Get More Done (reader’s poll)

As a coach/rower/Rigger I am often asked to do much more than I have time for. There are solutions that help, but I’ve found that most fall into the same abyss that happens with resolutions from the New Year.

They work for a bit, maybe even a month or so, but then I’m back to the same overload situation.

There are certain things that I do to be more productive (a.k.a. save time) as a coach such as:

• use a planner
• teach assistant coaches to rig (delegate)
• keep the work room organized
• keep spare parts in my on-the-water tool box

However, I’m always looking for ways to save a few minutes, and do a better job—quicker. So . . . do you have a time-saver that you could take 5—of those saved minutes—to share with the readers here (and me)?

photo by truthinreligion

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

Do You Love Your Rigging?

Simple question—do you love your rigging?

Does it make you smile?

Is it one of your most favorite things as a coach/rower?

If not—why not?

In many of the rigging clinics I’ve run I have surveyed the attendees to find out how they feel about rigging. I would like to say that many of them relayed that they enjoyed their rigging. I would like to say that, but I can’t—because most of the responders reported that not only did they not enjoy rigging, it stressed many of them. Some even reported that it greatly stressed them. (One even said it made him throw-up.)

They told me there were three main reasons that rigging rowing-equipment stressed them:

• they had no idea what they were supposed to do
• they didn’t have the knowledge to do it correctly
•  the pressure that a race could be lost by what they were doing

Understandable and valid reasons. But with practice and the correct knowledge you could learn to love your rigging.

Or at least, it could make you smile!

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