Tag: docking

Coxswain recordings, pt. 33

College Coxing Racing

Coxswain recordings, pt. 33

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University of Washington 2012 Windermere Cup Men’s open 8+

I realized after uploading this that I think I labeled the video incorrectly – rather than the varsity eight race I think it’s actually the men’s open eight since “Western” is Western Washington and they weren’t in the V8+ race.

Starting at 0:22, I like this series of quick calls (“now build it and here we go, get on it now…”) right before they start their high strokes. It’s a good alternative to not calling the first four or five stokes if you’re not into that kinda thing.

“One seat up, that’s fine…” Compare his call of “one seat up, that’s fine” at 0:59 to what a lot of coxswains do – “200m in, we’re one seat up, by 250m I wanna be on their bow ball, power 10!” – and it’s not hard to see why I like this, not just for what he says but for how he says it. If you’ve established your rhythm, are taking tight, clean strokes, the boat feels good, etc. then ride that and use it to your advantage for as long as you can, regardless of whether you’re up one seat or down three seats.

If you watch the time on the video, you’ll notice that 200m to 300m and 300m to 400m only took them roughly 20 seconds per 100m. That’s a little over 11mph (18km/hr). For comparison, Germany rowed the first 500m of the final in London at just over 13mph (21km/hr). I stopped paying attention to this after awhile but in the first third of the recording you’ll hear him call 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 600m, 750m, etc. While he’s probably rowed on the Montlake Cut long enough to know where each 100m mark is along shore, another way you can tell your crew where you are is by paying attention to the times. If during practice you’re pulling similar splits during pieces to what you’re pulling during your race then you’ll be able to guesstimate that each 100m is taking you roughly X seconds. This in turn means that even if there aren’t markers along shore telling you where you are, you can make a good guess based on what the clock on your cox box is saying.

At the 500m, I like the “five to set the swing” they took. Especially after the first 500m, which can tend to be a little frantic, it’s always good to take a couple strokes to re-establish that long, smooth stroke that you wanna maintain throughout the bulk of the race. Making focus-specific calls like he did here for swing is also important, especially when your busts are short like this one was. I liked the “good swing through the back” one the best.

Overall, this was a really well-coxed piece. What I really liked and what you should be taking away is how there was a good balance of everything a coxswain should be focused on during a race – position on the course, position on other crews, splits (if you’ve got a SpeedCoach), technique (maintaining a balance between general calls and calls for individuals when necessary), etc. His voice is great too – calm at times, in your face other times, but intense as hell from start to finish.

Other calls I liked:

“Hands up to the front bow six, we want no missed water…”

“Keep walking away, give them nothing…”

“Curb stomp the shit out of ’em…”

“We’re comin’ into the Cut, it’s Husky territory now, show ’em a hell of a race…”

“With the push…”, with regards to the leg drive. “On the legs” can get old after awhile so I like this as an alternative.

Gainesville Area Rowing Women’s Varsity 8+ Steady State + Docking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9505cWYpI&feature=youtu.be

So this video is of an eight minute steady-state progression starting at rate 20 and finishing at a 26. At the start of the piece it takes a few strokes to find that long 20spm (during the 5+10) so going forward what I would do in that situation is try to hit the rates just like I would during a race, which means calling it the same, giving the same instructions, etc. (albeit minus the intensity of a race – her tone here was perfect for what they were doing), that way if you have to do something similar during an actual piece you’ll already know what to say to get them to respond (and in turn, they’ll know what they need to do).

That means telling them to hit it the rate “on this one”, making rate-specific calls such as “lengthen out a beat here”, etc. If you’re doing 5 to build or something similar then you’ve gotta communicate with your stroke beforehand and say “we’re at an 16 right now and we’re doing a long build into a 20, all you’ve gotta do is hit half a beat each stroke and we’ll be good”. From there, as long as you’re in the 19.5 – 20.5 spm range, you’re fine. Particularly at the junior level it’s unlikely that you’re going to be right on your desired rate every single stroke so going with a tight range like this gives you some wiggle room and prevents you from having to say the stroke rate every stroke to try to get it exactly on a 20.

