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Pre-outing boat checks: heel restraints, bow balls and quarantining kit

Two minutes on the rack prevents most equipment incidents. Here is a check every crew can do.

By Civil Digital, the team building BoatLog · Last updated

BoatLog is independent software from Civil Digital. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by British Rowing or any organisation named in this guide. Always check the current official guidance and follow your club's own procedures.

The two-minute check

  • Heel restraints: present on every shoe, intact, and tight enough that the feet can come out quickly in a capsize. No improvised laces or cable ties.
  • Bow ball: fitted, secure and undamaged.
  • Hatches and buoyancy: covers on, compartments dry.
  • Fin and rudder: straight and firm.
  • Riggers, gates and seats: nuts tight, gates closing.
  • Lights: fitted and working if you'll be out in low light.

British Rowing has published safety alerts on checking boats before going afloat and on heel restraints. RowSafe covers equipment in more detail.

If something fails

Don't take the boat out. Tell the boatman or captain, mark the boat as out of service so the next crew doesn't take it either, and record what is wrong. Kit that has failed a check should stay out of use until it has been fixed and checked again.

How BoatLog helps

In BoatLog anyone can report a defect from their phone in seconds. A serious one takes the boat out of service, so it can't be signed out until it's fixed, and the boatman sees one list of what needs doing.

BoatLog screenshot with example club data: Repairs in BoatLog: each defect has a severity, an owner and a status until it is fixed.
Repairs in BoatLog: each defect has a severity, an owner and a status until it is fixed. Example data from a fictional club.

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Questions

FAQ

What should a rowing boat safety check include?

Heel restraints, bow ball, hatches and buoyancy, fin and rudder, riggers and gates, and lights for low-light outings.

What are the rules on heel restraints?

Heel restraints must let the rower's feet come free quickly in a capsize. British Rowing has issued a safety alert on checking them and on not using improvised fixes such as laces or cable ties.

What should we do with a boat that fails a check?

Take it out of use, record the fault, and make sure the next crew can see it is out of service until it has been repaired.

Related

Guide: How to run a boat sign-out system for your rowing club (+ free template) A step-by-step guide to setting up a sign-out system, plus a free printable template. Guide: Rowing in the dark: lights and winter outings What rowing clubs need to think about for dark mornings and evenings: lights on boats, being seen, local navigation rules and clear club policy. Guide: British Rowing incident reporting: a club's step-by-step guide What counts as reportable, who's responsible, and how to file a report within 24 hours.

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