That won’t impress some of you, but for us in the Mid-Atlantic states it is impressive—actually more like depressive.

Thought it might be appropriate to throw out a few rigging things that you should NOT do when it is hot. I discuss them in the following video.

I probably could have gone over a few more things while shooting this, but I’m a wimp in the heat.

Oh yeah, let me add this . . . many years ago in my novice-rigging-days, I left a single-skin fiberglass eight out in the hot Florida sun. It was seats-up, and out there for about 4 hours. The glass got so hot that is actually deformed, more like melted, around the slings. It looked like a hot knife has gone through butter. The boat was ruined.

What about you—any suggestions about rigging things NOT to do when it’s really hot?

What Not To Do With Your Rigging When It Is Really Hot is a post from: Max Rigging

It is short, but thoughtful, and worthy of 3 minutes to read.

Since this is the season for fireworks (at least in the States) I thought it appropriate to share.

Rowing and Lightning is a post from: Max Rigging

I read in my copy of  “Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging” that one should never use a 15 passenger van to carry a boat.  Our club has been using a 15 passenger van for some years to carry a 4+ about 75 miles to a regatta, and there have been no issues.  What’s the problem, overhang?

The overhang Dick mentions is certainly an issue (Overhang is the length an object extends past the end of a vehicle). Some states only allow 3 feet of overhang, and although it has been a while since I’ve seen (or measured) the overhang of a four on a 15p van, I would bet that it would be upwards of 10 feet or more.

However, the real critical issue here is roll-over. Fifteen passenger vans are notorious for their roll over problems, contributing to many accidents and deaths. Many institutes no longer use the vans, and those that do usually limit them to only 9 passengers (to keep the center of gravity lower).

Locally I know that if I were to transport shells on a 15p van that I would void the insurance.

My suggestion would be to check with the local authorities to see what they say about your suggestion, and then check with your insurance company.

I would also suggest that you do a quick Google search on these terms, “roll over 15 passenger van.” I think you will find the results quite sobering.

That’s my advice to Dick. What do you think?

15 Passenger Vans And Rowing Shells Don’t Mix Well is a post from: Max Rigging

photo by oddsock

It’s almost impossible to connect to the world right now and not hear, read, or see something about the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu). It is everywhere, right? And it is coming to get you, right? So, this must be the time to panic . . . right?

No. No. And Heck No. It is not time to P-A-N-I-C.

• People usually panic when it seems like a good way to show they care, “Oh, you lost your CoxBox? Oh course I love you . . . I will panic with you until it shows up.”
• Or they usually panic when no other option appears, “The boathouse is surrounded by horrible Zombie-Coaches and Talking-Ergometers. There IS no escape. Panic.”
• Or, panic happens when folks just let fear get the best of them, stealing their brains and their common sense.

We are a pretty smart bunch, us rowers. This is the time to be reasonable and prudent—not crazy. Frothing at the mouth and cowering in the corner until those talking-ergs get you does nothing good. It is time to do something positive. Yes, there are schools closing, and people getting sick, and economies being disrupted—but did you know that since January 1, 2009 almost 13,000 people have died, in the US, from flu? Not THIS Flu, but from other flus.

That grim statistic leads me to the answer of the question I started with, “Can you Swine Flu-Proof your rowing?”

Simply put, “Nope, you can’t.” Now you can reduce the chance you are going to get the flu, and you can reduce the chance of you sharing the flu if you’ve got it, but you cannot keep the flu, or any other disease transmitted by contact 100% out of your rowing.

Bummer? Kinda. Can you live/row with it . . .certainly. Especially if you do the positive thing I was talking about . . . start your own TIRP (transmittable illness reduction program). [A lame name, no less, but I could not think of anything better.]

A while back I wrote about the power of bleach, to help make you go fast. That post was all about reducing the transmission of infections. Two interesting things came out of that post.

First, several notes arrived saying it seemed really hard and time consuming to do. So thanks for the post, but the writers would not be doing it.

