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Warning: This article contains high school algebra.
This is my 2025 update of one of the most shared articles I’ve ever written.

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Have You Looked at Your Boat Straps Lately?

Check the shed at the boathouse. What do you see? Straps tossed in a bucket? Maybe a few rolled up? When was the last time your program threw them all out?

Yes, all of them. Every, single, one.  Cut the buckles off, and put them in the trash.

Because here’s the reality: we strap down $50,000+ racing shells with the same sun-bleached nylon we bought five years ago and then roll down the highway at 70 mph. Usually, it’s just two or three 1″ straps, probably as old as your freshman coxswain, holding the future of your season.

Do you really trust that?

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Let’s so some high school level math.

• New 8+: $45,000–$65,000 (average $55,000)
• New 1.5″ strap from Finish Line Shell Repair: $17
• Recommended count: 3 per 8+, 2 per 4+/2x/1x

Fully loaded 4-rack trailer (6 eights, 6 fours/doubles/singles):

• (3 × 6) + (2 × 6) = 30 straps
• 30 × $17 = $510
• That’s ~1% of a new 8+

Fully loaded 5-rack trailer (9 eights, 6 fours/doubles/singles):

• (3 × 9) + (2 × 6) = 39 straps
• 39 × $17 = $663
• That’s 1.2% of a new 8+

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The Insurance You Can Hold in Your Hand

If you’re hauling 15 boats, your trailer is worth at least $250,000.
So ask yourself: would you risk a quarter-million-dollar investment to save $600?
I wouldn’t.

That’s why I tell every program the same thing:

• Replace every strap, every year.
• Buy 40 and keep a few extras.
• Cut the buckle off anything questionable so nobody ever uses it again.

Straps aren’t accessories. They’re insurance policies with buckles. And at $17 each, it’s the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy.

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The Bottom Line

Don’t gamble with your fleet. Replace them. Every. Single. Year.

Yes, this is a sales pitch, because I’d rather sell you straps than see your boats in our repair shop.

Tell me how many you need, and I’ll send them your way.
[email protected]

Weeks 1–3: Practices to Build Athletes and Set Your Season Up for Success

The first three weeks of fall can make or break a rowing season.
Here’s how to shape practices that build athletes, strengthen culture, and create long-term speed.

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The first three weeks of practice are more than just “getting back on the water.” They set the tone for the year. Habits formed now, technical, physical, and cultural, ripple through the entire season.

Strong programs use this window to develop athletes; sharpening skills, building fitness safely, and unifying the team. 

Weak programs chase early volume, ignore fundamentals, and spend spring fixing what went wrong in September.

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1. Lead With Fundamentals, Not Mileage

Early practices should be short, focused, and technical. Reinforce clean catches, steady rhythm, and efficient posture before worrying about distance. Athletes who master fundamentals in September race more efficiently in May.

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2. Build Culture Before Speed

Culture is your most powerful training tool. Use weeks 1–3 to set standards: punctuality, effort, attitude, and how athletes respond to mistakes. Make it clear, being a good teammate is just as important as being a strong rower. Programs that do this create resilience and trust that lasts all season.

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3. Mix Lineups to Develop Depth

Rotate athletes through different seats and different boats. This develops versatility and helps identify hidden talent. When everyone feels valued in September, your program rows deeper in the spring.

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4. Introduce Strength and Conditioning Gradually

Avoid the trap of overloading athletes too soon. Start with core work, bodyweight training, and technique on the erg. Layer in intensity week by week. A gradual build keeps athletes healthy and hungry, and reduces injury risk that derails seasons.

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5. Empower Athletes With Ownership

Use early practices to teach athletes to take care of themselves and the equipment. Assign crews weekly checks on hulls, riggers, oars, and seats. This creates accountability and pride. When athletes care about their boats, they care more about their training.

