3 Steps to a Sparkling Clean (and faster) Rowing Shell Hull

I’ve written at length about the importance of keeping your shell’s hull clean. And along that line, I’ve just received the following email:

Mike:

Maybe you can help with this one. We have a 1 year old Vespoli light 8, painted white. It’s shell was pristine until our last race, when the boats were parked on the trailer underneath an oak tree. It rained heavily all night and was over 90 degrees F the next day before the shell was taken off the trailer and re-rigged. The part of the shell that was under the tree now has dark blue/black spots on it, and you can clearly see where the straps were because that is the only part of the boat that is still white.

We think the blackish residue, which would not come off unless we used our fingernails, is sap from the tree. We scrubbed the boat with soapy water for an hour without result. Have you heard of this before, and what cleaners or brushes should be use to take it off?

Coach asks a great question, and there are three distinct reasons why a clean hull is important. First, the boat will look better. As our coach noted in the email, hulls do get dirty. Happens all the time. And when they are dirty they don’t look happy. And when a boat is not happy you won’t get the most out of it that you could if it was happy. Sounds rather strange, but it often works that way. Read more

How to Get More From Your Rowing Strap

Too often the straps we use to secure our rowing shells get abused to the point of revolt. The revolt can range from something small— such as getting all knotted, to something catastrophic—such as fraying or breaking at the worst possible moment.

Straps need TLA—tender loving attention. They don’t need a lot of it, but you have to give them some. If not, you WILL have a revolt. Guaranteed.

The video shows one simple thing you can do to prove to your strap that you love it, and help it be there for you when you need it. I call it the Page Roll. Rob Page was a coxswain of note for our team several years ago and he showed me this simple way to store our straps while at the same time checking them for problems (such as fraying) that could indicate the strap might fail at when you needed it most. (The audio may not work, so I’ve included notes below).

It is a fairly simple process:

Step 1: Unfurl the strap, and look it over for any frayed edges. If you see any the strap needs to be replaced, and DON’T use it. Let me be clear about that. It is a BAD (UNSAFE) strap. Get rid of it (for example . . . give it to an athlete for a belt).

Step 2: Take the end and slide it through the large opening of the cam. This is NOT the opening that the strap goes through to be tightened. Pull strap through about eight inches.

Step 3: Begin rolling the strap from the fold in in that is away from the cam buckle. Gentle, and tightly, roll it until you reach the cam.

Step 4: While holding the cam buckle against the roll, take the end that you put through the cam in step 2 and wrap it around the roll. Then put the end through the slot in the buckle. Gently tighten it up.

The strap will now stay neatly in a roll, ready for action when you are. A great benefit to this method is ease of storing. You can get numerous rolled straps in a small space.

Will Your Trailer Hitch Be Ready When You Are?

Take a look at the back of this truck. What do you notice? (Or more specifically, what don’t you notice?)

This is exactly what I saw the other day when I came out of my hotel room during our recent Spring Training trip. I went to connect the shell trailer to the truck—no hitch. Some time during the night some person decided that he (or she) needed our trailer hitch more than I did.

Hitches are one of those items—like car insurance—that you don’t greatly appreciate until you really need it. And then when you need it to be ready to go, and it is not—whammo. Read more

(Rowing) Pain At the Pump

We are all suffering pain at the pump right now. However rowing coaches can suffer a level of pain that most other drivers do not have to endure. This picture above should give you some indication of what I mean.

More boats and rowing equipment are damaged in transit than while in actual use. Although I haven’t seen statistics to back me up on this, I would venture a guess that a significant about of that damage happens while fueling on trips. I have had several coach-friends tell me “bummer” stories about gas station crashes. Read more

Ten Tips for Better Winter Storage

Welcome to Winter.

For some of us in the northern hemisphere that means time to put away our rowing equipment until next season. That also means, for some of us, that our equipment won’t look quite the same or row quite the same in the Spring as it did when we put it away this Fall, due to damage that occurred while in storage.

Storage can be hard (very hard) on rowing equipment. In fact some drastic, devastating, and really unpleasant things can happen to rowing equipment when it is stored.

Preparing to store rowing equipment for an extended period (more than a week) necessitates that you first take a few important steps. Why? So your equipment survives the storage and is ready to row another day.

In my book Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging, I detail some of the steps you can take to make your storage safer for your equipment. Here is a condensed version of ten suggestions that I make in the book.

• Step 1: Take active steps to prevent any fires, including having a site visit by a Fire Marshall, and/or insurance agent.
• Step 2: Store all equipment out of direct sunlight.
• Step 3: Wash and dry all equipment, especially those made of naturally materials, completely before storing.
• Step 4: Check storage site for evidence of insects and rodents.
• Step 5: Make repairs on equipment before storing.
• Step 6: If the temperature drops well below freezing, store outboard motors in heated areas, or make sure to drain all water from the engines.
• Step 7: Remove batteries from all electrical items (e.g., flashlights, megaphones) except those in which the manufacturer has sealed in the battery in, such as in a Cox-Box.
• Step 8: Store equipment only in areas that are dry, well ventilated, and do not experience drastic temperature extremes or are prone to flooding.
• Step 9: Clean up all trash and waste areas. They can be potential fire hazards and attract uninvited guest of the four legged variety.
• Step 10: Take proper security measures. Here you are looking to thwart uninvited guests of the two legged variety.

There you have it. Some pretty simple steps that help make your Spring rowing get off to a better start, and with a lot less surprises.

If you’ve got other suggestions, please send them my way.

photo credit: chelseagirl

Cleaning a Hull

Last month we discussed the benefits of waxing the hull of your rowing shells. And, yes, there are benefits, like protecting the hull from damage from the sun and from pollutants. (And, of course, there are also down sides, like messing up a nice pair of pants).

However, one of the benefits of waxing is NOT speed. A good wax job will actually slow your hull down. So what is the best treatment for a hull when you’re looking for speed?

The answer is, “Nothing!” A naked hull is usually the fastest.

You see, when a hull is gliding through the water, you want to have the smoothest possible surface that you can. Smooth is fast. The smoother the hull, the less friction . . . and that is good.

If your hull has a good paint job and is free of dings and checks, then its maximum speed will come from being clean. Think of it in these terms: “Clean is fast.”

So how do you clean a hull? In my opinion, it’s a two-step process.

Read more

To Wax, Or Not To Wax . . .

To wax or not to wax? That is the question. And the answer is . . . ?

Over the years, I’ve learned that there are two thing that can help you generate maximum hull speed, in terms of your boat’s hull. One is to make sure that the hull is free of dings, dents, and any abnormalities (such as holes or repairs) that make the hull “non-smooth.” The other thing to do is to make sure that it is as clean as possible.

Those two steps are about the only hull preparation you need to do during the competitive season.

However, your average rowing shell only spends about one-third of a year in the competitive season. What should you do for the other parts of the year?

My suggestion, wax the hull.

Okay, okay, okay. I know that waxing means extra work. It also means that you have to take the wax off. And waxing is by no means glamorous work.

Yet the benefits of waxing can certainly outweigh the hassles involved. Read more

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