Rowing Jargon Explained!

Ever wondered what on earth a cox means, or what the bits of a boat are called? Wonder no more - for the answers are here. If we've missed any, contact us!

Bits of Boats:

• Blades: Oars
• Spoon: The end of the blade which is in the water, usually painted with club colours/emblems.
• Macons: Blades with traditionally shaped spoons, usually used with novices
• Cleavers: Blades blades with larger spoons, usually used for racing
• Collar: The plastic bit on the middle of the blade which stops it slipping through the gate
• Rigger: The metal triangular structures which stick out the of the boat and carry the blades
• Gate: The black plastic bit on the rigger which holds the blade in place
• Bow: The front of the boat (behind the rowers) with the bow-ball (rubber ball) on
• Stern: The back of the boat (in front of the rowers)

Types of boats (sweep-oar rowing with one blade per person)

• Pair: Two people, one blade (oar) each
• Four (also known as IV): Four people, one blade (oar) each
• Eight (also known as VIII): Eight people, one blade (oar) each
• Frontloader/Bowloader: A boat where the cox sits at the bow, facing away from the rowers
• Coxless pair/four: A pair or four without a cox, steered by the person at bow using a rudder attached to the foot

Sculling rowing (with two blades per person)

• Single scull: One person, two blades
• Double scull: Two people, two blades per person
• Quad: Four people, two blades per person

Commands

• Bowside: Left-hand side of the boat (from a rower’s perspective)
• Strokeside: Right-hand side of the boat (from a rower’s perspective)
• Bow pair: The 2 rowers nearest the bow of the boat
• Stern pair: The 2 rowers nearest the stern of the boat
• Bow four: The 4 rowers nearest the bow of the boat
• Stern four: The 4 rowers nearest the stern of the boat
• Backstops: When you’re sitting with your legs straight, blade handle at your chest
• Frontstops: When you’re sitting with your legs bent, leaning forward, ready to take a stroke
• Backing down: Rowing with your blade the opposite way round so that you’re pushing on the blade instead of pulling. This is used when turning the boat. It’s also useful when you’ve inadvertently entangled the boat in trees.
• Hands away: The motion where you move your hands away from your body
• Body lean/ bodies over: The motion after ‘hands away’, when you lean your body over from the hips, still keeping legs straight
• The slide: The motion after ‘body lean’ when your seat moves forward, up the runners.
• Tapping down: When the handle is at your chest, you put pressure on the blade to make it move downwards towards your lap, before moving your hands away again

Mishaps

• Catching a crab: Losing control of your blade when it gets caught in the water (happens to everyone).
• Falling Out : As the name suggests, falling out of your boat. Doesn't happen to everyone. A capsize drill is advised nonetheless.