- What to look for in a rowing boat, how to assess wear and tear and what can (and cannot) be repaired.
Right size for your body weight is the number one consideration. Then check our podcast last week on buying a new boat - the same issues apply. What is your budget?
03:00 Height of deck relative to the water surface will show you whether a boat is the correct size for you. At the extremes of the weight ranges you should check carefully whether it will fit you.
04:30 Find the serial number of the boat you are interested in. When did serial numbers start getting added to rowing boats? Serial Numbers Post 1992 Barcelona Olympics it became standard practice based on FISA (World Rowing) boat standards.
Call the boat builder what was the build weight? Year built? What hull shape was it designed for. History of the boat - how many owners has it had?
08:30 What questions to ask the vendor.
10:00 What comes with the boat?
If this is your first boat purchase - rowing electronics, slings, oars to set you up.
11:00 What will make it the way you want it?
Consider the wear and tear on parts. Shoe size may be wrong but isn't a reason not to buy a boat. e.g. oarlocks, slides, seat wheels, shoes, canvasses made from canvas all can be replaced.
14:00 Red flags which you should be alert for
17:00 What repairs has it had?
Did it go back to the boatbuilder to be fixed? If it's painted over you cannot see the repair. Major repairs are a red flag. Any repair will add weight to the boat. Does this matter to you?
Look at the V-splash saxboard behind the cockpit - wobble them with your hands and see how robust they are. Also stand next to the cockpit next to the shoulders/knees where the riggers attach - hold the sides of the boat and pull your hands towards each other. A broken shoulder lowers the value and needs repair
For wing rigger boats - check for hairline cracks along the flange where the riggers mount. You might need a bow ball, the number slot, scull grips. Find out how much these cost.
21:00 Respray the paint and your boat will look like new. Hull integrity is the key consideration.
Marlene refurbished her own first single. Rigger holes - check they aren't flogged out and enlarged. This means there is play in the rigger - you will need to get these fixed. Over-tightened rigger bolts / nuts can add indentations to the shoulder and you can add a large penny washer to hold the rigger more securely.
22:30 Haggle on the price. Any purchase is a negotiation. Ask the vendor to suggest a price reduction if there are things you want fixed. And ask the boat builder what they think it could be worth (ballpark figure). Some boats hold their value well if taken care of. Ask the vendor to suggest the price first.
Durable boats for club use | Faster Masters Rowing Radio - the podcast for masters rowers. Tips, advice and discussion from Marlene Royle and Rebecca Caroe.
01:00 This Past Week - what we do to advocate for masters rowing.
03:00 September Programs have 3 tracks Time for good quality endurance training.
08:00 What is the normal stroke rate for a 60 year old masters in a single scull for head racing? Maintain the best average speed for the whole race. Work out your efficiency at different rates.
13:00 if your release timing is not together. If you cannot hit the rate - look at this first.
15:30 Look at meters per second as an alternative to 500m splits.
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19:00 Durable equipment - boats and oars. Why do we want hard wearing boats for rowing? How do you choose boats - we review the spread of athletes in the club group - Height, sex, weight and skill level in rowing and sculling. Our learn to row boat is a coxed quad - wooden inside and with a carbon exterior. After graduating from learn to row we use a flat bottomed quad which is easier to sit and good enough to race in. It is a "forgiving" boat for technique inaccuracies. Hull designs vary - our top quad has a narrower hull - it's harder to sit and weather-cocks into the wind. Good bladework skills are needed to control this boat. We need both beginner boats and racing boats.
23:00 Rowing boats are made from a choice of fibreglass, Carbon and Kevlar, and Wood. Modern boats are a honeycomb sandwich construction. This gives rigidity to the boat. Painting the outside of the boat covers the joins and overlaps in the carbon fabric layers. Gelcoat is the transparent outer layer of protection. The materials it is build in reflect how heavy the boat will be when it's finished.
25:30 Boats have minimum weights allowed for racing by World Rowing FISA. A single scull is 14 kg. Look at the boat builders plate - it has the boat weight as well as the athlete weight (average) it's designed for. Under-weight boats require you to carry extra weights - lead weights added to the foot stretcher.
28:30 Flatter based boats for learn to row are sometimes a little heavier. A single can be 17 kg. Stiffness of rowing boats has increased since wing riggers became popular. They attach using a flange along the length of the boat. This allowed boat builders to remove the internal 'shoulders' for the boat and to redesign the cockpit.
32:00 Buying a boat- consider the prices. Often the hull design is the same but materials differ.
33:45 Composite materials changed our design and manufacture. Skinny oars have extra soft flex. Heavier oars are built with heavier materials. Oars are made from Aluminium, Wood and Carbon fibre.
40:00 Marlene's "Old trick" to give more weight in the hand is to wrap lead tape around the shaft to create weight in the hand. Gives more stability to the oar.
43:00 Boat maintenance is key to durability. More than the construction type. Check your boat regularly - is everything tight? Wash the boats regularly - especially the slide tracks. Boat storage - indoor or outdoor? UV light slowly deteriorates the hall. Cover your boat if stored outdoors.
47:00 Rowing in salt water requires daily washing. We recommend regular strip downs to remove salt residue.
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