Feb 19 2008
Numbers
Get customized, printer-friendly rigging numbers based on your measurements using the four-step form below:
Step 1: Select rower’s skill level
One way to classify a rower’s skill level is by age. Use these guidelines to help you make the correct selection
- Youth < 14 years
- Junior 14-18 years
- Senior 19-27 years
- Master > 27 years
Step 2: Select boat size
Printer-friendly rigging numbers will open in a new window.
Sweep
|
Sculling
|
Step 3: How to measure
One of the most important items about rigging numbers is knowing how they were measured. Not knowing that basically makes the rigging numbers worthless. Here is how I measure rigging numbers.
| Measurement | Where Measured From |
| Oar Length | From butt of oar handle to blade tip |
| Stern Pitch | With the oarlock at the catch, mid-drive, and release |
| Outward (Lateral) Pitch | With the oarlock at mid-drive |
| Height: Oarlock | From top of seat to middle of horizontal flat (oarlock sill) |
| Height: Heel Cup | From top of seat to inside of heel cup (vertically) |
| Work-Thru | Distance along centerline from oarlock pin perpendicular to perpendicular across front stops |
| Inboard | From blade side of button to butt of oar handle |
| Spread (sweep + sculling) | From middle of oarlock pin to centerline of shell |
| Span (sculling) | From middle of one oarlock pin to middle of opposite side oarlock pin |
| Catch Angle | From oarlock pin perpendicular to oar shaft at stern end of inside arc |
| Catch Length | From oarlock perpendicular to butt of oar handle at stern end of inside arc |
Step 4: Fine tune your rigging numbers
You’ll notice that the rigging numbers are in ranges. To fine tune your ranges, do this:
- For oar and oarlock numbers: favor the right side of ranges for younger or less experienced rower(s), favor the left side of ranges for older or more experienced rower(s).
- Be consistent with your selection: if you favor the left side of a range for one dimension, favor the left side for all the dimensions.
- For female rowers: begin by favoring the right side of the ranges.
- For male rowers: begin by favoring the left side of the ranges.
- If in doubt as to what part of a range to use: be conservative; start in the middle of a range.
For more information about fine-tuning your numbers please refer to my book, The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging or to the Special Report, Absolutely Maximize Your Rigging Numbers: Getting The Most From The Numbers You Use For Rigging Your Rowing Equipment.
Hey Mike,
Any help with current ranges of rigging would help, I am a former Elite Sculler age 43 just touching water for first time in 12 years, just got a new heavy 1x from Vespoli and have been out a few times and I am trying to adjust rigging. Oars are shorter then I remenber, I’m using a used pair of adjustable hachets set at 288cm with Approx. 88cm inboard, the single spread is at 160 cm. the boat feels a bit unstable but I’m sure its due in large part to my 12 years away from the sport. Trying to get back into racing shape for the summer, plan on entering some races.
Thanks for any help and I will buy your book.
JC
Hi:
My wife is 5′6″ and has been sculling for about 10 years in a Pinert 26′ I had borrowed her boat while she took some time off and at 6′5″, adjusted the span to 161cm. She’s back, and I don’t think that span will be right for her. Any suggestions on the span ? She rows well and is in fairly good condition.
Thanks for the time you took to read this
Tim Hefferan
Nashua, NH
@ Tim
I would think span might be off, but depends on the oar lengths? That measurement would help.
Mike
Mike,
I can’t seem to get your “printer friendly numbers” to open in a new window. Is this because I have a mac? Or am I not doing it right? I’m looking for spread info for Masters 8’s and 4’s both men and women.
Thanks for you help and your website.
Perry Collonge
Bair Island Aquatic Center
Novice Masters Coach.
@ Perry: We’ve been working on it for a week. Some strange issue. Still trying. Thanks for the heads up. Cheers.