Session Two
Our second session is an introduction to the boats, rigging, oars and essential safety equipment we use before heading out onto the water. Once we're ready, we'll head out onto the water to go through some basic manoeuvres and practice getting in the boat.
Red (Port) & Green (Starboard)
It is important that you quickly get to grips with your red for port and green for starboard as these are important navigational tools that we as rowers regularly use.
The main reason being that if a coxswain were to shout 'left' or 'right', as rowers and coxes are facing in opposite directions, it would create great confusion!
Study the picture attached, and notice how for the coxswain, starboard is right but for rowers it is left.
In the boat, our left hand oar is labelled with green tape and our right hand oar with red, so if the cox or bowman is to shout "more pressure on green!" or "turn on red" we understand and can carry out the instruction correctly.
Getting in the boat.
1. Make sure you have checked your boat over fully using the pre-row checklist, check your rigging is correct and your gates are tightened.
2. Launch the boat using the trolley taking care to avoid grounding the boat or its fin on the bottom of the slipway. Orient the boat in the direction you intend to travel.
3. With blades resting flat on the water, hold both handles with the left hand. move the seat fully back towards the bow and place your right foot in front of your seat.
4. Gently shift your weight across and carefully lower yourself onto the seat (sitting down clumsily will derail/damage the seat/rollers)
5. Ensure blades are still flat on the water and the boat is stable.
6. Strap your feet in/make any necessary adjustments to the footplate by keeping your handles together and held firmly under your arms.
Grip
Please watch the video below which demonstrates the correct grip to use when holding your oars.
Emergency Stop
It is crucial that we master being able to stop the boat. It takes a long time for a fast moving racing boat to come to a standstill so the more efficiently we do this, the better.
First, we will practice this stationary, before doing it at a slow pace.
The call will be 'HOLD IT UP'. Upon hearing this, whether as a drill or during rowing, SLAP the blades onto the water, BURY the blades under the water and TURN the blades to create a brake.
Recommended Reading
Follow the link below to see a list of useful rowing terms/lingo.