Bideford Amateur Rowing Club

‘THE REDS’

Beginners Guide to Rowing

Contents

1. Boat Types

2. About the Boat

3. The Blade

4. Positions in the Boat

5. Clothing

6. Checking the Boat

7. Getting in and out

8. Holding the blade

9. Coxswain Commands

10. What does it mean?

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 Boat Types

Racing boats come in all shapes and sizes. Above are various boats used in disciplines
at the Olympics and World Championships.

 Seats in a boat may be rigged for oars on one side or on both sides.

 Athletes with only one oar are ‘Sweep’ rowers.

 Athletes with two oars are called ‘Scullers’

 The 8+ and 4+ boats carry a coxswain (hence the ‘+’ in the boat category) to
coach and steer a boat.

 In general, the 8+ is the fastest boat, because it has the most rowers.

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 About the Boat

Our Racing boats are made of fibreglass and are expensive. They can be easily
damaged so please treat them with care.
The golden rule is that the boat only touches air, water and bums.
The diagram below shows you some key parts of the boat.

Each seat has wheels underneath which are placed within the slide rails, which are
affixed to the boat.
In front of your seat is the foot stretcher. This is the part of the boat which your feet
are strapped to. It can be moved forward and back to suit your height by loosening
the stretcher nut and is angled to give you a good platform to push from.
The rigger is the arrangement of metal tubing that supports the blade (oar). At the
end of the rigger is the gate in which the blade is placed and secured by turning the
gate nut. The gate swivels freely allowing the blade to swing through an arc as you
take a stroke.
Please do not remove any part from one boat to use on another for any reason. In
the event that any part of your boat develops a fault, you should report it to the
rowing captain for repair or replacement.

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 The Blade

Each rowing crew member has one blade (oar) which is placed in the gate. The parts
of the blade are shown below:
 As you might expect, you hold the handle of the blade.

 The sleeve rests inside the gate, with the button on the nearside to stop the
blade sliding out.

 The spoon is placed in the water and is used to propel the boat.

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 Positions in the Boat
The Diagram below shows the four different rowing positions in a typical fours boat..

The stroke position is for the person who sets the timing, which everyone else has to
follow. This has to be even and controlled throughout the race. The stroke person
should not necessarily be the strongest person in the crew.

Remember rowing is all about team work – not one individual. Everyone makes an
important contribution to the boat and your coach will help identify which position
you are best suited to.
Each member of the crew has three designations – a number, a side and a pair.

 Person 1 and person 3 are on the Bow/Port side

 Person 2 and 4 are on the Stroke/Starboard side
 1 and 2 together make up ‘Bow pair

3 Bow - 1
Cox Stroke - 4 2 Bow Side

Stroke Side

Stroke Pair Bow Pair

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 Clothing

The good thing as a novice is you do not need any specialist equipment other than a
pair of wellies to wear while getting the boat in and out of the water.

Standard exercise/clothing is ideal for rowing. Your trousers/shorts should not be too
loose as they may catch in the mechanics of the boat.
Your top should allow completely free movement.

For Footwear, trainers are ideal, but if you don’t have wellies be prepared to get
them wet!

Wearing several thin layers which can be peeled off is better than a few thick ones.
Remember to wear an appropriate number of layers for the weather.
For the first few outings you may not be rowing all the time and there may be periods
of inactivity while you’re waiting for the cox/coach to explain things or works with
other members of the crew.

You should ideally have a waterproof top layer for use in inclement weather – rowing
in Devon is not always a fair-weather sport!

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 Checking the Boat

 The Hull, to ensure that there is no damage.

 Hatch Covers, they should be in place and water tight.

 Bow ball is intact and secure otherwise it won’t do its job.

 Blades, the collars, sleeves and handle are all secure.
 The Riggers are attached to the boat tightly.
 Pins swivels and gates, are all secure.
 Seat, must be on the right way around and running freely.
 Foot Stretcher, should be secure and should have heel restraints.
 Rudder, if there is one, must be working and not damaged.
 Fin, intact and secure.

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 Getting In and Out

When the boat is on the water at the launch steps, always have someone to steady
the boat by holding the rigger down.

1. Place the blade into the swivel with the swivel facing to the stern and tighten
the gate nut.
2. Slide the seat out of the way and place the foot nearest the boat between the
runners on the black strip (never in the footwell, it is not strong enough and
may crack).
3. Hold both blade handles and press down on the rigger nearest to you with the
other hand.
4. Bring in the other foot and sit down.
5. Tighten up the gates
6. Put your feet in the shoes

Crew scullers may either get in half at a time, starting from the bow person first
down to the cox last or else altogether when they are more practiced.
Sweep rowers may use a similar technique. Usually the half with their blades away
from the landing station get in first.
Once they are seated and holding the blade handles with the blades fully out and
gates tightened, the second half of the crew can get in.

