The cox is the leader, and must issue efficient and courteous commands. Rowers must follow the cox's orders efficiently; the boathouse, dock, and water are very crowded during house crew season and you should execute everything as quickly and smoothly as is reasonable.

Rowers bring the oars down first, then wait for the cox's commands to bring down the shell. Oars should be placed on the metal part of the dock out of the way of traffic, spoon-side down (convex) to minimize paint scratching. Hustle, since other crews may be waiting. The cox readies coxbox and headset. Rowers wait by the shell according to seat, bow four clustered at bow, stern four near stern (no one in middle/more efficient).
The cox checks for space at the dock (also make sure no one is about to land where you want to put the boat) before bringing down shell. You should put the shell in the water as far upstream as possible. The boat is stored upside down [rowers will roll it upright at water's edge]. The boat may be either on floor rollers, on the lower shelves, or the higher shelves.

If the boat is on the floor:

Holy Cross, roll it out! Rowers roll the boat out gripping the shell and the dollies, not the riggers. Starboards, walk around! Starboards walk around (not over) the boat; rowers stand clustered near ends.Holy Cross, hands on! Rowers grip the gunwale. To waist in two, ONE, TWO!!Rowers lift the boat to waist level on the count of two. Always be careful of the riggers of your boat and of other boats! Cox/rowers kick rollers out of the way.To shoulders in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers lift the boat to rest on one shoulder, crew facing forward.

If the boat is on a middle rack:

Holy Cross, hands on! Rowers grip one gunwale with each hand, reaching across with one hand. This may be difficult to lift/maneuver, so use caution. Lift it up in two, ONE, TWO! Watching the riggers, back it out! Rowers lift the boat off the shelf (be careful not to drag!) on TWO and carefully step backwards to bring the boat into the middle of the bay, holding it waist-high. Starting with bow, starboards under one at a time! The bow ducks under the boat to hold the other side; bow and two face forward just holding their respective gunwale. Next 3 ducks under, etc.To shoulders in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers lift the boat to rest on one shoulder.

If the boat is on a top rack:

Holy Cross, hands on! Rowers grip one gunwale with each hand overhead. This may be difficult to lift/maneuver, so use caution. Rowers may have to stand on movable steps. Lift it up in two, ONE, TWO! Watching the riggers, take it out! Rowers lift the boat on TWO off the shelf (be careful not to drag!) and carefully step down and backwards to bring the boat into the middle of the bay, holding with locked arms directly overhead, facing forward. Split to shoulders, starboards on the left, in two, ONE, TWO! Starboards take a step left, ports step right, and boat is lowered onto shoulders.

Note: some crews find it easier to carry the boat at waist level and then lift to shoulders at water's edge.

Once the boat is on shoulders, Holy Cross, watching the riggers, walk it out! Rowers slowly walk the boat out onto the dock. Be careful not to bump the riggers on anything, including the doorway. It may be helpful to rest your free outside hand on the rigger/oarlock behind you as you go through the door.

The bow (front) of the boat goes out last, so when you near the floating dock, you need to swing the bow around upstream (to the right), the direction you leave the dock from. [Traffic on the river is like on roads; you generally stay to the right.] The cox should stay with the bow of the boat to make sure it clears the boathouse. When appropriate, Holy Cross, swing the bow! The stern four should walk very slowly as the bow four swing the boat down. Carefully step down onto the float and move to the edge; the boat should be parallel to the edge. Over the head in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers lift the boat overhead with locked arms, moving their bodies directly under the boat. Hold onto the gunwale closest to the water with one hand and some structural part of the boat's interior (not the seat, for example)with the other. Toes to the edge! Rowers step to the float's edge. Out and down in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers carefully and slowly roll the boat outwards and down to the water, being careful not to hit the riggers or skeg on the float. The cox watches/guides the skeg so it doesn't get broken off. Gently place the boat in the water, never dropping it in.

