Coxswains

Coaches, rowers and coxswains will learn more about coxing  by taking the NCCP Level 1 and 2 technical course offered by Rowing Canada through ROWONTARIO.

The excerpt below by Carolyn Trono, RCA Coach Education Officer and Lesley Thompson-Willie, National Team coxswain, is from the Level 1 manual.

Docking the Rowing Shell

Until the coxswain and the crew know all of the commands and the coxswain has good steering skill, the coach has a responsibility to be on the dock and help the crew get in without damaging the equipment.

Initially, the coach will have to give the commands to get the boat in to the dock. However, the coxswain must be encouraged to practice docking the boat early in his/her coxing career.

When docking the shell, the novice coxswain should:

• Bring the boat in slowly (easy rowing in pairs or fours).
• Not allow any talking in the boat
• Pay attention to the wind conditions and adjust docking technique accordingly. For example, if there is a strong tail wind, the coxswain should bring the shell in more slowly than usual.
• Not aim too close to the dock. Steer such that the blades are over the dock and someone can pull the shell in. As the coxswain gets more experienced, he/she can get closer.