lower thames rowing club · coxing commands the crew the crew are named and numbered from forward...

Lower Thames Rowing Club – Handbook

LTRC Version 1.0 16th February 2016 1

Lower Thames Rowing Club

www.lowerthamesrowingclub.com

Rowing Handbook

Issued to: ……………………………………………….



Contents Basic Rules & Etiquette ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

How To Row – The Basics ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Coxing Commands .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

The Crew ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Commands ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Count off from Bow when ready ................................................................................................................................ 7

Backstops .................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Frontstops ................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Are you Ready ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Go or Row ................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Hold It . ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Easy Oars .................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Drop or Rest . .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Back it down or Back it ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Gunwale Oars ............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Out oars ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Trail oars ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Mind your oars. .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Row light ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Row firm ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Up one / Down one .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Eyes in the boat .......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Fend off . ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Man the boat .............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Fenders ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Bow Pair ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Stern Pair .................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Rowing Terms & Parts of the Boat ................................................................................................................................... 10

Blade ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10



Bow ............................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Bow pair ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Bow Side ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Button ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Catch ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Cox ................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Feathered Blades .......................................................................................................................................................... 10

Finish ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Gate .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Gearing ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Gunwale ........................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Loom ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Pin ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Pitch .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Port side ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Pressure ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Rating ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Clothing and personal buoyancy ................................................................................................................................... 12

Clothing ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Buoyancy ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Cold water shock ......................................................................................................................................................... 12

Club clothing ................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Appendix 1 – Rowing Technique - Detailed ...................................................................................................................... 13



Basic Rules & Etiquette

The Coxswain is in charge of the Boat at all times as they are the only one who should be looking forward.

If you need to stop rowing for ANY reason ask permission from the Cox first.

Do not just stop and take your jumper off, take a photo , have a drink etc etc.

This will disrupt the crew and it may not be a safe time to have the boat out of control.

A certain amount of Chat is sometimes agreeable but if the Coxwain feels it is inappropriate or that the Rowing is

suffering “Eyes in the boat” will mean stop talking or looking around and concentrate.

When changing crews members around while on the water, the Oars must be kept outboard to help stabilise the

boat. Only two persons of the Crew should be moving at any point in time and the other members of crew should

hold the Oar handles to assist the stabilisation.

Unlike the roads in the UK where we drive on the left hand side, on a river we travel on the right hand side.

We therefore pass other boats coming towards us with port side to Port side. i.e. left side to left side.

When overtaking slower boats pass them on their Port side.

Near bridges and bends, a boat going upstream must, if necessary, give way to boats coming downstream.

Motor boats should always give way to sailing boats, rowing boats.

Rowing Boats should give way to sailing boats.

Larger passenger vessels which may have difficulty manoeuvring and are not always able to give way so be prepared

at all times.

Keep a good lookout and be ready to slow down or stop.



How To Row – The Basics

Blade 6ins above water Lower blade into the water Pull back with trunk, top of the blade just showing arms straight

Complete stroke by bending Drop hands to raise blade Push arms forward, Elbows , blade turned to 45° keep blade flat Bend forward ready Just clear of the water to start again

Step1 Seat the oar with the button in the rowlocks. Grip the oar and push right forward with your arms outstretched, as far as you can reach with a straight arm At the start of the stroke your nose will be almost above your feet. The oars will move back. Make sure they're flat to the water when you do this. Remember not reach for too much length. Step2 Feather the oars. This means to roll your wrists so the oars turn so that they are parallel yet above the water. In sweep rowing, it is important to only roll the wrist closest to the oar blade Step3 After dipping the oar in the water, don’t let the blade go very far under the surface the top of the blade should just be visible as you pull back on it. Pull the oars back steadily, speeding up towards the end of the stroke; save a little extra pull for the end of your stroke which you can help pull yourself back upright with.



When sitting forward the first motion is to push your legs back in a dynamic motion. Do not jerk but apply as much force as possible. Then lean back when you are close to the end of the stroke. The final motion should be the arms. Step 4 Feather the oars flat, then repeat from step two. Be sure to roll up the oar(s) once the handle passes the knees. Keep pulling the oar handle towards you until your hands touch your stomach before taking the oar out of the water. Lean as far back as you possibly can! Your legs should end up straight. With practice, you will find yourself able to lean further and further back, which increases the length of time the oar is in the water driving the boat forward. Useful Tips

• Keep your shoulders square and your arms straight, adjusting the oars so that they fit .

