Glossary of Rowing Terms

Blade	Flat part at the end of the oar which goes into the water
Bow	The front of the boat (first part of the boat across the finish line); The rower who sits in bow seat
Bowball	Rubber ball attached to the bow for safety
Catch	Part of the stroke where the oar enters the water
CoxBox	Electronic device used by coxswains to speak to their crews
Coxswain	Person who steers a rowing boat
Double	Boat rowed by two scullers
Drive	Part of the stroke where you push your legs down and pull with your arms
Eight	Boat rowed by eight sweepers, with coxswain
Engine room	Rowers in the middle part of an eight
Ergometer	Also known as erg, a rowing simulator used on land for training
Finish	Part of the stroke where the oar comes out of water
Footstop	Where the feet are attached to the boat
Four	Boat rowed by four sweepers, with coxswain or without
Gunwale	Or ‘gunnel’, the top edge of the side of the boat
Head Race	A long distance contest where boats start one after the other and race against the clock
Oar	Long device that rowers use to propel their boat through the water
Oar lock	Lets the oar pivot on the rigger
Pair	Boat rowed by two sweepers
Port	Right side of the boat (from the rower’s perspective)
Quad	Boat rowed by four scullers
Recovery	Part of the stroke where the rower slides back to the catch
Regatta	A rowing competition
Rigger	The metal wing on which the oars rest
Rudder	Device used to steer a boat
Sculling	Rowing with an oar in each hand
Shell	Another term for a rowing boat
Single	Boat rowed by a single sculler
Slide	The  tracks on which the rolling seat moves
Starboard	Left side of the boat (from the rower’s perspective)
Stern	The back of the boat (last part of the boat across the finish line)
Stroke	The rower who sits in the stern seat of the boat and sets the pace; also, the sequence of catch, drive, finish and recovery
Sweeping	Rowing with both hands on one oar
Unisuit	Form-fitting shorts and singlet combination worn by rowers