From the Dock

Once you reach the spot on the dock where the shell will be placed in the water, the cox'n will direct you to way enough, which means stop. The following commands will be given with a minimum amount of delay. The shell is heavy and we want to minimize the potential of personal injury to you or the shell. So we try to move through the following motions quickly.

Ready up over head ... and up.

Inside grip. Look for that place in the shell that will allow you to place a secure grip on the shell. This could be the foot stretcher bar, the mainstay of the rigger, the shoulder of the shell or another space designed by the manufacturer for this purpose.

Toe to the edge (of the dock). This is to assure that you are close to the edge of the water so that when turning the shell over into the water you will indeed go to the water and not hit the dock.

Ready to roll (the shell to the water) ... and roll. As a crew, the shell is rolled from the overhead position to the water and gently (without a telltale sound or splash) place in the water. The cox'n (or stroke seat in a sculling shell) watches the skeg to avoid hitting in on the dock.