This document provides instructions for taking a group out on a boat trip, including what equipment is needed, safety considerations, and steps for getting on and off the boat and using paddles to move and steer the boat. Safety gear like lifejackets and footwear should be worn according to weight. Only one person should stand at a time and swinging, rowing in bad weather, and collisions should be avoided. Getting on and off the boat carefully and balancing the load is important, with the rower boarding last. Proper technique like depth and speed of paddles is covered for efficient movement and steering in different directions or stopping. External factors like wind, currents, depth, and boat traffic also affect speed.

2. What do we need?
Boat and paddles
Water / lake
People and lifejackets

3. What do we need to think of?
Safety
• Everybody wears a lifejacket according to
his/her weight
• Wear boots you can easily kick off without
your hands
• Only one person at a time standing
• No swinging
• No rowing in storms and when it‘s foggy
• Avoid hitting other boats

4. Step 1 – Getting on the boat
• First person getting in: step as far
as you can in the middle of the
boat to keep it balanced
• Give the fist person the paddles.
(S)He lays them on the ground
and takes the seat at the end of the
boat
• Next person takes the seat at the
end always keeping the middle
clear for others to follow
• -> others can help keeping the
balance of the boat by leaning in
the opposite direction
• The person rowing should get in
last because (s)he sits in the
middle

5. Step 2 – What to do before starting
1. Balance the boat
2. Untie the boat before
starting
3. The person paddling
should have enough space
to move
4. The person paddling sits
backwards front
back
Direction of
movement
1. 2. 3. 4.

6. Step 3 – How to use the paddles
1. Enlace the paddles in the 2
helpers at the left and right
side of the boat.
2. Hold your arm streched out
before your body
3. Lean forward and raise your
arms to get the paddles into
the water
4. Lean backwards and pull
your arms towards your body
to make the boat move
5. Lower your arms to get the
paddles out of the water
6. Lean forward again and start
with step 3 again
If you find your rhythm you will move your arms in a cirle

7. Step 4 – How to steer the boat
To the left
• Lower your right arm to get the right
paddle out of the water
• Just row with the left paddle
To the right
• Lower your left arm to get the left
paddle out of the water
• Just paddle with the right paddle
How to stop the boat
• Raise both arms to get the paddles
into water and just hold them still
to slowly stop
• If you need to stop faster just move
the paddles in the opposite
direction

8. Step 5 – Speed
Factor 1: physical movement
• The faster you move the paddles the
faster you get, the more exhausting
it gets
Factor 2: Depth of the paddles in the
water
• You‘ll get faster if you stick the
paddles all the way in the water,
because you can move more water
with one stroke
What else to think of
• Wind
• Streams
• Depth of the water
• Number of other boats on the lake
• Size of the lake

9. Step 6 – Getting off the boat