About The Boats

Whaleboats are 28 feet long, with a six-foot beam. They weigh about 1000 lbs empty. The crew consists of five rowers and one boat steerer, three starboard oars and two port oars. The oars vary in length, the mid ship oar is 18 feet long, the oars on either side are 17 feet and bow/stern are 16 feet. The steering oar is 21 feet long. The boats are very sturdy in the water, fiberglass replicas based on the classic whaleboat design of the New Bedford boat builder James Beetle.

Rowing Terminology

Ready All: All rowers lean forward and position themselves for the catch. If getting ready to push, the position is leaning slightly back.

Pull Together: All rowers pull together

Avast: Stop Rowing

Hold Water: Oar blades are place into the water at an angle to slow/stop the boat

Stern All: All rowers stern row to move the boat backwards

Out Oars: The rower will push the oar that is next to them out until the button hits the oar lock.The rower will then limbo/lean to the side to get the oar over their shoulder and hand off the oar to the rower in front of them.

Half Oars: Pull the oar in about half way while continuing to row

Rest Oars: Pull the oar across the gunwales and relax

Trail Oars: The oars are pulled in and rested in the oar locks on the gunwales

Ship Oars: Picking the oars up from the trail position and placing them inside the boat.

Feather Blades: When you turn the oar blade parallel to the water

Drop Oars: The oars are dropped into the water at a slight feather to slow/stop the boat

Hold Water: After dropping the oar, hold the oar firm to stop the boat

Square Blades: Oar blades are turned so they are perpendicular to the water

Catching Crabs: When rowing and the oar has too much water and can’t get the blade out of the water fast enough to keep pace with the other rowers, the water pressure knocks you backwards off your seat,

Rowing Basics

PARTS OF THE STROKE

Ready-All Position: This is the position that the rower assumes when preparing to start a stroke. To pull the boat, lean forward with arms fully extended. For pushing the boat backwards, the ready-all position is leaning slightly back with hands at chest level drop and push the oar.

Catch: From the ready all position the rower raises the oar handle to drop the blade into the water.

Pull: The rower leans back pulling the blade through the water. The rower pulls first with their back, then with arms when approaching the end of the stroke. With a fe rows the motion sees more natural and fluid.

Finish: Push the oar handle down to raise the blade out of the water

Return: Return to the ready all position, repeat

Stern stroke/Push: start with hands at lower chest level; raise your hands to drop the oar into the water for the catch lean forward and extend your arms pushing the oar away from you; push down on the oar to raise the blade out of the water, return to ready all position.

The Blade: The blade on the oar should be perpendicular or square to the water. The stroke is in a rectangle box not circular, the blade just scrapes the top layer of the water when pulling.

Digging: Digging occurs when rowing in a circular motion and pull too much water causing you to work way too hard and the boat to rock.

This is most of what you will hear on the boats. You may hear other terms here and there but this will be the basics. Above all else, listen to the Boat Steerer. He/She will keep you safe.

Meet New People

What a great way to exercise, meet new people, be on the water year round. There are Open Rows and Team Rows. Open Rows are available to all club members, just sign up. Team Rows are for team members ONLY unless you are invited to fill a seat as a substitute rower. Always sign up as an alternate on the open rows you likely will be called.If you sign up and can’t make please give ample time to cancel so you don’t leave the crew short. The boats must have a minimum of four rowers to go out. The Crew depends on each other to show up so the row can happen.

Getting On and Off the Boats

Only one person at a time will get into or out of the boat. When stepping into the boat, announce yourself loudly, Stepping In. When stepping out of the boat, state loudly, Stepping Out. This is for safety. The Boat steerer and other rowers need to know when someone is moving around so no one gets hurt.

Opening the Boat

Many hands make light work. The task of opening the boat should be the responsibility of all crew members. Many steps occur. When you are walking past the dock box to get to the boat, stop and open the box, please collect the safety gear (cushion, rope bag and orange first aid box.). This gear goes into the stern with the steerer. Other rowers will step into the boat to remove the bungee cords and oar cover. This gets rolled neatly and placed in the bow and pushed under seat one or if a full boat the steerer may choose to put the cover in the dock box. From here the Steerer will assign a seat position. Please sit where you are directed. Once the rowers are seated, rowers will put the oars into the oar locks. If you are sitting on the starboard side you will put in the port oars, If you are on port you will put in the starboard oars. Stay seated and on your own side of the boat.

Closing Up the Boats

Just as the boat needs to be opened the boat needs to be closed. The Boat Steerer will ask the Bow rower (seat 1) to step out of the boat upon arrival to the dock. The boats are typically rafted together, the crew that remains in the boat will work together to make sure the boats do not hit each other by fending off. Watch your fingers! From this point, the Boat Steerer may ask another rower to step out of the boat to grab the stern line to secure the boat to the dock. ROWERS, Do Not Stand Up and Walk Around. Please listen to what the Boat Steerer is asking you to do. This is for your safety. If you are lucky enough to be on the dock and not having to close the boat, please clear the dock of the gear and assist rowers from exiting the boat. If no one needs assistance please do not stand on the dock. Stand out of the way on the main dock so there are no mishaps.