This applies to all the other transitions too. Instead of saying “OK let’s take it to a 24 … 22.5, 22.5, 22.5, 22.5, 23.5, 23.5, 23.5, 24…” just say “OK we’re at a 22, let’s hit that 24 in one stroke with the legs … on this one, leeegs, good 24…”. Or, if you’re doing a long build again (which I think they did going from the 22 to a 24), instead of saying the rate on every stroke and nothing else, say something like “OK we’re gonna take another long build into this 24, let’s make sure we’re staying controlled, finding our length, and moving right with stern pair. Ready to go … on this one, that’s 1 through the water, 2 23, 3 controool here, 4 let’s hit that 24 … on this one, boom send…good, right on rate.”.

One of the things I think she did well was build her tone/intensity across the duration of the piece. It drives me crazy to hear one-note coxswains cox pieces like this because they never do anything different with their voice. If the rate and pressure is going up, by default so should your tone/intensity.

I love how she docked too. Good job giving them instructions and telling them what to do every step of the way. Novices in particular, take note – this was a pretty good example of how to bring it in at the end of practice.

You can find and listen to more recordings by checking out the “Coxswain Recordings” page.

Coxing How To Q&A

Question of the Day

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Hi! I’ve never been especially comfortable in docking and with spring rolling by I want to go back into the season with some more insight. What are the different types of docks and how would you approach them? Thanks!

It has taken me for.ev.er to get to this (sorry!), mainly because I had no idea how to answer it. I wasn’t immediately sure what you meant by “different types of docks” so I just posted pictures below of the three most common types of docks I’ve encountered and how I go into them. I used screenshots from Google Maps of Cornell’s docks, Marietta’s docks, and the docks at Occoquan (Sandy Run Regional Park) as examples so the instructions are somewhat specific to those ones but it really applies to just about any dock that’s set up similarly.

Related: Any tips on how to properly dock an 8+?

To be honest, pretty much every dock is exactly the same so as long as you know the traffic pattern you need to follow and use your common sense. I’d say docking as a skill is about 85% common sense and 15% knowing how to give proper instructions. By your 2nd year of coxing though you really should/need to be proficient at it. Problems only arise when coxswains overthink things and lose control of the boat because they don’t know what to do, which then opens up the door to the other eight people in the boat who all think they’re the one with the solution to start shouting out their opinions. The best thing you can do is just take your time and go slowly. 99.9999% of coaches would rather you creep into the dock at a snail’s pace and not hit anything than come in really fast and damage your $35k+ boat.

Collyer Boathouse, Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)

*Note, this isn’t necessarily how the coxswains there dock. It’s just how I would do it based on observing them and my own experiences.

Step 1

Below the red dot you can be rowing by 4s, 6s, or all eight  – it doesn’t really matter. At the red dot you want to weigh enough and spin so that you’re pointed straight into the dock (which means you need to first know which dock you’re supposed to be landing on). Knowing where to stop ensures that you won’t have to row across and then spin again in order to be lined up. When you spin it you don’t want/need to use all the rowers either since you’re only turning about 45 degrees. If you use all eight rowers you will inevitably over-turn and then you’ll have to readjust and that’s just a massive waste of time. Unless it’s really windy out you should be able to use just stroke and bow to spin.

Step 2

Once you’ve spun you want to make sure that you’re pointed just off the side of the dock that you want to land on. You should always be able to see the entire dock that you’re trying to land on; if you can’t there’s a pretty good chance that you’re lined up directly with it instead of off to the side. In this case, if I’m trying to land on the inside of Dock 3 I want my starboard oars to look like they’re overlapping with the dock. When I line up to go in, if I’m looking at it from the red dot, I should appear to be just to the right of center between Dock 2 and Dock 3. (Looking at the picture below, pretend that the “collision” boat is trying to dock on the left side of Dock 2 (the middle dock).)

Step 3

From the red dot to the green dot I would row by pairs. The coxswains there will probably disagree with me but we saw a lot of collisions with the dock (or they missed it completely) because they were rowing by fours and coming in too fast. Unless it’s like, hurricane-ing outside, slower is always best when you’re trying to dock. (Use your common sense with your interpretation of “slower”.)

When going in by pairs, as I’ve said many times in the past, do not use anyone in bow four. You can row in with stern four if you want – that’s totally fine – but as you get within two lengths or so you need to drop down to pairs. You always dock using stern pair only regardless of what kind of dock it is. I literally don’t understand why that has to be explained as many times as it does but I’ll probably punch something if I have to explain it again to someone. Logically it does not make sense to do it any other way. You need someone to catch the dock when you’re rowing in, bow pair is the first one to get there, THUS they are the ones that have to reach a hand out and grab it. Also, if you’re coming in too fast, they’ve gotta be the ones to grab the dock and try to slow you down. Please tell me how they’re supposed to do any of that if you have them rowing. (Don’t though because whatever explanation you try to come up with is wrong.)

