Glossary of Crew Terms (Updated 03/23/2022)
- Back It: A reverse stroke that moves the boat backwards.
- Bow: The front of the shell. Also the rower in the seat in the very front of the shell.
- Bow Ball: The rubber ball at the tip of the bow that helps prevent damage to people or shells if they hit something.
- Catch: The point, at the end of the recovery, when the blade is placed in the water (#).
- Drop-Out(#), Add- In(#): These commands tell rower(s) to either stop rowing, or to start rowing with everyone else. (#) = the number of the rower(s) to start or stop. i.e.
- Bow pair out, stern pair in, in two.. and then the strokes are counted at the catch.
- Gunnel: Top part of the hull, where the riggers attach.
- Hands On: Command given telling the athletes to go to their designated station of the shell, grab hold, and be attentive to the next direction.
- Check It Down: Tells the rowers to stop rowing and square their blades immediately! Rowers square their blades in the water so to drag them and the boat slows to a stop. Used in emergencies such as avoiding collisions.
- Port: From the coxswains point of view, the left side of the boat. All even numbered seats are on the port side.
- Starboard: The right side of the shell when viewed from the coxswain seat. All odd numbered seats are on the starboard side on a typical port rigged boat.
- Stern: The very back end of the boat.
- Stroke: The rower closest to the stern of the boat, who sets the pace for the rest of the crew. Also, the sum total of the motion of the oar, from catch to finish.
- Way-enough: Tells the rowers to stop rowing on water and stop moving on land.