Remember to keep your blade under control at all times while you are doing this
as the blades are the ‘stabilisers’ for the boat and should be flat on the water
throughout.

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 Holding the Blade

Sculling Grip
Use the thumb by circling it on the end of the handle, one way to feather and the
other to square.
Excessive movement of the wrist should be avoided, wrists remain flat.
If a sculler has the handle too much in the palm of the hand the wrist is often arched;
too much in the fingers and the sculler cannot control the blade.
Control should come by pressing the blade out against the gate using the thumb.

Sweep Rowing Grip

The hands should be no more than two widths apart. This should give a comfortable
position in relation to shoulder width.
 The outside hand is used purely as a hook, to pull the handle round. The wrists
stay flat throughout the stroke cycle and the handle rotates within its palm.
 The inside hand is the technical hand used for squaring and feathering the
blade. It should maintain pressure outward against the gate.

The Grip on the handle should be sufficiently strong to control the blade. Relax the
grip as often as you can, or you may start suffering from intense pain in the forearms.

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 Coxswain Commands

Here are some commonly used commands

‘Hands On’ – This is the command to get everybody ready with their ‘hands on’ the
boat, ready to lift.

‘Number Off When Ready’ – This instruction is for each crew member to shout out
the number of their seat, when they are ready to row. The crew will shout in order,
starting with the bow seat which is number 1.

‘Go’ – This command only ever takes effect when the cox shouts ‘go’ to make sure
the whole crew acts together.

‘Are You Ready’ – Is used to make sure everybody is ready for the command ‘go’
which follows.

‘Back Down’ – Is used to reverse the boat.

‘From Backstops’ – This is the command for a stationary crew to get ready to row. It
makes sure that everyone starts in the same position, which is legs down flat and the
handles at the body. To get the crew to row the cox might say ‘Whole crew,
Backstops, are you ready, Go’

‘Wind Down’ – is the order to slow the rate and ease off on the rowing pressure.

‘Easy Oar’ – Means to stop rowing. Coxswains will use this in time with the rowing so
that all the crew will stop together ‘next stroke, easy oar’.

‘Hold it Up’ – An emergency stop and is used if the boat or crew are in danger of
collision or accident.

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 What does it mean?
‘Back Down’ – Reverse Rowing used to move the boat backwards or turn.

‘Backstay’ – The back brace of a rigger, closest to the bows.

‘Backstops’ – When the rower sits with their legs straight and the blade handle in at
their chest.

‘Blade’ – Also called an oar. Used to propel the boat.

‘Bow’ – Front of the boat or rower who sit in the seat nearest the front of the boat.

‘Bow Ball’ – Ball shaped cap that sits over the bow end of the boat. It’s there for
safety.

‘Bow Loader’ – A boat in which the cox sits at the front (bow).

‘Canvas’ – The covered deck section of the bow and stern of the boat.

‘Catch’ – The movement at which the blade drops into the water and foot pressure is
applied.

‘Cleaver’ – Type of blade that has the spoon in a shape of a meat cleaver or chopper.

‘Collar’ – The plastic circular section of the blade, is pressed against the gate when
rowing. It can be moved along the sleeve to adjust the blade gearing.

‘Cox (Coxswain)’ – Person who steers the boat, using a steering mechanism. Can sit
either in the stern or the bows.

‘Coxless’ – A boat type without a cox.

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 What does it mean?
‘Crab’ – When the blade becomes caught in the water at the moment of extraction.
Can cause the rower to let go of the handle and slows the boat. When this happens
the rower is said to ‘Catch a Crab’.

‘Drive’ – The part of the stroke between the catch and extraction, when the blade is
in the water and propels the boat. Also called the power phase.

‘ERG/ERGO’ – Indoor rowing machine.

‘Extraction’ – The removal of the blade from the water by applying downward
pressure to the handle. Also called the Finish.

‘Feather’ – Blade spoon is parallel to the water. This is the position of the blade
spoon for the recovery section of the stroke. Rowers must extract the blade from the
water before feathering.

‘Fin’ – A metal or plastic plate attached to the underside of the boat towards the
stern. It helps to keep the boat on course and prevents it from moving sideways.

‘Finish’ – See extraction.

‘Firm’ – Term used to suggest that the rower applies full pressure to the drive phase
of their rowing stroke.

‘FISA’ – The international rowing federation.

‘Fixed Seat’ – A rower rowing arms and body only and not moving their seat from
backstops.

