Types of Boats

The boats (or shells) are of two types and reflect the two forms of rowing; sweep rowing and sculling. In sweep rowing each rower handles a single oar (about 12.5 ft. or 3.9 m long); in sculling a rower uses two oars, or sculls (each about 9.5 ft. or 3 m long). The word shell is often used in reference to the boats used because the hull is only 1/8” to ¼” thick to make it as light as possible. These shells are also rather long and as narrow as possible.

Each rower has his back to the direction the shell is moving. A blended movement sequence of the rower’s legs, back and arms generates the power that moves the boat. The rower sits on a sliding seat with wheels on a track called the slide.

Each oar is held in a U-shaped swivel (oarlock) mounted on a metal pin at the end of a rigger. The rigger is an assembly of tubes tightly bolted to the body of the shell. The subtypes of rowing shells classifies according to the number or rowers in the shell: eight (8’s), four (4’s), two (doubles), and one (scull).