• When you're first learning, try to look straight ahead (towards the back of the boat) when rowing instead of out the side. This almost always leads to rolling the boat.

• Try to "catch" the water as soon as the oars make contact. This is a more efficient use of strength, and provides the most thrust.

• You should make your stroke as fast as possible, but as smooth as possible too. It should be a smooth pull back.

• Keep your head straight up and not sunk between your shoulders.

• Aim for a long, steady stroke.

• As the thwarts are quite closely spaced in the gig, it is crucial for all rowers to lean as much as possible. If one person takes shorter strokes, it is impossible for the other rowers to take longer one

• Catching a crab is when the blade of an oar becomes “stuck” in the water. It usually happens for two reasons: The blade was not vertical when you put it in the water, or you tried to feather the oar before it was lifted out of the water. If this happens you need to act quickly. Lift the handle oar out of the rowlock then reset it again

Also see Appendix 1 for a full description



Coxing Commands

The Crew The crew are named and numbered from forward to aft. The bow sitting on the most forward thwart and the stroke

on the most aft.

1 Bow

2 No.2

3 No.3

4 Stroke Oar

In a Gig 4:Stroke and Number 2 (usually) row on the starboard side of the boat;Bow and Number 3 (usually) row on

the port side of the boat.

The Coxswain: the coxswain is in charge of his pulling boat and its crew.

Commands

Count off from Bow when ready

As it says. When you are ready the crew count off from the bow position to inform the Cox that they are now ready to

row. Ie Bow , 2, 3 ,Stroke.

The Cox will now start the row.

Backstops

The starting point for a crew before the row is about to begin.

You must be sitting with legs straight, leaning back and holding the Oar Handle just under your chest and the blade

resting on top of the water ready to go.

Frontstops

Where you start a race from!

You are sitting with legs slightly bent, Arms are straight and you are stretching forward .The blade should be square

and ready to take the stroke.

Are you Ready

This is you last chance to tell the Coxwain that you are not yet ready to row. Let them know if you are not. Loudly!

Go or Row

When everyone is ready the cox instructs the crew to do will be followed by the word ”Go or Row !”.

The reason is to make sure everyone responds to whatever is being instructed in a coordinated way.The crew should



wait for the Go before responding to the instruction.

Hold It .

The most important command to know that the cox ever gives is the one to stop the boat. In an emergency-stop the

cox will call ”hold it hard” and this means the crew must stop rowing or whatever they are doing and hold the spoons

of their oars as square as possible in the water against the direction of travel to stop the boat quickly.

If the cox says ”Hold it ” this is a normal (not emergency) stop and the crew just hold the spoons of the oars on the

surface to slow the boat to a standstill. The blade should be held at an angle of 60 degrees to the water surface.

Easy Oars

The command to stop rowing (but without stopping the boat) is ”easy-oars” or ”easy-all ”. You should stop rowing

and finish in the arms-away position with the blade not touching the water.

You stop rowing and sit with your legs straight, at backstops and your hands away in front of you.

Drop or Rest .

After easy oars, when the cox calls this you can let the blade drop onto the water while keeping hold of the Oar

handle either in your hands or tucked under your arm

Back it down or Back it

This is used by the cox to control the boat and either spin or move the boat astern.

This means you reverse the Oar blade in the water so the “Spoon” is facing the bow of the boat. You then push the

Oar rather than the usual pull. If both sides are “backing then the boat will go backwards.

If the Cox has one side backing and the other rowing then the boat will spin.

Gunwale Oars

The oars are slid inboard and across both gunwales and held there.

Out oars

This command is given to get the oars out to the rowing position with the blades feathered and flat on the water.

Trail oars

The crew will bring their oar handles over their heads so that they are parallel to the line of the boat. This may be

necessary for passing through a narrow space.

Mind your oars.

