Coxswain terms

"Hands on"- Tells the rowers to grab hold of the boat and be ready to lift it. You’ll

typically hear this in steps – like “hands on, ready?, up!”

• "Up an inch"- Lift the boat about an inch when taking it out of the boat rack.

Usually followed by "and out/ready, out”, which means take it out of the rack it’s

on.

• "Walk it forward"- To walk forward when carrying a boat.

• "Heads/Heads up"- Watch out! Often heard with boats leaving the boathouse or

walking onto the dock.

• "Up and over” or “Over the head"- Lift the boat over your head before you put it

on your shoulder.

• "Show heads" - Is said after a boat is up and over heads and before rowers split

to either side of the boat and lower the boat to their shoulders. Each rower tilts

their head to the side they plan to move to.

• "Split to shoulders" or “Down to shoulders” - When the boat is over the rowers’

heads, they go to different sides and lower the boat to their shoulders.

• "Down to waist" - To lower a boat to the rowers’ waists, with rowers on BOTH

sides of the boat.

• "Up to shoulders" - When the boat is down to waist or on slings this is said to

bring it up to the shoulders.

• “Roll to the waist” – This is when the boat is being put in the water, and the

rowers must all be on the same side of the boat

• "Count down from bow" - Tells the crew to call out their seat number, starting

at the bow, so the cox will know when everyone is ready to row.

• "Ready all, row” – or “Ready, row"- Begin rowing

• “Bow pair to row” (or stern pair, or 3 and 4 – in an eight - etc.) – when the cox

wants specific rowers only to row.

• Bow pair in, stern pair out” (or vice versa) – when the cox wants to shift the

pair rowing, without stopping the boat.

• "Sit ready/Set ready" - This is where the rowers are stopped with their oars

squared and in the water at the catch and ready to start a race. Can be modified

as in “Sit ready at the finish” or “Sit ready at the catch”.

• "Way enough" - This command means to stop rowing. You should stop after

the blades exit the water, with hands (only) forward. Hopefully the boat will

balance and glide! Then the blades can drop to the water on the cox’s command.

• “Let it run” – An alternative command to stop rowing.

• "Hard on port” (or starboard) - This means that you need to row with more

power on one side so that the boat can make a sharper turn or adjust the

directions.

• “Eyes in the boat” – a reminder to keep looking straight ahead, and avoid

distractions outside of the boat. This also aids rowers to sit up straight, avoiding

leaning to either side

• “Check It down” or “Hold water” - A call for all rowers to square their blades and

drag them through the water in order to slow down or stop the boat. The call can

also be made for certain rowers only, such as, “check it on port” or “stern pair

check it down”. “Check it down hard” usually means there is an emergency and

the boat needs to be stopped immediately.

• "Back/Back it" - Instead of pulling with the oars, you do the opposite and push

so that the boat moves the opposite way (backwards). Can be done with slide or

without (sitting with knees down), as ordered by cox.

• "Power 10”- A call for the rowers to take “power” strokes, giving it everything they

can for a certain number of strokes. This is used in races to make a move on

another crew and, in practice, to build stamina and let rowers realize both how

hard they can pull and how that affects the boat’s speed. Can also be a “Power

20′′ or more.

• “Let It run” - A call for all rowers to stop rowing and sit with blades feathered and

off the water at the finish, allowing the shell to glide through the water. Done

correctly, the boat will be set (balanced) and no blades will be touching the water.

• "In 2..." - Most on-water commands are appended to this command to take place

after two strokes. For example "In 2, Power 10". The cox then calls at the start of

successive strokes, for example, “and one, two”. At the “two”, the extra power

begins. The cox will usually say the “two” more forcefully.

• "Paddle" - To row at a slow rate with a small about of power.

• "One foot up and out" - The command for exiting a team boat. Keep a grip on

your oar and the boat!

• “Ready to lift” – In preparation for lifting the boat out of the water, or out of a

sling, etc.