The blade of an oar is the broad flattened part. The handle is the small part of an oar on the inboard end of the loom, which the oarsman grasps when pulling. The loom is the portion of an oar extending from the blade to the handle. The leather is the portion of an oar which rests in the rowlock. This is sometimes covered with canvas, but is usually covered with leather; hence the name. _Feathering_ is the term applied to the operation of turning the blades nearly flat to the water after the stroke, with the upper edge turned forward, especially valuable in rowing against a head wind. _Rowlocks_ are forked pieces of metal in which the leather of the oars rests while pulling. Swivel rowlocks are movable, a pin on the rowlock fitting into a socket in the gunwale. _Thole pins_ are pins set vertically in the gunwale and are used in place of rowlocks. The _steering rowlock_ is a peculiar form of swivel rowlock (fitted near the stern of a boat) in which the steering oar is shipped. This is sometimes called a crutch. The _painter_ is a rope secured in the bow for towing or for securing the boat. _Boat-falls_ are tackles made with two blocks and a length of rope; used for hoisting boats. The _plug_ is the wooden stopper fitted into a hole in the bottom of a boat to let water in or out. A _boat breaker_ is a small keg used for carrying fresh water. A _boat-recall_ is an understood signal made to order a boat’s return. BOAT ORDERS. Oars and rowlocks having been placed in the boat, blades of oars toward the bow, rudder and yoke, if any, stepped and the yoke lanyards clear, the men board and take their proper seats. The man pulling the bow-oar is No. 1, the next man is No. 2, and so on, to the man pulling the stern-oar, who is called the “stroke-oar.” The men being seated, with oars handy, the bow-man, who may be No. 1 or an extra man, as convenient, holds onto the wharf, side, or piling, as the case may be, with his boat hook. _Shove off._—At this command the bow-man shoves the boat clear, giving her headway if possible. He boats his boat hook and takes his seat. _Up oars._—The crew simultaneously seize and raise their oars smartly to the vertical (guiding on the stroke-oar) and hold them directly in front of them, the blades fore-and-aft, inboard hands grasping the handles, holding the same well down between the knees, outboard hands grasping the looms at the height of the chin. _Let fall._—The oars are eased down into the rowlocks together, brought level with the gunwale, blades horizontal and all trimmed on the after oars. Oars must not be allowed to splash. (1) _Give way together_, (2) _GIVE WAY_. At the first command the men reach well forward, blades nearly vertical, ready for the stroke. At the second command they dip their oars at the same time as the stroke-oar and commence rowing, keeping stroke exactly and all lifting their blades to the height of the gunwale on the return. (Or higher if waves render this necessary.)