Boat setup

Setting up the boat is done by the rowers prior to rowing. No tools are used for this.

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Adjusting the foot stretcher in sculling

In sculling, the foot stretcher is adjusted so that at the finish/release there is sufficient room to:

1. press the handles down;
2. bring the right hand under the left hand again when both hands are held at equal height.

Three positions are key for this:

1. When the body is kept vertical (upright), a fist should fit between the torso and the handles when placed against each other.
2. When holding the handles in the finish/release position at ten-to-two (like a clock, without touching the torso), there must be enough room to press them down.
3. In the finish/release position, the handles cannot quite be pulled past the sides of the torso freely, but brush past the body.

The three setup positions in sculling

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Adjusting the foot stretcher in sweep rowing

Because the catch angle in sweep rowing is significantly smaller than in sculling, it is wise to adjust the foot stretcher to achieve maximum length at the catch.

Catch angle	Men	Women
Sculling	68°	66°
Sweep rowing	57°	56°

The extended arm is brought across to the opposite gunwale in sweep rowing, resulting in a shorter reach at the catch.

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Adjusting foot stretcher height

The starting point for setting the foot stretcher height is placing the ball of the foot level with the stretcher crossbar (spoorstok). The ball of the foot is where the toes flex. From there, the foot stretcher can be set higher or lower as desired. If the shoes are too large, fill the space at the heel, for example with a rolled-up sock.

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Adjusting the seat tracks

The seat tracks (slides) are adjusted using two wing nuts located underneath the tracks. In fine boats, the hatch cover must be unscrewed to reach them. Seat tracks are only adjusted when the correct foot stretcher position is obstructed by the track placement.

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Adjusting oarlock height

Ideally, the oars/sculls are drawn in at midriff height. Thus, in the finish/release position with the blades fully covered, the handles are at midriff level.

Finish height at midriff level

When the handles are too high, the oarlock can be lowered using height rings (clip-on spacers). This is easiest done by hooking two fingers behind the open ends.  

By moving height rings from bottom to top, the oarlock is lowered.

A height ring is most easily removed by placing two fingers behind the open ends.

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Adjusting gearing with clams

When the target stroke rate cannot be achieved because the gearing is too heavy, clams can be used to lighten the load. Use up to two clams per oar. Make sure the open end of the clam is always placed over the flat surface of the sleeve, otherwise it bends and will eventually break.

Using two clams per oar: the gearing becomes lighter with each clam

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Oar length