Get your oars! The cox and the bow stay holding the boat while the rest of the crew fetches their oars (2-seat also gets bow's oar) - the numbers on the oars don't matter; they're all the same. Place oar in oarlock, tighten oarlock. Ports, keep oars shipped in for now (pulled towards the dock). Starboard oars should be shipped out (fully extended on the dock) and blades convex to avoid scratching the paint. If you like, remove your sneakers and put them out of the way on the dock. Adjust foot stretchers (see below) only if there's no dock traffic. Move quickly and efficiently; dock time should be minimal, esp. when other boats are waiting!

Getting in:

When ready, the crew stands by their seats. Cox commands: Starboards holding, ports ship out your oars, one foot in, and down! Starboards (odd-numbered seats) hold the gunwale while ports (even-numbered seats) fully extend oars out over the water. *Always* holding onto oar with at least one hand [from now until getting back out of the boat], ports step into the boat with their right foot on "on foot in," placing their weight always on a sturdy cross-member of the boat (never step on the thin bottom skin of the boat!). On "and down," put your other foot into the foot stretcher and sit down. Ports holding, starboards one foot in, and down! Starboards similarly hold onto the oar, step in, and sit, while ports hold onto the dock. The boat should always be held slightly off the dock so no weight is ever put on the starboard riggers; rowers may have to lean away slightly at dockside to keep off the riggers. Coxswain also gets into boat, plugs coxbox in, and over the speaker system says: Holy Cross, count down from bow when ready! Rowers put their feet comfortably and securely in foot stretchers (adjusting as time permits). When ready to row, the bow says "Bow!", then (when ready) the 2-seat says "Two!" and so on from three on up to the stroke seat.

Shoving off:

The cox checks to make sure river traffic is clear, then Ready to shove in two, ONE, TWO! On the count of two, all rowers use their left hand to shove the boat away from the dock, and they lean away (to the right, to keep the starboard riggers off the dock). The boat remains parallel to the dock. Starboards may help shove with blades if necessary.

Adjusting the foot stretchers:

This is usually done on the water (after rowing 20-30 strokes past the first bridge), but if there's not much dock traffic you can do this at the dock. The foot stretchers (where your feet go) can be unscrewed and moved forward or back, depending on your leg length. To figure out where the best position is for your feet, you'll have to be on the water. Adjust so you do not hit either end of the slide during your stroke. A good rule of thumb is for the center of your hips to be even with the oarlock when you're at the catch. If you're on the water, the cox should have the crew count down from bow when ready.

Basic On-the-water Coxswain Commands

Starting to row:

Cox might command: Bow four setting the boat, stern four squared and buried at the finish, ready to row. Stern four, ready, ROW! Seats 1-4 keep blades feathered and resting on the water, actively holding the handle at one height to maintain the boat's set. Stern four move to the finish, float the oars with the blades perpendicular to the water's surface, poised to begin rowing. On "ROW," the stern four follow the stroke's lead to start rowing. The other rowers watch the back in front of them and swing together with the stroke, with a synchronized catch and synchronized finish.

When you first shove off the dock, usually four rowers take the boat out while the other four set the boat. Starting with the stern four makes it easy to add in bow or two to help steer the boat through the bridge. The boat tends to be tippy at first before everyone is warmed up, so you usually don't start off all eight.

Switching fours, sixes, eight:

As stern four are rowing, cox might command: In two I want 5 and 6 out, 3 and 4 in. Ready, ONE, TWO! The cox announced that seats 5 and 6 will stop rowing and set the boat instead, and seats 3 and 4 will start to row - all this starting after immediately after the stroke taken on "TWO." So the cox will say "ONE" at the catch of one stroke (taken by the stern four), then after an appropriate pause, "TWO" at the catch of the next stroke. Seats 5 and 6 finish this stroke, then feather and set the boat, and meanwhile 3 and 4 have been looking at the stroke to see what the rhythm is, and they move up to the catch and join in [on what would have been stroke "THREE"].

Next, the cox might say: In two, bow pair join in, ONE, TWO! Seats 1 and 2 start rowing with the catch immediately after the stroke on "TWO," joining in to maintain the same rating and timing as the other rowers. Then: In two, 5 and 6 join in, ONE, TWO! and now all 8 rowers will be rowing (set must be good! don't try this until week 2).

