Getting the Boat out of the House
Once you have your equipment in hand, get your crew together near your assigned boat. Make sure they have taken the correct oars out first. Place oars at either end of the lawn. If there are oars in the way, direct your boat to an opening between them, rather than having rowers step amongst them as they carry the boat. To keep crowding at the dock to a minimum, boats are always taken out of the house last and put away first. Remember that Princeton University and the National Team have docking and launching priorities.
Take a minute to figure out the best way to get the boat off the rack and out of the boathouse. This will depend on which rack the boat is located.
Overhead:
— Have the tallest and strongest rowers at each end.
— Have the shorter rowers reach up, even if they cannot touch the boat.
— Carefully lift the boat slightly and move it off the rack.
— Down to shoulders, splitting opposite the riggers.
— Walk the boat slowly out of the boathouse.
Shoulder high:
— Carefully lift the boat slightly and move it off the rack.
— Down to shoulders, splitting opposite the riggers.
— Walk the boat slowly out of the boathouse.
Waist high:
— Each rower reach across the boat and grip both gunwales, or sides of the boat.
— Carefully lift the boat slightly and move it off the rack.
— Starting at bow, every other rower ducks under the boat, one at a time, and grips their side of the boat.
— Each rower should now be holding only their side of the boat, at waist height.
— Lift to shoulders opposite the riggers.
— Walk the boat slowly out of the boathouse.
On the floor:
— Roll boat out from under the rack by placing one hand on the hull and one hand on the lowboys.
— Rowers line up opposite their riggers.
— Lift to shoulders.— Walk the boat slowly out of the house.
Special situations: If there is a boat on stretchers in the aisle, there won't be enough room to walk the boat out flat. In that case, have one side lower to waist, while the other side raises to shoulders. In choosing which side to lower, look where the riggers will pass most freely.
Important Things to Remember:
— You will stand at the bow while coxing the boat out of the boathouse.
— Watch the riggers on the boat on the rack above yours. The most common accident is scraping the bottom of your boat against the riggers above.
— When coxing the boat in and out of the boathouse, remember that some rowers may have switched places to accommodate heights. To give commands based on "ports" and "starboards" might be confusing. Use terms such as "tank side" or "bridge side," "water side" or "house side" instead.
— Be sure the boat is walked out through the center of the doors (make sure the doors are opened completely) and that riggers on both sides are clear. It helps to keep one hand lightly on the bow ball.