Glossary

Rowing, while it is a simple sport, has an entirely new language to learn. So don’t worry if you don’t understand what “feather it quickly” means on the first day of practice – just ask any of the coaches or your fellow oarsmen. In the meantime, here’s a few key terms to give you a feel of the language of the sport.

Blade - The portion of the oar which enters the water.

Bow – The forward-most portion of the shell; the pointed end. Also may refer to the rower who sits in the forward-most seat of the shell.

Bowball – The covering placed over the sharp, pointed bow of a shell, designed to protect other objects which may come in contact with it.

Catch - The action of placing the blade of the oar into the water. Also, the position at the front of the slide from which the blade is placed into the water.

“Check it down” – Coxswain command to square the blade and placing it in the water stiffly, thus acting as a brake. The intent of this command is to stop the forward movement of the shell as quickly as possible. The coxswain also may command “Hold water” instead.

Cox-Box – A portable, rechargeable, electronic voice amplification device which coxswains use to assist in communication with the crew while in the shell. Also provides data feedback on stroke rating, elapsed time, and the number of strokes taken.

Coxswain - Member of the crew who coordinates the rowers, issues commands, and steers the shell. In an 8, the coxswain is seated in the stern of the shell; in a 4+, the coxswain is usually seated in the bow.

Crab - Undesirable loss of control of the oar while rowing. Frequently, a situation in which it is impossible to remove the blade of the oar from the water. In severe cases, a crab may result in the rowers’ ejection from the shell.

Deck – The flat portion of the shell forward of the bow-seat and to the rear of the stern seat which encloses/covers the top of the shell.

Double – Also notated as 2x; a sculling boat for two oarsmen.

Drive – The portion of the rowing stroke when the blade is in the water and the oarsman is applying pressure to the footstretchers, oar, and seat. The primary means of propelling the shell.

Eight – Also notated as 8+; a sweep boat for eight oarsmen with a coxswain.

Ergometer – Also known as the “erg”; a stationary rowing machine used for training.

Feather - Technique which involves rotating the handle of the oar 90 degrees so that the blade is parallel to the water. Feathering is used predominantly to decrease wind resistance. If an oar is feathered underwater or feathered before the stroke is finished, a crab may result.

Fin – Also known as the "skeg"; a straight, flat stabilizing structure which extends vertically downward and aids in maintaining a straight course while underway. It is fixed near the stern of the shell.

Finish – The point in the rowing stroke when the oar is taken out of the water.

FISA ­- Federation Internationale des Societes d’Aviron; the international governing body of rowing.

Foot stretcher – The adjustable structure to which the oarsmen's shoes are attached in the shell.

Four – A sweep boat for four rowers, with or without a coxswain. 4+ refers to a four with coxswain; 4- refers to a four without coxswain.

Gunwale – The vertical portion of the shell perpendicular to water's surface to which the riggers are attached. It is used by oarsmen to hold the shell while it is inverted. Pronounced "gunnel".

Inside Hand – The rower's hand which is furthest down the handle, and closest to the rigger, collar, and oarlock.

Launch – The outboard motor powered craft used by the coaches to instruct practices from.

Layback – The bow-ward lean of oarsmen at the finish.

Oarlock - An U-shaped swivel of metal or plastic that holds the oar with a "gate" across the top.

Outside hand – The rower's hand which is placed at the end of the shaft of the oar.

Paddle – A small amount of pressure applied by oarsmen necessary to keep the shell moving slowly with almost no effort. The coxswain will command, “On the paddle.”

Pair – Also known as a 2-; a sweep boat for two people; a double is a two-person boat where each person has two oars.

Piece – Units of work during a practice. For example, practice is broken down into "pieces," such as two 30-minute pieces, four 10-minute pieces, or 20-stroke pieces.

“Power 10” - A tactical burst of speed for 10 strokes; sometimes accompanied by an increase in the rating.

Port - The left side of the shell as one faces the bow.

Puddles - The swirls of water left by the stroking oars. The distance between sets of puddles (spacing) is a measure of the boat’s send when adjusted for different stroke rates.

Quad – Also notated as a 4x; a shell with four scullers, using 8 oars.

Racing Start - The first 20 to 40 strokes of a race, quicker than those of the rest of the race; the first few usually have less send.

Rack – The metal structures used to store shells upside down on trailers or at the site.

Rating – Also known as stroke rating; the number of strokes taken by oarsmen per minute.

Ratio - The balance between the time spent on the recovery and the time spent on the drive; an effective ratio produces the best results for the power expended and will vary for every crew, however, a safe rule of thumb is a recovery twice as long as the drive, or a recovery count time of 5.

Recovery - The portion of the rowing stroke when the blade is out of the water and the oarsman is rolling toward the front of the slide towards the catch.

Release - The maneuver in which the oar is taken from the water on the square and feathered away from the body.

Rigger – The metal structure bolted to the shell which holds the oarlock and oar. Also: the person responsible for the maintenance of the equipment in a boathouse.

Rigging – The art of adjusting the riggers of a boat in order to obtain maximum speed. Also refers to the act of attaching the riggers to the shell.

Rudder – The flat, movable structure used by the coxswain to steer the shell, located near the fin.

Rudder Line – The cord attached to the rudder which is held by the coxswain and manipulated to steer the shell.

Scull - A rowing shell classification in which each oarsman uses two oars. Also, a technique used to move the bow of the shell sideways to adjust its heading while on stakeboats.

Seat – Also known as the slide; the wooden or plastic sliding platform which the oarsmen sit on.

Seat Deck - The portion of the boat on which the tracks are affixed.

Set – The balance achieved while rowing when the shell is level in the water and all oars are not touching the surface of the water.

Shell – The specialized, very thin boat used specifically for rowing.

Single – Also notated as 1x; a sculling boat for one person.

Sling – Also known as a stretcher; the deck chair style contraption used to hold a shell upright.

Square - Blade position with the oarface held perpendicular to the surfact of the water; the opposite of feathered. Also the action of rotating the blade from feathered to squared.

Starboard - The right side of the boat as one faces the bow.

Stern - The back of the boat, which the rowers face towards while rowing.

Stroke - The 4th or 8th rower in the shell, closest to coxswain. The stroke leads the crew and sets the stroke rating.

Stroke rate - The number of strokes per minute.

Sweep – The class of boat which each oarsman uses one oar.

Tracks – The grooved metal guides which align the seat as it slides back and forth in the shell.

Washing out - A blade that comes out of the water during the drive is washing out.

“Weigh Enough/Way ‘Nuff”- Command used to stop all movement of the oarsmen and/or boat. Also instructs oarsmen to be alert for a forthcoming command.