Not Sure You Know the Lingo of Your Shell?
Let’s take a look at Anatoli’s Alden Star and his carbon oars. This picture will give you the names of the pertinent parts of your boat and oars so that you can talk with confidence about your equipment, especially if you need parts.
Back Stays: the metal rods attach to the rigger and the hull of the boat for extra stabilization on the rigger.
Blade: the wide flat section of the oar at the head of the shaft, also known as the spoon on Macon oars.
Bow: the forward end of the shell and the part of the boat that is behind the rower’s back.
Deck: the top part of the boat.
Fin (Skeg): a small piece of plastic or metal located along the stern section of the hull. This helps to stabilize the shell in holding a true course when rowing. The fin should not be confused with a rudder as the fin does not move.
Footstretcher: where the feet are placed in the shell and are adjustable for the rower’s height.
Handle (oar): the part of the oar that the rower holds onto.
Hull: the bottom part of the boat that is under water.
Inboard: is the measurement from the end of the oar handle to the oar button/collar.
Oar Shaft: the part of the oar that is not the blade or the handle and where the oar sleeve is located.
Oar Button/Collar: the flange on the sleeve of the oar that rests against the oarlock and keeps the oar from sliding through the oarlock.
Oar Grip: the rubberized sleeve on the oar handle that helps the rower grip firmly with their fingers.
Oarlock: the fitting at the end of the rigger that holds the oar and swivels on the pin.
Oar Sleeve: the fitting on the oar shaft that is not moveable and where the oar button/collar is attached. The sleeve also usually has numbers or notches to easily adjust the oar button/collar for handle overlap.
Outboard: is the measurement from the oar button/collar to the end of the blade.
Oarlock Pin: the metal bolt that the oarlock is mounted on at the end of the rigger.
Rigger: short for outrigger and are the arms that extend from the side of a shell to give more spread between the oarlocks, and thus more leverage.
Stern: the rear end of the shell and the part of the boat that the rower is facing.
Seat: the part that you sit on, that has wheels and runs on tracks.