Rower and cox tips for our new bow-rigged Fluidesign quad BlackBerry
- Bill Mahoney
- May 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
About half the members have tried out BlackBerry. Here are some top tips on rowing or coxing BlackBerry passed along from your fellow rowers.
Please read these bullet points before your first BlackBerry row or cox. Each cox might want to review the steps briefly with their rowers at the beach before picking up the boat to launch.
BlackBerry now has sandals-type footwear on the stretchers, which work with any type of booties. The cox seat has traditional fixed-size rowing shoes that are size 11.
The steering cables have been adapted to be more like the JC and DB; just loosen the cables knob, do your rudder adjustment, tighten up and go.
If you adjust spacers on Blackberry, please adjust them the same on both the starboard and port sides.
When getting in BlackBerry, set your oars down gently on the gunwales to the left (near footstretchers) so you have room to step inside the starboard rigger to the right before you slot your oars in the oarlocks.
Cox will call "slot port oars" first and then "slot starboard oars."
When you step in, step on the flat washbox near the seat and tracks, not on the footstretchers or round bottom part of the hull.
When landing, remove your starboard oar immediately after you step out of the boat.
Then there are some other new landing steps to keep from damaging the gunwales or letting Blackberry tip too much at the beach. Seat 2 and 3 rowers can take all four starboard oars to the beach, while 1 and 4 hold Blackberry steady. When 2 & 3 return, cox can call for rowers to tip down the starboard gunwales and have all four rowers reach up to remove port oars at the same time. This reduces the chance of inconsistent oars movement that results in oars sliding across and possibly damaging the gunwales. It also prevents BlackBerry itself from tipping too much.
Please understand, this is (pardon the pun) a "fluid" situation while we adjust and adapt. Feel free to offer feedback as we go.
I have feedback, who should I contact? Text our BlackBerry Hotline at 442-777-3195 or reach out to any senior member.
What else should we be aware of when getting in? This boat has gunwales with thin, flat edges. Please try to avoid sitting on the gunwales when you get in the boat. This requires some agility.
How does this boat compare to others in our fleet? It is the next size down from the JC and DB heavyweight boats, replacing the Elwha midweight that was sold. The Fluidesign midweight is meant to carry rowers averaging 165 pounds. Shorter rowers will find a wider range of footstretcher settings on the BlackBerry. We will continue to test out rower sizes, rigger and footstretcher settings.
Any other tips on BlackBerry? Yes, try to avoid adjusting the footstretchers to the very last 3 notches towards bow, as then the lower track might then be out of its rail. Also, there are more footstretcher smaller notches than on our other boats. Please carefully count notches on each side before tightening the knobs down to make sure you have the footstretcher in the same notch on both sides, otherwise it can stress the notches and break them off. One tip is that it is easiest to count notches from the closest silver screw holding that plate it.
How are the hatches and plugs set up? The hatches with covers are dry bouyancy chambers. Keep them closed at all times and do not open or rinse those chambers when washing. Only if BlackBerry is sitting on the beach for an extended time in hot sun do the hatch covers need to be loosened to allow for heat expansion.
Can we carry this boat by the riggers? Yes. You will also note it rests on one rigger when racked, which is fine.
