recovery) to the squared position (just before the catch and during the drive while the oar blade is actually in the water). The inside handgrip is slightly firmer than the outside hand especially during the recovery while it is manipulating the roll-up from feather to square. It is important to maintain the grip of the inside hand at all times since it is the way you feel the correct position of the oar.

The roll-up - the process of turning the inside hand to bring the oar from the feathered position to the squared position. This occurs after the finish and during the recovery. It is usually completed by the time the hands pass over the shins. Some rowers like to time it with the wheels on the seat. As the wheels begin to turn the inside hand begins to turn the oar to the squared position.

Level hands - this is the term used to describe the horizontal plane the hands are on during the drive and the recovery. During the drive the hands are slightly higher relative to the gunnel of the boat (which allows the oar blade to be just barely buried in the water, but not too deep); during the recovery the hands are slightly lower relative to the gunnel of the boat (which allows the oar to skim along the top of the water in the feathered position).

... More on Level Hands:

During the drive: If the hands are carried too high during the drive the oar will go too deep. In this case, too much of oar will be in the water ... half the shaft of the oar may be in the water! That's too much resistance, inefficient, and what's worse it tends to tip the boat! On the other hand (no pun) if the hands are carried too low during the drive, the blade will miss the water altogether! This is actually no big deal as won't happen that much and is probably better than going too deep.

During the recovery: The idea is to just allow the blade of the oar to skim along the surface of the water. You must try to keep your hands level throughout the recovery and drive and not let them bob up and down. Think about having your hands pass over a level tabletop!

The location of the rower in the shell:

bow (seat) - the person sitting in the front of the shell furthest from the cox'n

two (seat) - the person sitting in front of the bow person

three (seat) - the person sitting in front of the two seat

four (seat) - the person sitting front of the three seat, and so forth to the.....

stroke (seat) - the person sitting in front of the seven seat. The stroke is the person that everyone behind (seven through bow) needs to follow. The stroke sets the timing at the direction of the coxswain.

Some more...

bow pair - bow, and two

stern pair - stroke and seven

bow four - bow, two, three and four

stern four - five, six, seven, and stroke

Keeping the Boat Set

Set - this is the term used to describe balance of the shell. There are several different factors, which contribute to the balance of the shell, as you will learn over time. (To list a couple of them: sitting straight over the keel versus leaning way out to one side or the other; going deep with the oar during the drive)

Set the boat - this is the command that the cox'n may often say during the learning stages of rowing. The cox'n is calling for the rowers to be aware of the balance of the shell.

Bow four, (or stern four), set the boat - this is what the cox'n will say when he or she wants the rowers in a certain section of the boat to sit with their blades flat on the water (feathered position of the oar blade). It is most comfortable to sit about half way up the slide resting the oar handle on the thighs). This very important position allows the shell to maintain balance on the water while the other four rowers practice their stroke. Setting the boat is key to the learning process (of the other members of the crew) so everyone in the shell will learn how to do this first! What you will learn is that the oar handle needs to be keep fairly stiff or else it will bob up and down and the boat will be too tippy for the practice to proceed. By resting the oar handle on thighs, you can maintain a looser grip as you are locking the oar handle between your thighs and hands.

These descriptions may mean more to you after you have gone through the motions a couple times. If you don't understand…ask! Chances are you're not the only one that has the same question. Sometimes coaches inadvertently take things for granted and forget what it is like to be a beginner!

And remember, have fun!