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Rowing in the Amstel River by a student rowing club.
With regard to watercraft, rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.
This article deals with general rowing including the recreational,
transportation and utility aspects of rowing, rather than the sport of competitive rowing which is a specialized case of racing using strictly regulated equipment.
Types of rowing systems
In some localities, rear facing systems prevail. In other
localities, forward facing systems prevail, especially in crowded areas
such as in Venice, Italy and in Asian and Indonesian rivers and
harbors. This is not strictly an "either-or", because in different
situations it's useful to be able to row a boat facing either way. With
the current emphasis on the health aspects of rowing, some new
mechanical systems are evolving, some very different from the
traditional rowing systems of the past.
Rearward facing systems: This is probably the oldest system
used in Europe and North America. A seated rower pulls on one or two
oars, which lever the boat through the water. The pivot point of the
oars (attached solidly to the boat) is the fulcrum. The motive force is
applied through the rower's feet. In traditional rowing craft, the
pivot point of the oars is generally located on the boat's gunwale. The actual fitting that holds the oar may be as simple as one or two pegs (or thole pins) or a metal oarlock
(also called rowlock - "rollock"). In performance rowing craft, the
rowlock is usually extended outboard on a "rigger" to allow using a
longer oar for increased power.
Sculling involves a seated rower who pulls on two oars or sculls,
attached to the boat, thereby moving the boat in the direction opposite
that which the rower faces. In some multiple-seat boats seated rowers
each pull on a single "sweep" oar. Boats in which the rowers are
coordinated by a coxswain are referred to as a "coxed" pair/four/eight. Sometimes sliding seats
are used to enable the rower to use the leg muscles, substantially
increasing the power available. An alternative to the sliding seat,
called a sliding rigger, uses a stationary seat and the rower moves the oarlocks with his feet.
Forward facing systems: Articulated or bow facing
oars have two-piece oars and use a mechanical transmission to reverse
the direction of the oar blade, enabling a seated rower to row facing
forward with a pulling motion. Push rowing, also called back-watering
if used in a boat not designed for forward motion, uses regular oars
with a pushing motion to achieve forward facing travel, sometimes
seated and sometimes standing. This is a convenient method of
manoeuvring in a narrow waterway or through a busy harbour. Another
system called the FrontRowertm uses oarlocks mounted
inboard of the handles (rather than outboard) to achieve forward travel
with a pulling motion and uses moving pedals to apply leg power.
Another system (also called sculling) involves using a single
oar extending from the stern of the boat which is moved back and forth
under water somewhat like a fish tail. Possibly the most efficient form
of sculling oar is the Chinese yuloh, by which quite large boats can be moved with a minimum of effort.
Ancient rowing
A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port
In ancient times, rowing boats (known as galleys) were extensively used during war, in particular in the Mediterranean in classical antiquity. Galleys had advantages over sailing
ships; they may be easier to manoeuvre, quicker in sprints, and able to
move independent of the wind. Galleys continued in use in the
Mediterranean until the advent of steam propulsion. Their use in northern Atlantic waters was less successful, finishing with their disappointing performance with the Spanish Armada.
The classic trireme used
170 rowers; later galleys included even larger crews. Trireme oarsmen
used leather cushions to slide over the seats, which allowed them to
use their leg strength as a modern oarsman does with a sliding seat.
Galleys usually had masts and sails, but when about to enter combat
would lower them. Greek fleets would also leave their sails and masts
on shore (as being un-necessary weight) if possible. [1]
Venetian rowing
In Venice, gondolas are popular forms of transport propelled by oars - although more modern versions have an outboard motor. The technique [1] of rowing is considerably different from the style used in sport,
due to the oarsman facing forward. This allows the boat to manoeuover
very quickly - useful in the narrow and busy canals of Venice.
There are three different styles of Venetian rowing:
- Single oarsman with one oar (the oar also acts as a rudder)
- Single oarsman with two crossed oars (known as a la valesàna)
- Two or more oarsmen, on alternate sides of the boat
Whitehall Rowboats
-
The origins of this distinctively elegant and . However the famed
nautical historian Howard I. Chappelle, cites the opinion of the late
W. P. Stephens that in New York City there is a Whitehall Street and
this was where the Whitehall was first built. Chapelle, Stephens and
others agree that the design came into existence some time in the
1820’s in New York City, having first been built by navy yard
apprentices who had derived their model to some extent from the old
naval gig.
In Wooden Boats to Build and Use (1996), John Gardner of Mystic
Seaport describes a 25-foot racing Whitehall, named American Star,
which triumphed in an 1824 race in New York Harbor that according to
newspapers of the time drew 50,000 spectators, more than any American
sporting event ever until then. The following year the boat was gifted
to an aging General Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution, during
his tour of the U.S. The American Star returned to Lafayette's estate
in France where it was displayed in a specially constructed gazebo.
During the mid 20th century the boat was rediscovered in storage there,
and its lines have be preserved at Mystic Seaport where an exact
replica was built in 1974-75, and still rows at Seaport events.
A
Sunnmørsfæring; a Norwegian 4-oared rowing boat, from the region Sunnmøre (Herøy kystmuseum, Herøy, Møre og Romsdal, Norway)
See also
References
- ^ The
Athenian Trireme: The History and Reconstruction of an Ancient Greek
Warship. J. S. Morrison, J. F. Coates, N. B. Rankov. Publisher:
Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (20 Jul 2000), ISBN-10:
0521564565, ISBN-13: 978-0521564564
External links
Classical
from 