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6. Reflect, Review, Reset

Close every practice with 5 minutes of reflection: what did we do well, what needs work tomorrow? This habit develops self-awareness and creates a growth mindset across the team. Athletes who learn to self-correct develop faster and coaches spend less time fixing the same mistakes.

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The Payoff of Early Adjustments

The first three weeks aren’t about chasing mileage, they’re about building athletes. Coaches who adjust practices to focus on fundamentals, culture, and accountability set their programs up for long-term success. The benefit is clear:

• Athletes develop faster.
• Teams stay healthier.
• Crews race stronger in the spring.

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And don’t forget: athlete development goes hand-in-hand with equipment that works. Sticky seats, loose bolts, and tired hulls frustrate athletes and distract from training. If your first practices reveal boats that need more than a quick fix, Finish Line Shell Repair can help you restore your fleet so your athletes spend their time developing, not fighting equipment.

Book your refurbishment slot now and start the spring season with your athletes
And your boats — fully ready to perform. 

7 Things Every Rowing Program Should Do Before Practice Begins

Small issues in September turn into big problems by November.
Here are 7 must-do checks to keep your athletes — and your fleet — ready for fall.

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Why Pre-Season Matters

The fall isn’t just another season — it’s the foundation. How you prepare in September sets the tone for everything that happens through winter training and spring racing. Programs that start organized get more out of their athletes, their equipment, and their budgets. Those that don’t? They spend half the year fixing problems that could have been prevented in the first week.

Here’s the ultimate pre-season checklist to make sure your program is ready.

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1. Re-Rig and Re-Measure

Boats that sat all summer shift. Rigging angles, pitch, and spreads drift over time. Tuning them before your first full-water practice ensures athletes feel connected from stroke one — instead of fighting mismatched setups.

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2. Check Wheels, Tracks, and Seats

Seat wheels wear down faster than most coaches realize. Flat spots, cracks, or sticking destroy rhythm. Dirty or bent tracks add drag every stroke. Replace worn parts now; $50 in maintenance today prevents $500 in headaches tomorrow.

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3. Inspect Shoes and Foot Stretchers

Loose plates, cracked shoes, or frayed straps aren’t just uncomfortable — they’re unsafe. Secure, functional stretchers give athletes confidence and keep crews in sync. Tighten, replace, or adjust before your first 2k test.

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4. Look for Hairline Cracks in Hulls

Don’t just glance. Run your hand along the gunwales, bow, stern, and especially around rigger attachment points and the finbox. Small fractures expand quickly once boats hit the water. Catch them now, and you save yourself major repairs — and lost water time — later.

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5. Get Oars in Order

Loose collars, chipped blades, or waterlogged handles creep up on every program. Tighten collars, sand/tape blades, and re-grip handles before athletes log meters. Balanced oars equal balanced boats.

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6. Test Riggers and Oarlocks

This one’s simple: every bolt snug, every pin tight. Nothing derails a session faster than an oarlock slipping mid-piece. A five-minute wrench check can save an entire practice.

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7. Establish a Maintenance Rotation

Don’t wait until “something feels wrong.” Assign athletes to rotating weekly checks — hulls, riggers, oars. Ownership builds pride, and problems get caught early before they derail a lineup.

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Set the Tone for the Season

Starting the season with a fleet that’s clean, sharp, and functional sends a message: we’re serious, we’re prepared, and every crew matters. Athletes row taller when boats feel ready. Parents and boards notice when equipment looks sharp. And smart programs know: maintenance today prevents big-ticket emergencies tomorrow.

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Book Winter Refurbishment Now

Here’s the truth: every program discovers boats that are more than “a little tired.” Scratched hulls, fading paint, decades-old hardware. Instead of crossing fingers until spring, plan now. Booking refurbishment early means your fleet comes out of winter looking (and rowing) like new — with zero disruption to the racing season.

At Finish Line Shell Repair, we specialize in making “old but reliable” boats look and row like new. Don’t wait until panic season.

Reserve your winter slot today.