Adapted by a piece from Alexandria Community Rowing by Mark McMackin on how to cox on the Potomac, Washington.
1. The cox's primary function is to. . .
A. Yell at people who aren't allowed to yell back.
B. Look good when everyone else is sweating
C. Assure the safety of the rowers and the boat.
2. The first part of a two part command is the warning that the second part is coming. The second part means execute. Which of the following is not a two part command?
A. Ready to lift, and ... LIFT.
B. Ready all. ... ROW!
C. Oh NO! Easy All!
3. One loud and long single blast from Georgina's horn indicates . . .
A. The party has begun on board.
B. The captain is just helping the Domino's delivery guy find the boat.
C. The boat is about to depart its mooring site and will be underway immediately. If you are nearby it is probably a good idea to think about avoiding it.
4. One short blast . . .
A. Is nice to have when you get home from work.
B. Is another name for a coxswain who likes parties.
C. Means the boat intends to pass you to his port (mnemonic: port has one sylable). Two blasts means he will be passing you to his starboard (two sylables).
5. Right-of-way is held by . . .
A. The better looking crew.
B. Whomever will suffer the least damage in a collision .
C. Whomever is overtaking during a race, whomever is overtaken at every other time. If overtaking is not part of the situation, the boat to starboard has the right of way just as in car traffic the vehicle to the right at an intersection has the right of way.
6. A collision causing major damage, or swamping of the boat requires what action . . .
A. Announce in a loud voice that you can't swim and then dive in.
B. Wait to get picked up by a red-suited Baywatch star on a jet ski.
C. Stay with the boat at all times. The boat will not go down even if it is totally swamped. Try and swim with it to the bank.
7. When it becomes apparent that someone is pinned by an oar that has caught a crab, the cox should . . .
A. Keep rowing but at a higher pace to teach that turkey a lesson.
B. Stop the boat so that everyone can have a good laugh.
C. Stop the boat to make sure that no one is hurt.
8. The flow of the river is dependent upon . . .
A. Effluent outflow from near the Motorway bridge.
B. Effluent outflow from the CUCBC.
C. Tide, and upstream rain over the last 5 days
9. The part of a river which is effected by the tide is called . . .
A. Really hairy
B. Bestiary
C. Estuary
10. Chop and swell refer to . . .
A. Martha Stewart preparing a fruit cake
B. A Tae Kwon Do class that went badly
C. Chop is the immediate effect of the wind on the surface, and swells are the result of a fairly constant wind from one direction and results in waves that will continue to roll in that direction. Chop is a good indicator of how the wind will move the boat, and swell is an indicator of whether you can safely stay out much longer.
11. The coxswain can decide to return to the boathouse . . .
A. Only if a three quarters majority approve of his/her decision.
B. Only if it is Millers time.
C. Whenever s/he determines it is necessary, without clearing it with anyone (though s/he will inform the coach as soon as possible)
12. When approaching the Georgina, the cox will . . .
A. Lead the boat in prayer.
B. Call on VHF channel 16 and demand it gets out of the way.
C. Think clearly ahead, giving it a wide berth as you manoever past it, all the time checking for other boats coming in the opposite direction.
13. The blind zone refers to . . .
A. A Rod Serling TV show from the 50's.
B. A dating bar for the sight impaired.
C. The area of the river's surface immediately in front of a boat which cannot be seen by the steerer of that boat . It extends from a few feet for a launch to almost a hundred feet for a barge. For a cox who hasn't looked recently, it extends to infinity.
14. The best way to take a really large wake is . . .
A. To reminisce about the fine qualities of the departed, and remark how natural he looks.
B. At an angle so that the wave will travel down the length of the boat and get everyone equally wet.
C. Exactly parallel to it so the the whole boat will ride up and over the wave.
15. A shortage of coxswains is . . .
A. A group of them together, like a pride of lions or a flock of geese.
B. Directly attributable to the stroke's chile and garlic diet.
C. A serious blow to a good rowing program.
Answers: C
Key to number correct:
15 You are a coxswain extraordinaire and you are ready for the heavy traffic on the Cam.
11-14 You are a knowledgeable person at the helm, and your crew had better appreciate you.
6-10 You can tell the difference between a boat and a hole in the ground.
3-5 If you came back with fewer rowers than you left with, you would probably notice.
1-2 Try practicing some more in your bathtub
0 Just get away from the boats, they're expensive!