What does a coxswain say?

Answer 1

The coxswain in a rowing shell gives many standard commands to the rowers during a typical outing on the water. The principal commands are for starting ("Ready all ... row"), stopping ("Way enough"), increasing the rowers' stroke rate (for example, "Up two in two" means to increase the rate by two strokes per minute, starting after the next two strokes), and decreasing the stroke rate (e.g., "Down two in two"). The coxswain (pronounced cox'-un) steers the boat by means of cables attached to a small rudder in the boat's stern. This is normally done without commands (although the cox may let the rowers know when s/he is applying pressure to the rudder by saying something like "Steering to starboard [or port]"). When the rudder is insufficient to avoid a collision, or when negotiating a twisty course on a river, the cox commands the rowers to assist in making the boat turn by saying "Harder on port" and/or "Lighter on starboard" to make the boat turn right, or "Harder on starboard" etc. to turn left. When s/he wants the boat to go straight again, the cox will say "Even pressure."

There are many more commands in the cox'n's standard repertoire, but these are the basic ones. One thing a coxswain pretty much NEVER says is "Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!"