Look behind you! Learning to steer a sculling boat

As Small Person in Residence at my rowing club, I feel I have to add value wherever I can, to make up for my lack of heft. So it was only a matter of time before I felt obliged to do my bit steering a quad. For those of you baffled by how this all works, a quick run-down. Most sculling boats (the ones with two oars each instead of one) and some sweep boats (one oar each) don’t have a cox to steer them. The advantage is they’re faster. The disadvantage is that someone in the crew has to take responsibility for steering the boat. Whilst rowing hard and accurately. Backwards. Without unduly unbalancing the boat, hitting anything, mistaking a canoeist for a swan or a buoy for a … crash!

If you look over one shoulder the bank looks unnervingly close.

If you look over the other, you feel like you’re veering out into the middle.

And all the while you have to keep an eye on the footplate to make sure you haven’t absent-mindedly moved your foot out of place (the steering plate is attached to your right foot).

I’ll be the first to admit I’m still getting the hang of steering. I can’t deny that it does funny things to my technique, and even funnier things to my face. Here, for example, is my steering-hard-to-the-right face. Attractive, huh?

And I can’t deny that we tend to take the scenic route more than the direct one. I’m still learning not to over-steer, but it’s a work in progress.

All of which makes it kind of terrifying that this weekend I’m steering a quad in my first ever sculling race, on a course with both a bridge AND a bend. What could possibly go wrong?

So wish me luck, friends. I’ve told my shipmates that my race plan is, “Don’t crash and don’t get disqualified” and that’s it. But if you have any tips to help me along, I’d be ever so grateful. I’ll report back next week, hopefully not from a hospital bed.

PS My all-in-one is the Nicky by Queen B Athletics. Fab, isn’t it?!

9 comments on “Look behind you! Learning to steer a sculling boat

  1. Hilary Howe says:

    Don’t be afraid to ask your crew for assistance. It’s often much more positive and the boat runs tends to run flatter than just using the rudder
    “More on bow/stroke side” means continue to pull it round that side until you shout “Even!”
    I confess I have very occasionally got the call wrong:
    “More on bow side!!!”
    “REALLY?!!”
    “OTHER bow side…” ???
    But a good steerer is like gold-dust and can guarantee a seat in a boat when other attributes are not quite up to snuff!

    1. carswellp says:

      Good advice! We’ve agreed on “right and left” because the chances of both me and them getting our bows and strokes right at the same time are limited in the excitement of a race! And yes, it does get you places in boats!!

  2. Caz says:

    If the foot thing isn’t working for you just call “hard on _ for _”. It’s my club’s standard way of steering and we haven’t hit anything yet….. You’ll do great!

    1. carswellp says:

      Yes, I may well have to use that (if I have any breath to call it!)

  3. Meredith Alcock says:

    Good luck — you will do just fine!

    Tips? (1) Look over your shoulder every five strokes, alternating sides, unless there is some imminent situation that needs more frequent glances. Every three strokes if you are nervous, but that will be more frequent than you need. (2) Remember your job in that race is primarily to guide the boat and keep everyone safe and the boat on the course; let the other three row their hardest, you hold back a bit — don’t row so hard that you can’t watch out or hold the toe straight. (3) Plan ahead and reduce your instructions to one or two word commands that your team mates understand; you will not have the breath for full sentences. It isn’t like coxing.

    1. carswellp says:

      Thank you, thank you, thank you – this is amazing advice. I’ve had salty old sea dogs telling me once every five strokes is way too much, but frankly I’d rather be safe than sorry (and last night when I tried more than that I had a near miss with a pair!)

      1. Caz says:

        Don’t forget that there’ll be a BRO just waiting to shout at you if you go too far off-course (I speak from personal experience! 🙂 )so don’t stress.

  4. Roger says:

    Hi GOTR,
    I’ve rowed pairs and now steer a quad, when pairs rowing I always looked over my shoulder, you do it when the blade is in the water so as not to mess with the set too much. Singles and the quad until recently I’ve always looked over my shoulder, same thing do it when the blades are in the water. over the years I’ve tried to use a mirror, try the cyclist type that clips to a cap brim. It takes some getting used to and until recently I never did but it turns out I was using doing it wrong (using a mirror wrong haha), I was trying to position the mirror to my focal length, some sage advice from someone that knows more than me explained how it’s done.

    You have the mirror close-ish to you eye, maybe 100mm/ 150mm and leave it there. At first it’s useless but as time goes by you can glance in it and your brain starts to work out the thing. I still look over my shoulder but on straight bits with no bridges relay a bit more on the mirror.

    Once word of caution though, depth perception, there is none, so if you do see a dodgy object in the mirror it’s good to take a look.

    1. carswellp says:

      Thank you – need all the advice I can get! I fear a mirror might really confuse me, though. The fact that everything’s the wrong way round might completely scramble my poor brain!!

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