Second, another writer did not want to get other rowers upset by disinfecting the handles on the ergs.

Hmmm . . . too busy and too worried about what others might say/think. Neither seem to be a good reason not to take a few seconds (less than 15) and a few squirts to kill off a million or so nasty germs. With all H1N1 stuff now going on those squirts and seconds hopefully will seem like a wise investment to those writers (and to you). And I hope they like the idea of  washing hands also. That one step has been shown to dramatically reduce the chance of spreading infections.

So, you cannot Flu-proof, but you can take steps to make a difference. Bleach, hand soap, and not going to the boathouse when you are sick. Simple steps that won’t stop, but can reduce, a growing-illness from becoming a rowing-illness.

Is there something that you are doing to help keep infections to a minimum? If so, let us know, post a comment below.

Can You Swine Flu-Proof Your Rowing? is a post from: Max Rigging

Fellow blogger Robb Sutton, over at Mountain Biking by 198, has just put up a post about a fellow who has been a great service to their community, and who has fallen on difficult times.

If you have a moment, and appreciate mountain biking, pop on over and give the post a read.

Best of luck Scott.

A Call For Support is a post from: Max Rigging

An email arrived from a reader who was all excited about rigging. (Yes, it does happen – some people do get excited about rigging.) He wanted to know what to bring in his launch in case he had to do some quick rigging on the water.

Unfortunately, I was in a hurry so I quickly responded, “Ask a few simple questions before you start your launch, then you’ll know what to bring.” I sent the message and went about my business.

Not satisfied, he wrote back, “Questions, what questions??”

Still in a hurry I shot back “Questions . . . ?” I told him, “You know . . . about stuff. Important stuff.” As soon as I hit the send button I knew that was a lame response.

He called me on it. Two minutes later he sent another request for details.

Trying to do three things at once – and realizing that I was doing none of them well – I took a break and gave the writer the time he deserved. “Okay, seven questions. You need to ask seven specific questions before you pull on the cord to start your motor. Without those questions no rigging is going to happen on the water, and you’re going to get into trouble somewhere along the line. And here are the questions:

• Question #1: Got gas?
• Question #2: Wearing your PFD?
• Question #3: Paddle handy?
• Question #4: What’s the weather?
• Question #5: Who knows where you are going and when you will be back?
• Question #6: Communication device (cell phone, radio) nearby?
• Question #7: Got spare parts?

Now this time when I hit the send button I thought, “Ah, that should satisfy him.”

Nope. My email beeped, and there he was again.

“Those questions are about safety. They don’t have anything to do with rigging. I want to know about rigging.”

Sometimes email can be as subtle as a hammer.

The reader had brought up a really good point. In one aspect he was right, those questions were in fact about safety. But he was wrong in another aspect – very, very wrong in thinking that they have nothing to do with rigging on the water because they have everything to do with it. And, you bet, I will explain.

Question #1: Got gas? Gas in the launch gets you places. No gas, no go. And that means without gas you’re not going to be able to get to the shell on the water to do the rigging. Simple, simple.

Question #2: Wearing your PFD? You need to wear your PFD – not just have, but wear! Without that PFD you’re going to be in for a horrible surprise as you make a desperate grab for that wrench you just dropped overboard and you follow it. (Keep in mind, there are two types on rowing coaches. Those who have fallen in and those who will fall in.) And an extra PFD might just come in handy for that short coxswain who is having a hard time getting comfortable in a big bow loader. T.C. Williams has a document I think all coaches should read concerning PFD use.

Question #3: Paddle handy? A paddle is one of those items that when you need it you usually really need it. For instance, without one how are you going to get to the shell to do rigging when you don’t have enough of item #1? Also, when a shell has a broken rudder it is possible to give the coxswain a small paddle and for her to use as a makeshift rudder to steer herself home. Yup, done it. Click here for info on a great safety kit for your launch.

