Let Fall
The oars are lowered together into their locks, thole pins or ports, and a correct grip for pulling taken. The oar blades must be kept clear of the water surface, and the blades rotated so that they are vertical and ready to pull.

Prepare to Give Way
Each oarsman leans forward and extends his or her arms, holding the oar clear of the water and ready to row.

Give Way Together
Leaning back, and using the body more than the arms, the oarsmen dip their blades and begin to pull in an easy rhythm, lifting the blade clear of the water when recovering, and following the speed and rhythm set by the Stroke Oar, the oarsman closest to the coxswain.

Oars
Once finished with the current stroke, the oars are brought to the horizontal and held motionless clear of the water, ready to begin pulling again or follow another order.

Hold Water
This order can be given for port or starboard oars only, or for all oars. On the command, the oars are lowered into the water and held there to check the boat’s forward progress.

Back Together
On this command, the oarsmen take their cue from the Stroke Oar and row the boat astern, by beginning a push at the chest and pushing the dipped oar away, then recovering. “Back Port” or “Back Starboard” may be given as needed.

Rest On Your Oars
Oars are brought inboard across the boat until they rest on boat gunwales, and the boat’s crew can rest leaning on the oars.

Out Oars
The recovery order from the ‘Rest On Your Oars’ order. The oars are extended out, clear of the water, ready for pulling.

Way Enough
The order indicating that pulling has ceased for the time being. Oars are to be held clear of the water, as per the order Oars, and a next order awaited. The sequence of laying the oars back in the boat on the conclusion of pulling is usually to be:
Way Enough
Prepare To Toss Oars/Toss Oars
Boat Your Oars

Boat Your Oars
From the Toss Oars position, starting from the bow oar position and working aft, the oars are lowered and laid fore and aft on the thwarts, blades facing forward.

Ship Your Oars
An order which may be given if there is no wish or ability to Toss Oars before pulling, or before ordering Toss Oars. On this order, the oars, which have been positioned along the gunwales, are lifted and placed in their oarlocks, thole pins or rowing ports. The bowman places his or her oar in last after assisting other rowers.

Easy All
On this order all rowers pull less vigorously, so that the speed of the boat is reduced.  If the boat is being turned, the orders ‘Easy Port’ or ‘Easy Starboard” may be given. To return to full effort, the order given is ‘Give Way Together”.

Rowing Commands

These are the rowing commands that are authentic to the period of the longboats and are used by the Society's rowers in everyday rowing and at re-enactment events.  Keep an eye on Shelburne Harbour throughout the summer as the rowing crews pull together!

If you might be interested in becoming a dedicated rower with the Shelburne Longboat Society, please contact us at 875-2968 or info@shelburnelongboats.com.  Through fundraising by the Society, 18th century rowing attire is provided free of charge and is held as inventory by the Society.  Rowers are required to pay only for their socks and shoes, which they keep as personal items.

General Commands
Preparatory command is "Stand by to..."

Modifiers:
Easy: very slowly
Handsomely: Do it slowly
Cheerly: mid-speed
Smartly: Do it with vigor

Man the Boat! The boat crew is called to and boards the boat. If one of the crew is appointed to handle mooring lines, that man stands by the mooring lines.

Attention! or Eyes in the Boat! Stop skylarking and pay attention to the captain.

Thus! or Very Well Thus! or Steady! Keep doing the current activity just the way it is being done.

Belay That Command! Cancel the last order. This can also be used more specifically, such as Belay Casting Off!

Knock Off There! Stop a task. Not urgent.

That's Well! Stop a task. Not urgent.

Avast! Urgent stop.

Bear a Hand! or Light (a task)! Help out.

Ready! A response from a crew that is ready to carry out a task. Most often used by a gun crew after preparing the gun for action.

Disperse! The crew is dismissed from duty.

A note on Larboard and Starboard: These phrases refer to the particular side of the boat, not of a person. The starboard side is the right side of the boat when in the boat and facing the bow. The larboard side is the left side of the boat when in the boat and facing the bow. The term port was also used in the 18th century to avoid the confusion of the similar sounds of larboard and starboard and became the authorized word.

Rowing Commands
As may be given for the Pulling of a Jolly Boat, Pinnace, Longboat or Launch.

Stand By Your Oars
The blades of all oars lying in the boat should be laid forward, and the loom or gripping ends aft, on the thwarts on their respective sides of the boat where they will be shipped. On this command, the boat’s crew readies the oars to be lifted clear of the thwarts and placed in their locks, thole pins or rowing ports. It is customary to have the oars lain with forward oars inboard of the aftermost oars.

Toss Oars
Usually preceded by the warning “Prepare To Toss Oars”.  Oars are grasped and swiftly brought to the vertical, blades trimmed fore and aft. The handle of each oar is to be between the feet of the oarsman on the floorboards, the outboard hand holding the loom at chin level, and the inboard hand holding at thigh level. This position may be assumed directly from taking up the oars where they lie on the thwarts, or firstly giving the command “Ship Your Oars”.

Shelburne Longboat Society
"Pulling Together"