Given to warn the crew of an approaching obstruction where they need to keep their oars clear. 'Port/Bow ' or

'Starboard/Stroke' can be added to the end of this order.

Row light

The crew rows at light pressure.



Row firm

The crew rows at full pressure.

Up one / Down one

Is in relation to the rowing stroke rate. Stroke is to be followed at all times but this is called so that the whole crew

should be aware that the rate is about to change on the next stroke

Eyes in the boat

This is an instruction to the crew to keep their gaze from wandering abroad or to stop the talking, and pay attention

to the rowing.

Fend off .

This order is given to the crew to fend-off to prevent damage to the side of the boat, or when coming alongside a

jetty or another boat. It can also be used if the boat is coming alongside for a short duration without securing.

Man the boat

Crew to get into the boat and in their allocated positions. The crew, once in the boat, will place their oars,adjust their

stretchers and wait for the Coxswains commands.

Fenders

Take the fenders out/in of the water and inside/outside the boat depending on whether you are mooring or casting

off.

Bow Pair

The Bow and No 2 positions in the boat

Stern Pair

The No 3 and Stroke position



Rowing Terms & Parts of the Boat This list is not extensive but are the more common terms used.

Blade The spoon end of the oar (Also used to refer to the whole oar)

Bow The front end of the boat

Bow pair The two persons sitting in the front end of the boat

Bow Side All the people who sit on the same side as the person closest to the bows

Button The plastic stop on the oar which sits against the gate and stops the oar sliding out into the water

Catch The part of the stroke when the blade goes into the water.

Cox The person who steers the boat and gives the commands

Feathered Blades When coming forward for the next stroke the blade is feathered so that it is horizontal to the water

Finish The part of the stroke when the blade comes out of the water.

Gate The black plastic swivel which the oar is placed in. This must be always be done up securely

Gearing The ratio of the oar length inboard of the pin to the oar length outboard of the pin.

Gunwale The wooden “ Rail” that runs around the top of the hull of the boat. The gates are fixed to this

Loom The section of the oar between blade and handle



Pin The point that the gate swivels round.

Pitch The angle of the blade to the water.

Port side The Left hand side of the boat looking to the Bows while in the boat

Pressure The amount of work put into the water depending on how hard you use your arms ,back and legs.

Light, Half and Firm are the three degrees used. To get round corners the cox may ask one side to put in more

pressure than the other. When round the corner the cox will call even pressure which means equal pressure on both

sides.

Rating The speed you are rowing at . It is measured in strokes per minute



Clothing and personal buoyancy

Clothing It is always colder on the water than on the land, so wear warm clothing be prepared for weather change.

In winter you need to make sure that you are well insulated from the cold. 3 layers of layers of manmade clothing

fabric are better than one thick layer, it wicks away moisture and dries quicker than natural fibre. You can lose a lot

of heat from your feet, hands and head so have gloves, hat and good thick socks. Wear some waterproofs as a top

layer in case it rains or you get spray, most dinghy sailors wear one piece waterproof suit.

Footwear should have a good grip, as the inside of the gig gets wet and can be slippery. In summer months remember

sun tan lotion and sunglasses, the UV light is reflected off the water and is more significant than on land.

Buoyancy Every Row should wear some form of personal buoyancy or preferably a life jacket, even if a good swimmer when

afloat.

Cold water shock If you do capsize or fall in the water the cold water will be a shock to your body initially :-

• You will gasp for air, then breathe rapidly

• It will reduce your ability to hold your breath to a few seconds, so protect your mouth and airway

• Your heart will be working harder, so initially don’t try and swim, just relax

• These effects will be at their worst in the first 30 seconds, but will have gone within 3 minutes

Be prepared

Have dry clothing and a towel at the Clubhouse or in the car

Lip salve can be useful in the summer

Apply sun tan lotion before you go out

Club clothing A wide range of club clothing is available at reasonable prices, please view the Club website for more information

www.lowerthamesrowingclub.com

http://www.lowerthamesrowingclub.com/



Appendix 1 – Rowing Technique - Detailed The following PDF is drawn from a Document Created by the WELSH SEA ROWING ASSOCIATION

lower thames rowing club · coxing commands the crew the crew are named and numbered from forward...

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