Question #4: What’s the weather? Simply put, without checking the weather forecast before leaving the dock you might be setting yourself up to be doing a whole lot more than just some simple rigging (hint, hint . . . like major boat repairs and insurance forms). Here is an interesting site to get specific wind forecasts.

Question #5: Who knows where and when? Okay, okay. This is really more of a safety item. But, if you are three miles from home and break a rigger and a seat you are going to be late, maybe really late getting back to the dock. Someone should know exactly where you went. Greatly keeps the excitement level at the boathouse under control.

Question #6: Communication device nearby? Prime use, to call for help in an emergency. Secondary use, to call to ask how to adjust the height on that new fangled boat of yours. Creative use, calling to have pizzas delivered to the dock after one of those terrible I-wish-I-had-never-taken-up-this-silly-sport rows.

Question #7: Got spare parts? Rowing is one heck of an equipment intensive sport. No doubt about it. With that said, when something breaks the best designed rowing practice in the world can come to a screeching halt. Spare parts . . . you’ll need them sooner or later. Click here to read more about spare parts.

Seven simple questions. Ask them before you start that outboard motor. They could very well keep your crew(s) on the water longer (and safer).

7 Questions A Rowing Coach Should Ask Before Firing Up That Outboard Motor is a post from: Max Rigging

I love playing the contrarian. You know, that guy who just has to look at things from an alternate view. Or the person who really needs to go against conventional wisdom.

For instance, everywhere I turn I see people/businesses/coaches promoting “To Do” lists. Those David Letterman-like lists that are supposed to grab your attention and help you do the right thing.

In my email in-box this week I’ve received the following:

• Save money at the gas pump, use this 10-point TO DO List.
• Before your kids start school here are 20 safety things TO DO.
• Hurricane season is coming, use our TO DO list to prepare for emergencies.

Enough! I love the advice, but enough with the “TO DOs.” They can drive a person crazy.

Instead, how about this. Let’s try something from a different angle (said the contrarian). It seems occasion for a “TO DON’T” list. Therefore, I’m presenting to you seven “TO DON’Ts.” Seven things I highly recommend that you DON’T do before the start of the Fall head race season (and resources to help you not do them).

Buckle your seat belt, they’re coming fast.

DON’T Use The Same Rigging Numbers Used In The Sprint Season

Why? As I written about before the leverage used in sprint races should be different (heavier) than that used in head races. Longer races at significantly lower rating and rowed at a time when many rowers are not in strong physical condition dictate that things need to be lighter for rowers.

DON’T Assume That Your Water-Way Has Not Changed

Why? Because somewhere out on your river/lake/creek someone has either

• placed a net across your race course that is sure to catch everything alive (including a Mercury outboard)
• sunk a 40 foot cabin cruiser that lurks just 4 inches below the water and is just looking for a few skegs to join it
• put up a swim platform two hundred meters from the finish line of your course that is so low in the water the chances of a coxswain seeing it are about zero

DON’T Do The Same Workouts Training For Head Races As You Used Training For Sprint Races

Why? Basic physiology and psychology dictate this. Along with the understanding that 2000 meter erg testing in the Fall is about as popular as Brussels sprout ice-cream. Different racing requires different training, especially with athletes who spent the summer (all summer) loving life to the fullest.

Friend Tom Bohrer has posted an article on suggested training for head races that I recommend.

DON’T Think For One Moment That All Of Your Safety Equipment Is Where You Left It And It Is In Good Order

Why? Well for one reason, there is nothing that makes a better “fun box” for a three year old than a first aid kit. For another, it is amazing what a great nest a raccoon can build out of a bag of life jackets. And yet another, launch paddles have a way of sprouting legs, never to be seen again. Unless you put it under lock and key at the end of the Spring season, chances are slim it is where you left it.

DON’T Believe That All Of Your Equipment Is In Good Working Order.

Why? Because:

• Because we are rowers.
• Because we pull hard.
• Because we break things-a lot of things (and have habits of not telling people that, “Opps, I broke that . . . .”).
• Because non-rowers find rowing stuff and like to use it for non-rowing things (“Hey, Butch, this long paddle-thingy will be just great for cleaning your gutters.”)

