Working as a team is an important part of scouting. The crew for a rowing boat is a natural team. A scout needs to be able to pull their weight in a crew, be vigilant as bowman and even be able to take the helm should the need arise.
There is a number of different ways of giving commanders in a rowing boat. It doesn't really matter which one your group uses so long as you all use the same one. You can grunt and whistle so long as everyone in the boat is clear what each noise means and that they then act together as a crew.
There is a number of different ways of giving commanders in a rowing boat. It doesn't really matter which one your group uses so long as you all use the same one. You can grunt and whistle so long as everyone in the boat is clear what each noise means and that they then act together as a crew.
Getting your crew Rowing
Getting in and out of a boat is always best done in an orderly fashion.
It makes sense to assemble ashore and decide who will do what. The cox will then ask the bowman to hold the boat alongside while the cox gets in. Local conditions will dictate if the cox boards at the bow, the stern or along the beam.
The cox should make sure that the oars and spurs are all present and correct and that the oars are in order and suitably positioned. Once all is well the cox should ship the rudder before calling the crew aboard one by one.
When boarding the crew should make sure to step in as close to the centre as possible, and to step rather than jumping.
The crew should make sure that if they use the gunwale for support while moving through the boat that fingers and thumbs are safely inside the boat.
It is best to have only one person moving about the boat at any one time.
By giving the crew a moment between commands it is easier for the crew to coordinate their actions, especially when sighting and shipping spurs and oars.
Once the rest of the crew are as ready as possible (sometimes it isn't possible to ship oars while alongside) the cox calls the bowman aboard and calls for the boat to be pushed off. A little thought on which direction to push off will make life much easier for the crew and cox.
When underway the cox should give a command at the beginning of a stroke. The crew completes that stroke before carrying out the new command.
Disembarking is essentially the reverse of getting under way.
After coming along side gently. The bowman should not have to exert too much effort to fend off and should communicate with the cox if they think the approach is too fast. A wise bowman will keep hands and fingers well clear if the cox messes up. It is far easier to fix a broken boat that to fix with crushed fingers!
Safely alongside the bowman then secures the bowline and holds the boat alongside for everyone to disembark.
Finally the cox makes sure that the bowline is secure before dismissing the crew.
It makes sense to assemble ashore and decide who will do what. The cox will then ask the bowman to hold the boat alongside while the cox gets in. Local conditions will dictate if the cox boards at the bow, the stern or along the beam.
The cox should make sure that the oars and spurs are all present and correct and that the oars are in order and suitably positioned. Once all is well the cox should ship the rudder before calling the crew aboard one by one.
When boarding the crew should make sure to step in as close to the centre as possible, and to step rather than jumping.
The crew should make sure that if they use the gunwale for support while moving through the boat that fingers and thumbs are safely inside the boat.
It is best to have only one person moving about the boat at any one time.
By giving the crew a moment between commands it is easier for the crew to coordinate their actions, especially when sighting and shipping spurs and oars.
Once the rest of the crew are as ready as possible (sometimes it isn't possible to ship oars while alongside) the cox calls the bowman aboard and calls for the boat to be pushed off. A little thought on which direction to push off will make life much easier for the crew and cox.
When underway the cox should give a command at the beginning of a stroke. The crew completes that stroke before carrying out the new command.
Disembarking is essentially the reverse of getting under way.
After coming along side gently. The bowman should not have to exert too much effort to fend off and should communicate with the cox if they think the approach is too fast. A wise bowman will keep hands and fingers well clear if the cox messes up. It is far easier to fix a broken boat that to fix with crushed fingers!
Safely alongside the bowman then secures the bowline and holds the boat alongside for everyone to disembark.
Finally the cox makes sure that the bowline is secure before dismissing the crew.