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I'm sure you will have heard of port and starboad as nautical terms for referring to left and right of a boat. In rowing, just to confuse you further, we use two different terms to refer to left and right - Bow side and Stroke side. Bow side is the left side of the boat and Stroke side is the right side of the boat (from the point of view of the rower). Obviously, from the coxes point of view, Bow side is the right side of the boat and Stroke side is the left, but you won't need to think about that! Also, each side has a colour associated with it. Bow side is associated with green, and the oars of Bow side rowers have a green collar. Stroke side is associated with red, and the oars of Stroke side rowers have a red collar. A common phrase you will hear from your cox is "harder bow/stroke side." so remember which side you're on!

The seats of the boat
Bow, two, three, stroke

The ends of the boat
Bow and Stern

Each seat in the boat has a name. The seat at the Bow end of the boat is aptly called 'Bow seat'.' In front of this seat is 'Two seat,' and then infront this is 'Three seat.' At the Stern end of the boat, and normally sat opposite the cox is the person sat in 'Stroke seat.' It is important to remember your seat as coxes will often ask for your seat to take a stroke. Eg. "Bow take a stroke." Traditionally, different rowers are suitable for different seats. The lightest person in the crew, and with best technique in the crew tend to sit at Bow, as Bow man has the most effect on balance. The two strongest rowers in the crew normally sit at Two and Three - the powerhouse seats. Finally, the person in the crew with the best rhythm is best suited to sit at Stroke, as they set the stroke rate a rhythm of the boat.

Each end of the boat has a name, the Bow and the Stern. The Bow of the boat is the end of the boat that crosses the finish line first, and has a small rubber ball on it called the 'Bow ball.' This is there to soften the impact should the boat hit something. The stern of the boat is the opposite end of the boat, and traditionally the end the cox sits in the boat. Boats where the cox sits at the Stern end are called 'Sternloaders,' seen in the image below. The majority of the club's coxed boats are Sternloaders, however the club also has a boat called Greenman, where the cox lies down in the boat at the Bow end of the boat. This is called a 'Bowloader.'

The technical boat terms
The boat and the oar

Rigger.
A triangular metal frame attached to the side of the boat which the gate is attached.

Gate.
A brace the oar sits in that attaches to the rigger and acts as a fulcrum, allowing the rower to get leverage with the oar.

Oar.
A slender pole which is attached to a boat through the gate, which is placed in the water during the propulsive phase of the stroke.

Blade.
The spoon shaped end of the oar that enters the water. Our blades are blue, with a white and red V.

Handle.
The part of the oar that the rowers hold and pull with during the stroke.

Footplate.
A metal plate to which the shoes are screwed in to. The footplate can be adjusted for taller and smaller rowers.

Shoes.
The shoes are obviously where your feet go in the boat. The shoes are permanently fixed to the footplate.

Sax board.
The sides and top edge of the boat. When holding the boat at heads you hold onto the saxboard.

Seat.
Moulded seat mounted on wheels which runs along the slide to allow the rower to move backwards when taking the strokes, and come forward when on the recovery.

Runners/Slide
Rails screwed into the boat on which the seat moves on.