Step 4

When you’re within about 1/2 a length at the very least (yes, this requires you to know what that looks like) you should weigh enough and just float in to the dock. At this point you should say “oars up” so the crew knows to lean away and lift up their blades so they don’t ram into the dock.

Carl Broughton Boathouse, Marietta High School (Marietta, OH)

Step 1

Rowing upstream you want to stop at the first red dot, check to make sure no traffic is coming down the river (also the 2k course), and row across. When crossing I aim for a general area rather than a specific point since I know I’ve gotta stop and straighten out anyways so I usually shoot for somewhere about two lengths below the dock. If there’s traffic waiting to get on the dock I’ll either wait to cross if there’s more than one boat ahead of me or I’ll just aim below the boat in front of me.

Step 2

Once you’ve reached red dot #2 you want to weigh enough and get pointed (again using as few people as possible) upstream towards the dock. Same as with the first scenario, you want your oars lined up with the dock and the boat itself lined up just to the right of it.

Step 3

From here all you’ve gotta do is row by pairs up to the dock and weigh enough once you’re within half a length or so.

Sandy Run Regional Park (Occoquan, VA)

*I’m not positive if I labeled the right docks in terms of launching and docking but let’s pretend this is right…

Step 1

Docks like this that are set at an odd angle in a narrow stretch of water can be tricky only because of the traffic that can accumulate. Other than that, they’re actually the simplest ones to get into because you don’t need to stop rowing unless you have to because of traffic.

This one requires you to lightly steer as you come around the curve and then once you hit the general area of the red dot you can do one of two things. Unless you’ve been told otherwise, in tight spaces like this where there’s not a ton of room rowing by fours is your best option. When I’ve been at Occoquan or similar areas we’ve never been allowed to row by more than that anyways.

Step 2

If you’re rowing by fours (in a starboard rigged boat), in the vicinity of the launching dock and the red dot I would have 6-seat drop out and 5 + 7 increase their pressure while you steer around to starboard. It usually takes minimal effort to get lined up with the dock so you should be able to drop out 5-seat and coast in with your stern pair. The other thing you can do if you want/need to stop is have everyone weigh enough and then have your starboards check it down. This will also get you roughly pointed towards the dock, at which point you can make a quick adjustment with bow pair if you need to before rowing it in with stern pair.

General tips

Below are the general tips that I originally posted in the post I linked to at the beginning. If you do these things, take your time, maintain your composure, and give clear, concise instructions, you’ll be fine.

  • Never come into the dock with anymore than stern pair rowing.
  • NEVER come into the dock with bow pair rowing. I don’t know WHY some coaches teach this because it seems so completely illogical to me. If you think about what part of the boat is hitting the dock first, wouldn’t it make more sense to have the rowers who are hitting the dock last be the ones rowing?
  • Don’t try and point towards the dock from the middle of the river. The current will pull you downstream and by the time you actually get to the dock, you’ll be at a 90 degree angle. Set yourself up so that even when you’re two or three lengths away, you’re only two or three feet off the dock from the end of the starboard side’s oars.
  • If you end up taking too sharp of an angle to the point when your bow is on the dock but you are five feet off it, have your stroke back row.
  • Account for the speed of the current and the wind as you make your approach.
  • If you’re a novice, freaking out about docking is only going to make the actual event that much more shiteous (shitty + hideous). Yes, there is probably a 99% chance that you’re not going to get it right on your first try – most of us don’t. Your coaches know this and thus, they should be on the dock to catch you and prevent any avoidable damage to the boat. If they’re not there to help you, they’re more at fault than you are because you’re still learning. However, that does not exempt you from using your common sense. Be smart about docking and it will come much quicker and easier to you.
  • Tell the rowers to be quiet so they can hear what you’re saying. Due to the trickiness of it, the rowers need to be listening at all times in order to hear when to lift their blades, when to lean away, etc.

Coxing How To Novice Q&A

Question of the Day

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How long did it take you to learn how to dock correctly? It’s taken me this whole month, still trying to learn and it’s always a 50-50 whether or not someone on the dock has to pull our boat in.