If the stern pair are not rowing, the sternmost port acts as the stroke, setting the timing of the strokes. Make sure to maintain a constant rating and keep good technique - no hanging at the catch! Other rowers should be able to easily follow your strokes.

Stopping:

To stop rowing, the cox commands: Weigh enough in two, ONE, TWO! The rowers take two last strokes (catches on the ONE and TWO) and then after the last finish, blades are feathered and held at arms-away. When rowing all-eight, the cox might want to then Let it run! for a few seconds to see how set the boat is. To have the rowers set their oars on the water and relax, say And down! At this point, the boat will still be moving. In some situations, you might need to stop the boat's momentum. Usually this is a gentle stop: Check it! To stop faster, the command is Hold water! In an emergency, the cox may call Weigh enough, hold water! without warning - the rowers should hold water without bothering to finish the stroke.

Turning:

The cox must never turn anywhere near a bridge, behind a river bend, or if traffic is coming in either direction, so no one runs into you. Rowers should pay extra attention to follow quick commands from the cox, since things can happen fast in river traffic. The cox must check that it's an appropriate place/time to turn around, then stop the boat, then command: Ports to back, starboards to row! All rowers sit ready at the finish, with ports' blades placed in the water at the catch with blades turned backwards, and starboards' blades feathered. Ready, row! Ports back... Turning is done with arms and back only, no legs (legs are straight). Following the stroke (swinging together), all rowers swing arms and back to the finish, ports turning the boat and starboards setting. Starboards row! At the catch, starboards put their blades in the water, and ports feather; the starboards take a stroke (arms and back only, still), and the ports stay feathered. This continues (further directions from the cox are not necessary; watch the stroke) until the cox calls Weigh enough! when the boat is turned enough.

To turn the boat around, the cox usually stops, turns 90 degrees, stops, then takes a few regular strokes to go directly across the river, stops, then turns 90 degrees again, and stops, to end up facing the opposite direction on the opposite side of the river. Do this also to turn back upstream before landing back at Weld; don't cut off other boats.

[Different coxswains may have different turning techniques; this is the one you need to do for the certification.]

The end of the outing...

Landing:

Landing can be tricky, depending on traffic and wind conditions. The cox must check carefully for oncoming boats downstream, for others trying to land, and for space at the dock. You might have to wait a couple minutes before coming in, so plan your landing time accordingly.

The cox should come into the dock at about a 30-degree angle from the edge, slowly, taking wind into consideration. Land downstream to avoid cutting off boats about to launch, and walk the boat upstream if possible, to allow other boats room to land.

After lining up the boat and checking for traffic and dock space, the cox might command: All eight, sit ready at the finish, we're going to paddle it in. Ready, ROW! As the boat starts to approach the dock, In two, I want bow pair out, ONE, TWO! Bow pair take strokes on "one" and "two" and then weigh enough and set the boat. After an appropriate interval, the cox might command: I want 3 and 4 out on this one. The 3 and 4 seat finish the stroke they're on, and then set the boat. 5 and 6 out now. The 5 and 6 seat also finish the stroke they're on, and then set .

The boat should come into the dock with only the stern pair (or sometimes stern four) rowing, since their oars are the last to get to the dock. When the bow's oar is 1-2 feet away from the dock, Lean away, ports check it! All rowers stop, feather their oars, push hands down, and lean away from the dock. This will tilt the boat so the starboard oars and riggers don't crash into the dock but are instead are raised above it. Ports should "check it" lightly by putting blades half-way square, just dragging on the water to slow down; this will cause the boat to pivot around their blades, and the boat will become parallel to the dock.

Rowers should use their hands to bring the boat close to the dock without hitting it too hard or resting on the riggers. Walk it down! Rowers then use their hands to "walk" the boat upstream (the bow-seat can call "weigh enough!" if you're too close to another boat behind you).

