Boat tilted to the right

[uixkes]

I am a beginner rower and so far had a couple of outings in a quad and recently in a double.
I am very frustrated as the boat is tilted heavily to the right when rowing. As I understand it this is caused either by the right handle to low or the left handle to high during the pull.
The last session I paid particular attention to my hands during the pull and I tried left hand over right but also both hands on the same level with right hand moving to chest first and left hand following.
Either way it made no difference and the boat is tilted to the right. It is so frustrating and I don’t know what I am doing wrong here.
Btw, I had a go in a training single (not a skiff) and I did not have any problems.
Any help and advice would be very much appreciated.

[rowingdude]

You had outings in team boats and have had experiences with the boat dumping to the sides..

1. This is extremely common in novice team boats.
2. Fix it by working on handle heights with your boatmates
3. Further improve it by ensuring each athlete has equal load on the footplates (meaning you're pushing equally hard with left and right feet).

During the strokes:

1. Ensure each rower is entering the water at the same time
2. Ensure each rower is leaving the water at the same time

Have your coach or another boat watch your blade height on the recovery. These go back to the first three points, but it's very important for everyone to be cognizant of each other's oar angle between the rigger and the blade height above the water.


Note:
If one athlete or two athletes in the boat are dramatically differently sized from the others, there maybe problems in just asymmetric muscle development, but this can be counteracted by that athlete loading the lighter side more heavily.

[rowingdude]

A couple additional thoughts:

These problems are referred to as an "unset boat" and plague all rowing athletes, both junior and olympian alike, though they're much less common at the Olympic level.

Since you're in uncoxed boats, you're not getting feedback on your technique. You can take the opportunity to be the coxswain and speak up.

Say "handle heights", "sit up straight", and "don't dig".

While the problem maybe your technique, don't forget you're not alone in the boat.

I personally start rowers off in the smallest boats possible (typically pairs and doubles) because the ONLY way to develop feel for setting a boat is to do it.

Stick with it, you've just begun, if you thought you were going to be perfect on your first day, reality has an odd way of slashing all such hopes

[uixkes]

Thanks a lot for your detailed response.

The good thing is that at next session one of the coaches will have a look from the launch boat while I am rowing.
I should get proper feedback and hopefully I then know what I am doing wrong.
I have so many other issues I have to work on e.g. squaring late or posture

But as we all know, only with practice will it get better So far I am glad I picked up the sport as I really love it being in a crew boat.

Thanks again for your advice.

[rowingdude]

No problem!

Should you have any more questions, post em up!

[jamesg]

so far had a couple of outings

Maybe you or your boatman can check gate heights and angles. Do you see blades diving or washing out? Do you all scull left over right?

Quad and double racing shells are usually stable, but hardly the first choice for beginners.

[rowingdude]

so far had a couple of outings

Maybe you or your boatman can check gate heights and angles. Do you see blades diving or washing out? Do you all scull left over right?

Quad and double racing shells are usually stable, but hardly the first choice for beginners.

I respectfully disagree with you.

As OP is learning, he is partially responsible for the set of the boat. In larger boats, like the 8, your personal responsibility diminishes greatly. New rowers should be rowing 2-4 person boats until they have the fundamentals. It's MUCH easier for a rower to transition from a 2- to an 8+ than an 8+ to a 2-.. there are exceptions, but as a general rule, if your club has the inventory to do it, starting small develops technically proficient rowers faster.