boats 101
TYPES OF BOATS
Shell: the term for a crew boat. There are various types of shells.
Sweeps – shells rigged for one oar per rower. Sweeps are the most common shells in crew competitions.
Pair – for two rowers, usually coxless, called a straight pair.
Four – for four rowers, either coxed or straight.
Eight – for eight rowers, always coxed. The highest regarded races are
between eights, akin to a heavyweight fight in boxing.
Sculls – shells that are rigged for each rower to use two oars. These are not nearly as popular as sweeps, with the exception of singles.
Single – for an individual rower, with no coxswain, i.e., coxless.
Double – for two rowers, usually coxless, called a straight double.
Quad – for four rowers, either coxed or straight.
Octuple – for eight rowers, always coxed. (Relatively rare)
Coxed: a coxswain rides along in the boat to coach and steer.
Straight: a boat without a coxswain, so the rowers need to steer by looking over their shoulder or by observing buoys and other racing-markers they pass.
BASICS OF A BOAT
Directions:in crew it’s vital to understand which direction is which.
Bow – the front of the shell as it moves forward through the water. Rowers’ backs point at the bow as they row.
Stern – the rear of the shell. Rowers face the stern as they row. The coxswain sits closest to the stern, facing the bow.
Port – the left-hand side of the boat when facing the bow.
Starboard – the right-hand side of the boat when facing the bow.
PARTS OF A BOAT
Bow ball: a small rubber ball affixed to the bow tip of a shell. Used for grasping the front of the shell and sometimes for delineating the very front of the shell in tightly contested races.
Collar: a wide ring placed on the oar near the handle, which when placed correctly in the oarlock prevents the oar from falling out of the shell.
Footplate/Footstretcher: where the rowers place and strap their feet in to provide a push-off point for each stroke. Along with the seat, the footplates provide the rower with a stable anchor to the shell.
Gunwales: the lengthwise sides of the boat to which the outriggers attach.
Rudder lines: two rope or wire cables attached to the rudder, which a coxswain uses to steer the shell.
Oarlock: a rectangular plastic frame attached by a swivel to the outrigger. The top portion opens and closes, screwing tightly to lock an oar into place so that it does not fall out of the shell.
Outriggers: the metal tripod attached to the side of the shell. The tip of the “V” nearest the top of the gunwales is where the oarlock is located.
Rigging: the configuration of outriggers that comprises the boat. Sculls have the same type of rigging. Sweeps can vary rigging, mostly based on the stroke:
Port-rigged – the stroke’s oar enters the water on the port side of the shell.
Starboard-rigged – the oar enters the water on the starboard side of the shell.
Slides: the fixed rails that act as a track below each rower’s seat.
Backstop – barriers on the bow-end of the slides that prevent a rower’s seat from detaching at the end of each stroke.
Frontstop – barriers on the stern-end of the slides that prevent a rower’s seat from detaching at the beginning of each stroke.
Rollers – the wheels of the rower’s seat that run along the slide.
Rudder: a submerged fin at the stern of the shell that turns in order to steer the shell.
Skeg: a submerged fin that stabilizes the shell.
Shell: the term for a crew boat. There are various types of shells.
Sweeps – shells rigged for one oar per rower. Sweeps are the most common shells in crew competitions.
Pair – for two rowers, usually coxless, called a straight pair.
Four – for four rowers, either coxed or straight.
Eight – for eight rowers, always coxed. The highest regarded races are
between eights, akin to a heavyweight fight in boxing.
Sculls – shells that are rigged for each rower to use two oars. These are not nearly as popular as sweeps, with the exception of singles.
Single – for an individual rower, with no coxswain, i.e., coxless.
Double – for two rowers, usually coxless, called a straight double.
Quad – for four rowers, either coxed or straight.
Octuple – for eight rowers, always coxed. (Relatively rare)
Coxed: a coxswain rides along in the boat to coach and steer.
Straight: a boat without a coxswain, so the rowers need to steer by looking over their shoulder or by observing buoys and other racing-markers they pass.
BASICS OF A BOAT
Directions:in crew it’s vital to understand which direction is which.
Bow – the front of the shell as it moves forward through the water. Rowers’ backs point at the bow as they row.
Stern – the rear of the shell. Rowers face the stern as they row. The coxswain sits closest to the stern, facing the bow.
Port – the left-hand side of the boat when facing the bow.
Starboard – the right-hand side of the boat when facing the bow.
PARTS OF A BOAT
Bow ball: a small rubber ball affixed to the bow tip of a shell. Used for grasping the front of the shell and sometimes for delineating the very front of the shell in tightly contested races.
Collar: a wide ring placed on the oar near the handle, which when placed correctly in the oarlock prevents the oar from falling out of the shell.
Footplate/Footstretcher: where the rowers place and strap their feet in to provide a push-off point for each stroke. Along with the seat, the footplates provide the rower with a stable anchor to the shell.
Gunwales: the lengthwise sides of the boat to which the outriggers attach.
Rudder lines: two rope or wire cables attached to the rudder, which a coxswain uses to steer the shell.
Oarlock: a rectangular plastic frame attached by a swivel to the outrigger. The top portion opens and closes, screwing tightly to lock an oar into place so that it does not fall out of the shell.
Outriggers: the metal tripod attached to the side of the shell. The tip of the “V” nearest the top of the gunwales is where the oarlock is located.
Rigging: the configuration of outriggers that comprises the boat. Sculls have the same type of rigging. Sweeps can vary rigging, mostly based on the stroke:
Port-rigged – the stroke’s oar enters the water on the port side of the shell.
Starboard-rigged – the oar enters the water on the starboard side of the shell.
Slides: the fixed rails that act as a track below each rower’s seat.
Backstop – barriers on the bow-end of the slides that prevent a rower’s seat from detaching at the end of each stroke.
Frontstop – barriers on the stern-end of the slides that prevent a rower’s seat from detaching at the beginning of each stroke.
Rollers – the wheels of the rower’s seat that run along the slide.
Rudder: a submerged fin at the stern of the shell that turns in order to steer the shell.
Skeg: a submerged fin that stabilizes the shell.