DON’T Use The Outboard Motor Without Testing It.

Why? For the simple reason that getting two-hundred-meters-downriver-when-the-engine-cuts-out-and-the-second-day-novice-are-rowing-by-a-five-into-a-restored-(and very expensive)-cabin-cruiser-owned-by-the father-in-law-of-your-school’s-president is much more of an Excedrin headache than you really need.

DON’T assume that your rowers remember more than a smidgen of all that great technique you taught them last Spring.

Why?

• Playstation, DDR, Wii,
• Work
• Life
• Batman
• Beer
• ESPN2
• School

and a horde of other brain-cell grabbers that happen in a typical summer.

And finally (an extra bonus TO DON’T)

DON’T eat that donut that you just found under your launch seat from last year’s final practice.

Why? Just trust me. Don’t. Regardless of how hungry you are. Don’t.

I base each of these Don’ts on personal experience. So, now go to the boathouse and don’t do these things. Let me know how they don’t go. And if you’ve got a favorite DON’T before the fall starts, let me know.

7 Things Not To Do Before The Head Race Season Starts (update) is a post from: Max Rigging

For rowers an area of potential conflict is the wakes generated by other boats. All vessels (including coaching launches!) are responsible for damage that their wake may cause, and wakes can definitely cause damage.

If you have a problem with someone’s wake you basically have two solutions—you solve it or someone else does.

Often the best recourse is to attempt to solve the conflict yourself. Do this by having a conversation with the individual that made the wake—an intelligent conversation—not a yelling match. In most cases drivers of boats don’t realize how fragile a shell is or how much damage their wake can cause. They may not even be aware of what their wake is doing. In these cases a polite and intelligent conversation may get to a resolution quickly.

But unfortunately you may find that the driver’s behavior, or the situation, may make the first solution difficult—then I suggest you take the second recourse (especially if any damage has been caused). The steps here are simple:

• Record as much information about the offending boat as possible (bow number, boat name, description)
• Get a witness (if possible)
• Report the information to the authorities

If the offending boat it is a commercial vessel then you should contact the United States Coast Guard directly. If the boat is privately owned then the information should be reported to your local authorities. Exactly who that authority is will depend on your area—it may be the county sheriff, marine patrol, or Department of Natural Resources. To find out who to report to you may need to make several phone calls.

Surf’s up. Be careful.

Share The Waterways is a post from: Max Rigging

Not everyone liked what I had to say.

As most coaches/rowers/Riggers I try to learn as time goes by, and when I am wrong I will be the first to admit it . . . however, in this case I think that time has shown that my suggestions on strapping a boat are catching on, and hopefully helping.

You can read the entirety of that article, and I stand by the concepts there. However, I want to emphasize a particular method of strapping a boat—that of double-strapping—that I feel I didn’t emphasize strongly enough.

What Is Double-Strapping?
Double-strapping the bow of a boat (or whichever end of the boat is facing the tow-vehicle or front of the auto) is an inexpensive and quick way to add a critical back-up system to your efforts to safely move rowing equipment.

As you drive, your trailer and shells are subject to wind forces—some incredibly strong. Head winds, an effect of your driving, can be upwards of 70 mph or more, depending on the prevailing wind. And cross winds can be almost as strong. A study completed in 2005 found that winds can be a major contributor to tractor-trailer accident, and can actually cause rollover of the vehicle.

Winds (cross or head) can greatly affect rowing shells being transported by placing enough force on them to actually break a weakened strap, or push a strapped shell right off the side of a moving trailer.

It has happened to drivers. It has happened to me.

Ever since that moment I double-strap.

How Can Double-Strapping Help?
As rowers we don’t like wind much. As a driver of a vehicle moving a rowing shell, we need to view wind as a threat—and treat it with respect.