It took me about 2-3 weeks to feel comfortable doing it as a novice (with our coach on the dock to pull us in and give hints on what to do if I needed it) and maybe a week or so after that (when it was just us with no one to catch us) before I felt like “OK, I got this”. My coaches were great because they’d have us dock, push off, row up a few hundred meters, turn around, dock again, and repeat the whole process until we’d gotten it right a couple times (like, at least five times) before the end of practice.

The trickiest part was coming in at the right angle. We practiced this in all kinds of weather – wind, rain, snow, etc. – so that I could practice coming in when I’ve got something working against me. Doing it over and over and over really helped me pick it up fast. The rowers were always super patient too (or at the very least they never let on how bored/annoyed they were), which was actually one of the most helpful parts of learning to dock.

Related: Any tips on how to properly dock an 8+?

One thing I realized pretty quickly is that you don’t need someone on the dock to catch you. Sure, it’s convenient when they’re there but it’s not at all necessary. What I would do is point my bow as close to the dock as I could and then when we landed, I’d have my bowman hop out and grab 6’s oar to get the stern of the boat in. Or, I’d just hop out and pull the boat in myself. Once the boat has stopped, for the most part, it’s not hard for the coxswain to stand up and step over on to the dock; you’ve just gotta be aware that it’s probably a foot to a foot and a half (if you docked right) of water you’re stepping over. I’m experienced enough with it now that I tend to bound right out of the seat while we’re still moving and think nothing of it.

It’s helpful to have someone on the dock but it’s really not necessary and definitely not something you should rely on. I think it’s way better for you to learn how to dock with no one there than it is to only learn how to dock when you’ve got someone to pull you in. I guess the only time I’d say it’s really necessary is if you’ve got a strong crosswind that’s hitting you from the dock-side and making it hard to get as close as you normally would. In those situations though, hopefully it would be common sense for the people on land to come down and help the boats that are coming in.

The key is to have control of the situation and to not get visibly frustrated. There were many, many times when I got frustrated but even when it failed miserably my rowers and coach always said that I seemed pretty calm. If you get frustrated and it’s obvious that you don’t know what to do or something’s not going the way you want, your rowers will be less likely to listen to your instructions and more likely to start telling you what to do. Stay calm, assess the situation, take your time, and be smart about it.

Coxing How To Novice

Question of the Day

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Any tips on how to properly dock an 8+?

Trying to explain docking without any kind of visual is tough. I just think it works better when you can see what’s happening. Docking, like most basic coxing skills though, revolves around common sense. It’s also very trial and error based – you mess up a few times to figure out how to do it right. Trial by fire could also be an accurate description.

Obviously how your dock is set up will dictate how you come in but this should give you an idea of how it’s done. (Also, if it’s not obvious, read the image from the bottom to the top.)

You should never come into the dock with any more than stern pair rowing and you should never come into the dock with bow pair rowing. I don’t know WHY some coaches teach this because it seems so completely illogical to me. If you think about what part of the boat is hitting the dock first, wouldn’t it make more sense to have the rowers who are hitting the dock last be the ones rowing?

Also, don’t try and point towards the dock from the middle of the river. The current will pull you downstream and by the time you actually get to the dock, you’ll be at a 90 degree angle. Set yourself up so that even when you’re two or three lengths away, you’re only two or three feet off the dock from the end of the starboard side’s oars. If you end up taking too sharp of an angle to the point when your bow is on the dock but you (the coxswain) are five feet off it, have your stroke or seven back row, depending on who is on the river side and who is on the dock side. Obviously if your stroke is on the dock side they can’t row so have your 7-seat do it.

Last tip – make sure that you account for the speed of the current and the wind as you make your approach and tell the rowers to be quiet so they can hear what you’re saying. Docking can be tough when the elements are working against you so they need to be listening at all times in order to hear when you tell them to do something.

If you’re a novice, freaking out about docking is only going to make the actual event that much more scary. There’s probably a 99% chance that you’re not going to get it right on your first try – most of us don’t. Your coaches know this and should be on the dock to catch you and prevent any avoidable damage to the boat but if they’re not there to help you, they’re more at fault than you are because you’re still learning. However, that does not exempt you from using your common sense. Be smart about docking and it will come much quicker and easier to you.