Various terms used in a rowing club
| Danish | English | Description |
| Agter | Stern |
The stern is the back of aft-most part of the boat. This is where the cox is sitting. The bow is the front of the boat. |
| Stævn | Bow | |
| Styrmand | Cox (coxswain) |
The cox is in charge of the boat, he/she gives commands. For every trip the cox is the responsible crew member, also legally. |
| Med styrmand | Coxed | |
| Uden styrmand | Coxless | |
| Styrbord | Starboard |
The starboard side of the boat is the right-hand side looking in the direction the boat is going (from cox's perspective). In relation to sea laws and navigation, port side is always green (some oars have green tape). The port side of the boat is the left-hand side looking in the direction the boat is going (from cox's perspective). In relation to sea laws and navigation, port side is always red (some oars have red tape). Note that this can be confusing for two reasons: One is that all rowers sit with their back to the direction of the boat (so left vs right become useless), the other is that for instance in inrigger boats all rowers sit in the opposite site of the boat to the oar (if you SIT port side you actually ROW starboard side, and vice versa). |
| Bagbord | Port | |
| Ny roer ("kanin") | Novice | Rowers who are rowing for their first year. A popular but not quite politically correct reference is "kanin" (rabbit) with reference to how often new rowers row with bent wrists resembling rabits front paws. |
| Sæde (rullesæde) | Seat |
Curved seat in a rowing boat. The seat slides back and forth for every stroke. The term "seat" also refers to the rowers place in the boat. Rowers are usually called by the number of their seat counted from bow to stern, i.e. the rower closest to the front of the boat is "1-seat" the next, "2-seat", et c. The 1-seat is also commonly referred to as "bowseat" or just "bow" while the sternmost (rear) seat is referred to as "stroke seat" or just "stroke" (sets the pace of the boat). |
| Skinner | Slides (tracks) | The slides on which the wheels of the seat fit. |
| Åre | Oar |
The oars of the boat. In some types of boats each rower has two oars - in other types just one. Oars are made of fiberglass, the handle often made of wood. The blade is the part of the oar that goes into the water. A Macon oar type with traditional U-shaped oar blade. (also referred to as spoon blade and tulip). A Cleaver oar is a modern type oar with blades that have a more rectangular hatchet-shape (also referred to as hatchet blade). |
| Åreblad | Blade | |
| Macon | Macon (spoon, tulip) | |
| Bigblade | Cleaver (hatchet) | |
| Stroke (tagåre) | Stroke |
The rower sitting nearest the stern (and the coxswain, if there is one). The stroke is responsible for setting the stroke length and cadence. |
| Dæk | Deck (Canvas) | The deck of the bow and stern of the boat, which were traditionally covered with canvas. |
| Ro | Rowing | Crew can essentially row in two directions - depending on what the cox want the crew to do. "Rowing" is the normal direction, where "Backing" is the opposite direction. Backing seems akward but is very useful for turning the but in a tight spot. |
| Skodde | Backing | |
| Køl | Keel | The "backbone" of the boat, the lengthwise timber or steel structure along the base of the boat, supporting the framework of the whole boat. |
| Essing | Gunwale (gunnel, sawboard) |
The upper edge/planking of the side of the boat. Here the oars - or the outer rig for the oars - are attached. |
| Spændholt |
Footstrecher (Bootstrecher, Stretcher) |
The plate(s) where the rowers feet are placed during rowing. |
| Klemring | Collar (button) |
A plastic or metal fitting tightened on the oar to keep the oar from slipping through the oarlock. |
| Ror | Rudder | Used to steer the boat. However, in most rowing boats this has limited effect - the real steering is done by commands. |
| Svirvel ("havelåge") |
Swivel (oarlock) |
A U-shaped swivel which holds the oar in place. It's mounted at the end of the rigger and rotates around a metal pin. A gate – the oarlock - closes across the top to keep the oar in the swivel. |
| Rytme | Ratio (the beat) |
The ratio of the recovery time (oars out of water) to the drive time (oars in water). The recovery time should always be longer than the drive time. |
| Tempo | Rating |
The number of strokes per minute. Also known as stroke rating. |
| At grave ("lave ugle") | To crab | A problem encountered by a rower when his or her oar gets ‘stuck’ in the water, usually right after the catch or just before the release, and is caused by improper squaring or feathering. The momentum of the shell can overcome the rower's control of the oar. In more extreme cases the rower can actually be ejected from the shell by the oar. |
|
At løfte åren ud af vandet før taget er afsluttet |
To wash out |
When the blade comes out of the water before the drive is finished. |
|
Man ikke "søger vandet" nok |
Skying |
The fault of carrying the hands too low during the recovery especially when a rower dips his or her hands just prior to the catch (i.e. a sort of winding up). This usually results in the blade being too high off the water's surface. |
|
Åren ikke ordentlig i vandet før rotaget startes |
Missing the water (Hanging at the catch) |
The rower starts the drive before the catch has been completed (or even started in some cases). This is also referred to as rowing into the catch. |
| Tøve i indsatsen |
Hanging at the catch |
When the blade is hesitating before entering the water. |
|
Skive til vandret |
To feather |
The act of turning the oar blade from a position perpendicular to the surface of the water to a position parallel to the water. This is done in conjunction with the release. |
|
Skive til lodret |
Squaring |
A gradual rolling of the oar blade from a position parallel to the water to a position (almost) perpendicular to the surface of the water. This is accomplished during the recovery portion of the rowing cycle and is done in preparation for the catch. |
| Indsats | Catch |
The point of the rowing cycle at which the blade is put in the water. It is accomplished by an upward motion of the arms and hands only. The blade of the oar must be fully squared at the catch. |
| Afslutning | Finnish (release) |
A sharp downward (and away) motion of the hand that serves to remove the oar blade from the water. |
| Fremkørsel | Recovery |
Part of the rowing cycle from the release up to the catch. |
| Rotaget | Drive (pull-through) |
That part of the rowing cycle when the rower applies power to the oar. This is a more (or less) blended sequence of applying power primarily with a leg drive, then the back (by opening the hip joint) and finally the arms and shoulders, i.e. also referred to as "the three engines". |
| Smig | Pitch |
The angle between the blade (on the drive when the blade is ‘squared’) and a line perpendicular to the water’s surface. |
| Styreline | Lines |
The ropes held by the coxswain to control the rudder. |
| Sidderum | Engine room |
A rowing boat typically has three rooms: Watertight bow room, watertight stern room, and the socalled engine room where the rowers and cox are working. |
NB: Some translations borrowed from material developed by Robin Herr and Christen Krogh, 2002/03
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