Getting out:

The cox calls: Ports holding, starboards one foot up, and out! Ports hold onto the dock (and their oars), while the starboards put their one foot on the dock (behind the rigger, so your food doesn't get caught!) and get out. Starboards holding, ports, one foot up, and out, bringing your oars with you! Starboards hold the gunwale, while the ports put one foot on the dock and get out, dragging their oars along with them. The coxswain also gets out, and removes the coxbox. Port oars are now shipped in, starboard oars are shipped out.

[If you are handing off the boat to another crew, the cox and bow should stay with the boat while the rest of the crew gets off the metal float; then the next crew (waiting on the wooden dock) should take the boat. If you have two crews on the same part of the float at once, their weight may sink the float enough to soak feet and some nearby sneakers may float away.]

Bringing the boat in:

First, Take the oars out! Rowers remove the oars, closing the oarlock gate afterwards. While the cox and bow stay with the boat, rowers place the oars neatly, spoon-side down, out of the way on the metal float. Rowers should then assemble by the boat (with sneakers on, etc.) grouped at the stern and bow. Nothing should be left in the boat. Always bring the boat into the boathouse before you bring the oars in, so you don't hog up the dock. The cox must check to see that the appropriate bay is free (check which rack is free; move dollies or stairs if necessary) and other boats aren't being carried in your path. When rowers are gathered, Holy Cross, hands on! Rowers grip both sides of the boat, or grip a firm cross-member and the starboard gunwale. To waist in two, ONE, TWO! (Quickly:) Overhead in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers bring the boat to waist level, then quickly roll it overhead, arms locked. To shoulders in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers rest the gunwale on their shoulders, splitting to their respective sides (starboards should take a step away from the water). Rowers should face upstream towards the bow.

Walk it up! Rowers slowly walk the boat into the boathouse, guided by the cox, who stays with the stern and directs the speed and direction. The bow of the boat (bow-ball is upstream) goes into the boathouse first (sort of like head-in parking). Rowers must not hit the riggers on anything, including the bay doors or other boats' riggers. Carry the boat in until the stern is at the same level as the stern end of other boats on the racks, or until the bow ball is close to the far window.

The boat should generally go on the highest rack available on our (right side) row, not necessarily the shelf labeled "Holy Cross." This makes it easier to for you to put the boat away, plus other houses will have an easier time putting in boats below, not above, other boats.

If the boat goes on the floor:

The cox should already have dollies in place. We're putting the boat on dollies.To waist in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers bring the boat to waist level. And down in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers gently place the boat on the the rollers, making sure both gunwales are on the dollies. Starboards, walk around! Starboards walk around (not over) the shell to join the ports. Roll it in! Gripping the shell and the dollies, rowers carefully roll the boat underneath the racks.

If the boat goes on a middle rack:

The cox might say: We're putting the boat on the second rack from the bottom. To waist in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers bring the boat to waist level. Ports, reach across. Starboards, starting from bow, one at a time, UNDER! Ports support the outside (opposite) edge of the boat with one hand, while keeping one hand on the inside gunwale. The starboards carefully duck under the boat to join the ports, also holding both sides of the boat. Walk it in! Rowers slowly walk the boat onto the appropriate rack, watching the riggers, and ensuring that the outside edge of the boat does not drag on the rack. Gently place the boat on the rack. If you need to adjust the boat's position, lift it up, do not drag it.

If the boat goes on a top rack:

This may be difficult to lift/maneuver, so use caution. Rowers may have to stand on movable steps. The cox might say: We're putting the boat on the top rack. Overhead in two, ONE, TWO! Rowers lift the boat overhead, arms locked. Walk it in! Rowers slowly walk the boat onto the appropriate rack, watching the riggers, and ensuring that the outside edge of the boat does not drag on the rack. Gently place the boat on the rack. If you need to adjust the boat's position, lift it up, don't drag.

Now just bring the oars back into the boathouse (Get your oars!), and you're done for the day! Usually rowers will "huddle" briefly with the cox right after practice to discuss the workout, see what worked or didn't, ask questions, and talk about what else you want to work on.