Sample outing

The crew should have got oars out to the landing stage already, ready for the outing. YOU MUST BE KITTED OUT FOR THE OUTING – LIFEJACKET AND SUITABLE KIT READY FOR THE WORST OF WEATHER EXPECTED FOR A LONGER THAN EXPECTED SESSION. They should have all returned and gathered at the boat, spaced evenly along its length, ideally by their seat position in the boat. “Whole crew, hands on,.....1..2..3..LIFT” The boat should automatically be taken out of the rack. Confirm the next action by then saying “Walking it out, minding the riggers.....keep it slow” Other instructions here may be relevant. Most crews prefer to carry boats on their shoulders, so this may involve taking the boat from above heads “going to shoulders, splitting to alternate sides from bow, split and lower to shoulders, split........and shoulders, down to shoulders, go” Or it may mean lifting to shoulders from waists level, “whole crew, lifting to shoulders, 1..2..3..lift” When walking a crew from boathouse to landing stage, a cox should be ensuring that the boat is safe, and not going to hit an obstacle or get in the way of anyone coming from other directions on bikes, cars, running on foot.

The best place for a cox varies. It may be near the 3 seat on lifting from the rack, to by the bow ball emerging from the boathouse, dropping back to the rudder/fin by the time you get to the landing stage. You must check that the fin/rudder assembly is in order at this point “Going to above heads, 2...3..lift,.....and lower (to river side of you all – you stand land side of crew so they won’t think of putting boat down over to their land side) to waists, walk to the edge, feel for the edge, put the boat right out to miss the fin...lower together” At this point, you put your cox-box in the coxes seat, and go and hold the boat at the 6 or 7 rigger of an VIII. “Get your blades” Assuming at Runcorn, it will be strokeside riggers on the bank. When they return with the blades..... “stroke side blades in, bow side blades across” “Shoes off before you get in the boat, stroke side holding it, bow side get in, blades in first” Once bow side have 2 – 3 oars securely in the rollocks, gates closed and tight, you move to stroke and hold his rigger.... “bowside holding your oars, strokeside get in” Once you are confident they are stable, you can get your cox-box connected and check it for transmission whilst the crew faff with their foot stretchers. “can everyone hear me?” if the cox-box is working OK, you can proceed with the outing

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