We travel with a lot of stuff and one concept that I think many don’t realize is that whoever is responsible for the vehicle that is moving the equipment is responsible for that equipment. Meaning, if something goes wrong, the driver is the one who will be held accountable—legally.

Not too long ago a coworker lost her son and husband in a very tragic accident on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Seven cars were destroyed and three people died due to a trailering accident. Although not rowing-related the thought of that tragedy motivates me to emphasize that safe trailering (or car topping) is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. For a long time the driver of the trailer awaited his fate in the legal system.

Accidents certainly do happen to shell trailers. This video serves as a dose of reality for me whenever I begin taking my trailer driving for granted. Although I don’t have any statistical evidence, I strongly believe that by placing a second strap on the right place on a shell you can significantly reduce the chance of an accident or damage due to a shell moving off a rack, or a strap breaking.

Two things that I have noticed recently. First it seems like my straps are wearing out quicker. I am not sure if that is due to a change in strap quality or designs of shells. I find that I am replacing at least one or two straps after each time we travel.

Second, coaches and teams are traveling more and more to away regattas, and those races seem to be getting bigger (meaning coaches are more tired when loading and moving equipment).

These two issues can quickly add up to reduce the margin of error when moving shells. Double-strapping is a backup that just might be there to help when you need it.

How To Do It
Here are the basics of double-strapping:

• Every boat should have 2 straps at the end in the direction of travel (usually the bow)
• Each place where a boat rests on a rack there should be a strap. Therefore an eight would have four straps (2 in the bow, 1 at midships, 1 in the stern)
• When strapping the bow of a boat, one strap should go around a vertical support of the rack (usually requires a 12 foot strap for larger hulls). See video.

The key is to get the first strap tight, and place the second strap around the upright support. This second strap will help secure a shell from moving laterally. This brief video should give you an idea of how to double-strap.

Double-strapping is inexpensive (less than $10.00 per strap), takes little time (less than 60 seconds), and might just save some heartache.Worth a try, don’t you think?

How To Double-Strap Your Shell—And Why is a post from: Max Rigging

1. Buy one dozen spray bottles
2. Get a gallon of bleach
3. Make a mixture of about 4 parts water to 1 part bleach (4:1)*
4. Spray oar and erg handles after each use
5. Repeat daily

* (A typical mixture ratio is 9:1, but bleach degrades quickly. So if you think the spray mixture may not be used up in a week or so, the stronger mixture ratio of 4:1 is recommended.)When following this routine, just let the handles air dry. Do not wipe them off (easier and more sanitary that way). Also, spray while the oars are resting in the racks, or the erg handles are sitting there. This gives the bleach time to work its magic. We have a rower or coxswain from each boat be the designated sprayer, and it takes less than 1 minute to do a set of eight oars.

Yes, a disinfectant program may seem like another step that you have to take during your very busy sessions at the boathouse. However, the benefits of these simple steps can be huge, such as:

• reduce risk of transmission of illnesses such as staff infection
• reduce risk of blisters becoming infected
• reduce risk of transmission of viruses, such as the common cold and flu

In other words, it can help keep your rowers rowing, and out of the doctors office.And this program is cheap. We bought all the bottles and the bleach at the Dollar Store for a total of $12.65.If you do decide to begin this program, the Scripps Research Institute recommends a few simple safety warning about using bleach to keep in mind. First, don’t mix with any ammonia-based cleaners. Second, when mixing the solution put water in first and pour in bleach last to reduce the chance of the bleach splashing. And third, keep bleach off of bare metal—it can drill a hole right through stainless steel. If it does get on bare metal, make sure to rinse it off with water. So, don’t spray a coxbox with it, use another type of disinfectantBleach is a cheap way to help keep rowers healthy. And in turn, it just may make you faster!If you would like more information on keeping your rowing equipment in top shape, try my Special Report: Last Almost Forever: 13 Steps to Help Your Rowing Equipment Last an Eternity

Can Bleach Make You Faster? is a post from: Max Rigging