‘Front Stay’ - The front brace of the rigger, closest to the stern of the boat. Some
riggers do not have a front stay.

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 What does it mean?
‘Front Stops’ – When the rower sits at the front of their slide with their shins vertical.

‘Gate’ – The metal bar at the top of the swivel. Tightened with a screw to secure the
blade.

‘Gearing’ – Determines how much power the rower can apply. In a lightly geared
boat the work feels easy but more strokes are needed to move the boat 100m. In a
heavy geared boat fewer strokes are needed to move the boat 100m but the strokes
are harder to make.

‘Heel Restraint’ – Attaches the heel of the rowing shoe to then foot plate. Will help
the rower release their feet in a capsize.

‘Height’ – Vertical distance from seat to bottom edge of swivel.

‘Inboard’ – Length of blade from outside face of collar or button to end of handle.

‘Length’ – Length of stroke, the arc from catch to extraction.

‘Loom’ – The part of the blade between the handle and spoon.

‘Macon’ – Type of oar that has a regular shaped spoon.

‘Mainstay’ – Centre brace of a rigger.

‘Oar’ – See Blade.

‘Outboard’ – The length of the blade from outside face of the collar or button to tip
of blade.

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 What does it mean?
‘Overlap’ – The amount that the scull handles overlap when a rower holds them
horizontally at right angles to the boat.

‘Pin’ – The spindle on which the swivel rotates.

‘Pitch’ – The angle of the spoon in the water during the drive.

‘Port’ – Left in the direction of travel.

‘Portside’ – Left hand side of the boat, or right hand side of the rower. Often marked
by a red stripe on the blade.

‘Posture’ – Position of the back and hips during the stroke.

‘Power Phase’ – See Drive.

‘Pressure’ – The amount of effort applied by the rower to the drive phase of the
stroke (usually light, ½ pressure, ¾ pressure, firm).

‘Rate or Rating’ – Number of strokes rowed in a minute.

‘Ratio’ – Regular and consistent stroke pattern.

‘Rigger’ – Metal or carbon fibre strutting attached to the side of the boat next to
each seat, on which the pin and swivel sit.

‘Rigging’ – The way in which the riggers, slide, swivel, pins, foot plate, seat and
blades can be adjusted to optimise the rowers comfort and efficiency.

‘Rudder’ – Device under the boat that can be moved to make the boat change
direction. Linked to steering mechanism.

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 What does it mean?
‘Running Start’ – A racing start undertaken with the boat already moving. Often used
in training.

‘Saxboard’ – The sides of the boat above the waterline and around where the rowers
sit.

‘Scull’ – A smaller version of the blade used in sets of two and held in either hand for
sculling.

‘Sculling’ – Rowing with two blades per rower, one on either side of the boat.

‘Sequence’ – Methodical movements of the arms, back and legs during the stroke
cycle.

‘Shell’ – The smooth hull of the boat. Can be made from wood but now more
commonly made from synthetic materials.

‘Sleeve’ – Plastic sleeve fixed to the blade and which collar or button encircles.

‘Slide’ – Two metal runners on which the seat travels.

‘Span’ – Measurement made on a sculling boat. The distance between the centres of
each pair of pins.

‘Spin Turn’ – A term used to describe the way in which a boat is rowed on it’s axis.

‘Spoon’ – The end of the blade, the part which is immersed during the rowing stroke.

‘Spread’ – Measurement made on a rowing boat. The Shortest distance from centre
line of the boat to the centre of the pin.

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 What does it mean?
‘Square’ – To turn the blade so that the spoon is at nearly 90 degrees to the waters
surface.

‘Standing Start’ – A race start done from stationary.

‘Starboard’ – Right in the direction of travel.

‘Starboard Side’ – The right hand side of the boat, or left hand side of the rower.
Often marked by a green stripe on the blade.

‘Stakeboat’ – An anchored boat or pontoon from which racing boats are held.

‘Stern’ – The back of the boat.

‘Stern Loader’ – A boat where the cox sits at the back (stern).

‘Stroke’ – One cycle of the blade OR the rower who sits closest to the stern of the
boat, in front of all the others and is responsible for the rate and rhythm of the boat.

‘Stretcher’ – A plate to which the boat shoes are attached.

‘Sweep’ – Rowing with one blade each.

‘Swivel’ – The plastic open square shape mounted on the pin in which the blade sits
when rowing. Closed with the gate.

‘Tap Down’ – To lower the hands at the end of the stroke to remove the spoon from
the water.

‘Trestle’ – Portable stands used to hold a boat for rigging, washing, checking etc.

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