Caring for Your Rowing Equipment – Part 2

While SSRS can help you with all your rowing storage needs, taking care of your boat and equipment remains very important. There are all kinds of hazards out there waiting to have a crack at your equipment, including buoys, pollution, rust and even novice rowers. This is part 2 of a 3 part series on how to care for your rowing equipment and add years to its life.

Our previous post looked at the importance of reading the equipment manuals and how to properly clean your rowing equipment. This week we will be talking about \’Pre-use Tightening\’ and \’How to transport your rowing equipment safely\’.

Pre-use Tightening

Before taking that boat out on the water you need to make sure all fasteners are tight. By checking and tightening any loose rigger nuts and bolts and the foot stretcher hardware you will dramatically decrease the chances of any unnecessary accidents during a race. For tips on how to tighten your fasteners it\’s number 6 click here.

Remember that foot stretchers in club boats are used by many people using a wrench or spanner to tighten them will NOT be helpful to others. If finger tight is not sufficient, invest in some split-ring washers and put them between the nut and the fixing their spring loading will help keep the nut engaged while able to be loosened by hand.

Transit

Rowing equipment is large. Shells and oars can range from 30 to 60 feet and can be very difficult to move around from regatta to regatta, often resulting in unnecessary accidents and a lot of wasted money in repairs. So how do you reduce the risk?

Make sure you use good quality straps when tying down your equipment and check the straps frequently throughout your travel. Buy straps with a metal buckle on the end the best ones have a protective strap behind the buckle so it won\’t scratch the shell when lying snug. And every time you stop for petrol or a break, walk round the trailer and try to move each shell with a hard shove any that are loose will be obvious.

If you are moving your single or double on top of your car it is a great idea to run a strap from the stern and bow to the car bumpers. This helps prevent vertical movement but leave a little slack or your hull will be under tension and go soft.

And never forget to tie flags to the end of your shell during transit, even if it isn\’t over-hanging your car/trailer by much, don\’t put trust in other drivers to notice what you are carrying. Check out more suggestions for car-topping your rowing shell.

Next time, we will be talking about the \’Storage of rowing equipment\’ and \’What to do about damage and repairs\’.