Steerperson Training Manual - On-Line

Introduction to Dragon Boating

 

Dragon Boat Characteristics

- traditional Hong Kong style designed to accommodate North American athletes

100% Mahogany, with fully enclosed stainless steel hardware and fittings, and epoxy sealed

44 feet long (13.4 metres)

heads and tails havee a flotation core

1500 lbs. (680 kg)

owned by Facility Marketing Group Inc.

Steering

Pivot Point

this is the point in the forward half of the hull around which the Dragon Boat will pivot when turned into a new heading

the dragon's tail must be swung out from the arc of a curve, in order to pivot the boat into the new heading

this is not a fixed point on the hull, but varies with the speed and displacement of the boat

it may be anywhere from 2 to 10 feet astern of the drum

the best description is like a car that steers with the rear wheels, but the position of the front wheel changes with the speed

because the Dragon Boat steers from the rear, and the pivot point is not at the very front of the boat, the Dragon's head will overhang the pivot point

therefore when the Dragon boat is being steered around the arc of a curve the pivot point should be your reference on which to line up the Dragon Boat, not the Dragon's head.

Stationary pivot point

in a paddling turn this may be almost at the centre of the boat

Slow speed pivot point

6 to 8 feet astern of the drum

Racing speed pivot point

almost at the front of the paddlers

 

Steering Arm Offset

the forks of the steering arm are offset approximately 18 inches to the left (port) side of the centerline of the Dragon Boat

Left turn advantage

the handle of the steering paddle is pulled in to the centre of the Dragon Boat

body posture (especially when seated) footholds, and muscle grouping provide stronger left turns because it is easier to pull the handle of the steering paddle in to the centre of the Dragon Boat

in addition the steering arm offset allows the steering paddle blade to achieve a greater angle away from the centre line of the boat, allowing for sharper left turns

Right Turn disadvantage

the handle of the steering paddle must be pushed out beyond the side of the Dragon Boat

body posture, lack of footholds and muscle grouping do not allow strong right turns, because it is harder to push the handle of the steering paddle out beyond its already offset position

the steering arm offset limits the angle the steering paddle blade can be positioned away from the center line of the boat, making right hand turns less sharp

-

Steering Roll

depending on displacement, the steering arm may have a vertical offset of approx. 8 to 10 inches above the surface of the water

in a hard turn, the may produce steering roll, where the Dragon boat leans over to the outside of the turn

a little unsettling the first time you experience it, but almost impossible to capsize a Dragon Boat with only a steering roll

Type of Turns

Paddling turn

the steerperson "side paddles" the stern of the Dragon Boat around to point in a new direction

recommended while stationary or at slow speed

not recommended for fast speeds, except perhaps for an emergency right hand turn

Bow Lead Turn

this is the regular way of turning where you steer into your intended course

follow the pivot point

Stern Swing Turn

an emergency maneuver, used to swing the rear of the Dragon Boat away from something

in doing so, the boat will cross in front of whatever you were avoiding, so weigh the consequences

Opposed Paddling

- works well in a 14 foot cedar strip canoe or a rowboat, but not in a Dragon Boat

Reverse Steering

keep the steering paddle shallow

when the horizontal angle of the paddle gets too large, lift the blade out to reposition it to the centre line

Oversteering

"10 Degree Window"

optimum steering window for comfort, control and efficiency

turns outside of this window angle eat up speed

Power Oversteer

occurs at speed, when the curved shape of the hull actually spirals the Dragon Boat into an ever- tightening turn

when starting a turn at speed, only initiate the turn to get the boat outside the 10 degree window

let the steering paddle trail into the turn, and start straightening out before the desired direction has been reached

Leverage

on a straight run in the 10 degree window, the steering paddle can comfortably trail out behind the Dragon Boat, with the handle "short" and "down"

however the proper use of the leverage cannot be overstressed, especially when a Dragon Boat must be quickly handled during a race to keep it on course, avoid collision or return to the course

to maximize your steering power, be prepared to get the handle "long" and "up"

Steerperson Position

Sitting

advantages

lower centre of gravity, better reach, better leverage for power turns reasonably comfortable on long practices

disadvantages

harder to see ahead of the boat, front paddlers may not hear commands

Kneeling

Advantages

Good compromise for centre of gravity, reach and leverage

disadvantage

uncomfortable for long practices

Standing

advantages

good vision, all crew can hear commands

disadvantage

high centre of gravity, minimal reach and leverage, minimal ability to change paddle angle, possibility of slipping the steering fork knot off, or binding the paddle in the forks

Creature comforts

seat or knee pad

gloves

dress warmly - "woolies"

 

Loading

A Even Keel

balancing the weight left and right in the boat

match hip size to seat width

B Level Keel

balancing the weight bow and stern in the boat

ideally, the resting Dragon Boat should be slightly "down at the bow"

at speed, the bow will lift slightly while planing to assume a level keel

too far "down at the bow" takes on water clings to turns, more likely to oversteer

too far "down at stern" sluggish performance tends to wander

Boarding and Disembarking

unless you have a heavy crew, the Dragon Boats are reasonable stable while stationary at dock

try to establish some order so crew board and disembark a few at time, while the rest stay seated

remind paddlers to never lean on paddles with the blade down

make sure all team members have passed waivers to team manager

Pulling Away

A Pushing off from the Dock

if the crew is asked to push off sideways from the dock, emphasize that they do so gently, so the Dragon Boat doesn't tip over

if the paddle must be used, please turn them around and use the handles, so the blades don't get split

B Backing Out from the Dock

watch out behind for cross traffic behind, and make sure the crew backs out on your command

remember not to get the steering paddle hung up on the bottom, or jammed sideways - keep the blade shallow, and lift the blade out to reposition

Uniform Crew Commands

A Consistency

use the same wording all the time

B "Do" Commands

call out what you want done, as a positive command

don't confuse things by telling the crew what not to do

crew should continue to carry out your command until they are told to stop, or do something different

C Clarity

- suggested commands

‘stop boat’

'paddles out'

'full stop'

'right side pull in'

'left side backwards'

'right side paddles out'

' both side 4 strokes backwards'

'paddles ready'

‘ the boat’ - this command is used to extend the paddles blades flat onto the water to create an "outrigging" effect against the waves or wakes

make a point of practicing some of these maneuvers out on the water, to familiarize yourself and your crew

Responsibilities of the Steerperson

ensures foremost the safety of the crew and the boat

when the crew is concentrating on paddling, the Steerperson is the "eyes" and 'judgement' of the boat and crew

mutual trust that the crew will keep paddling until the steerperson calls a change - in exchange the steerperson will not put the crew or boat in a risk situation

Racing Starts

*Starter will not wait for you to line up. Once the majority of boats are ready the race will start.

A Starting Sequence

Starting Gates

line up in your starting gate

come to a full stop before the starting line

"feel" the drift - watch the buoys to confirm which way the wind is pushing you

Positioning

'pull in' laterally to the wind on the wind side

'forwards' or 'backwards' to the wind on the lee side

numerical command may be useful, i.e. 'right side pulling 5 strokes, left side back 3 strokes'

steerperson corrects the direction of the Dragon Boat with paddling turns

Tether Line Starts

retrieve or wait for assistance in getting the tether line

have the front 2 paddlers pull the boat, and let the tether line out until the nose of the dragon is on the starting line - your drummer can relay your boat's position and assist in positioning

depending on how the wind may be blowing, maintain your position in the gate

Paddles Ready

crew should automatically assume the 'paddles ready' position between positioning commands

all crew should be aware of the starting sequence of : Attention please … BANG!

This time interval may be short- make sure the crew is prepared

Any crew who paddle in this time interval could get their team disqualified

The steerperson cannot drop the tether line until the starting gun has gone off - make sure the line does not catch on some part of the Dragon Boat

False Starts or Disqualification's

be aware of the signal for the entire heat, or an individual team

remember your lane number for the particular race you are in

if an entire heat is called for a false start, watch out for turners - be prepared for a full stop

Docking

Open water practicing

pick some floating leaves or branches to "dock" beside, or try positioning the Dragon Bot near some overhanging branches

Suggested docking methods

Parallel full stop, pull in

Bow in, full stop, stern swing in

Docking on Race Days

the Dragon Boats will have the heads and tail on

this will add approximately 5 feet to the length of the boats

dock with extra care

**** never dock near or on shoreline or rocks.****

You are never certain what is below the boat.

Capsizing

Avoidance

brief crew that you will have only 4 to 8 inches of freeboard most of the time, and the least bit of horseplay such as rocking the boat, will cause everyone to go " for a big swing"

if any appreciable amount of water is shipped during practice, bail it out - it is dead weight that reduces your freeboard

if any waves or wake are encountered, turn the dragon boat into the waves

brief your crew on "swiveling at the hips" so their upper body remains vertical while the boat rocks

Precautions

wear your life jackets

captain's "head count: or Buddy system to account for everybody

Knots

please make sure that the dragon boats are tied securely at the end of your practice, with reliable knots

examples are illustrated

no "shoelace knots" please

leave enough slack in the ropes so the dragon boat does not bind or scrape on the docks

Steering Fork Knot

used to keep the steering paddle from slipping out of the steering forks, yet leave enough room to adjust the handle length and vertical angle

To Tie

Start with one end of the rope tied to the steering arm, between the side of the boat and the inboard fork.

Loop the rope several times around the middle of the inboard fork

Then make several figure eight's between both forks, working upwards.

Finish the knot with several more loops around the steering arm beyond the end fork.

Loop the end of the rope around the steering arm beyond the outboard fork - not between the forks - then tie it off with a couple of half hitches

 

 
 

What is a Dragon Boat | History of Dragon Boats | Dragon Lore
Team Training | Dragon Boat Festivals |
Consulting | Equipment | Fundraising  |  Photo Gallery
FMGI Corporate Overview | Links Page | Home

 

Facility Marketing Group Inc

Facility Marketing Group Inc.

692 Osborne Street

300-2216 Lorne Street

Winnipeg, MB

Regina, SK

R2L 2B9

S4P 2M7

f[email protected]

[email protected]

   
  1. https://www.hallstromsfloristandgreenhouses.com/
  2. https://www.chinatowncafedenton.com/
  3. https://roblubinforcongress.com/
  4. https://dejavuvenezuelanfood.com/
  5. https://nharmyguardrecruiting.com/
  6. https://www.themauiturtle.com/
  7. https://www.bluewhitegrill.com/
  8. https://facilitymarketing.com/
  9. https://www.watertreaty.org/
  10. https://evojet-factory.com/
  11. HK Lotto
  12. data macau
  13. Live Draw SGP
  14. Live SDY Lotto
  15. demo slot
  16. slot deposit qris
  17. slot server thailand
  18. Live Draw SGP
  19. toto macau
  20. Togel SDY
  21. Live SDY Lotto
  22. Live Draw HK
  23. Togel SGP
  24. Live Draw HK
  25. PENGELUARAN SDY
  26. pengeluaran macau
  27. keluaran macau
  28. Live Draw SGP