We use the following: "My boat or this boat, hips to the gunwale." If the weight balance is off, we brace the boat and switch paddlers. "Ready position" "Paddles up, take it away." "Paddle light" to warm up "Thrust now" to get our long stroke in. "Hold the boat" for hard hold "Drag your paddles" for a lighter hold "Side hold" for drift Prepare to back paddle "Back paddle now" "Let it ride" "Brace the boat" "Hold or hold the boat" "Nose left or Nose right" (front 2 paddlers draw 45 degrees depending on which side the nose is called) to get the bow to move on a turn "Tail right or Tail left" (back 2 paddlers opposite of the nose call draw 45 degrees) to help the boat turn quicker in the direction called of the nose. "Draw right or left" To do a pinwheel, we call "Nose left, left back, tail right, right side forward" then "All forward"

In practice, we never have a drummer, but the coach does stand in the front of the boat and sometimes loses their balance. If the coach or drummer were to fall into the water, the steers would yell out, "Hold the boat!" The same would happen if the steers were to fall in, they would yell "Hold the boat!" as they were falling into the water. This ensures that the boat doesn't continue on. As a steers, I have been hit with the oar with force and what I do is keep my knees bent with a lower center of gravity and just sit down when the oar has hit me. My goal is to stay in the boat along with everyone else in the boat! I HOPE this NEVER happens to any of us, but if it does, we are prepared to fish them out of the water.

We were practicing for Ravenna 2024 at the Berkeley Marina on one of the windiest days I have ever steered in. The waves were choppy and coming from different directions, making it extremely difficult to control the boat. At one point, one of our paddlers, who cannot swim, said, “I want to get off at the guest dock! I’m not comfortable being out here!” And in my head, I was thinking the exact same thing: I want to get off the boat, too! But I was steering! I attempted to safely bring her to the guest dock, but the wind and choppy water made it impossible to approach the dock safely. I was giving several different commands to my paddlers, trying to get the boat to respond, but whatever I asked the boat to do, nothing was working the way I needed it to. At that point, my paddler became even more insistent about getting off the boat. I had to explain to her that it was not safe to let her off at the guest dock under those conditions. I assured her that I would take her back to our loading dock, where I could get her off the boat safely. I abandoned the attempt to dock at the guest dock and chose the calmer and safer option: returning to our loading dock to let my teammate off the boat safely. After dropping off the teammate who had been frightened by the waves and wind, we returned to the water to pick up another paddler from a dock where the wind and current were pushing the boat around. The docking area was small, and maneuvering in those conditions was challenging. Nevertheless, I successfully picked him up and managed to get the boat back out of the tight area despite the difficult wind and water conditions. That experience taught me that steering isn't just about knowing how to maneuver a boat. Sometimes, it means recognizing when a plan isn't working, staying calm under pressure, communicating clearly with your crew, and making the safest decision—even when the conditions are working against you.

@Liisa Reimann yes, you are absolutely correct! We always check the wind conditions and also the water as well and have made decisions to not go out when it's rough. When it's rough int he outer waters, we stay away from that part of the water and practice in a more wind shielded area where it's not as turbulent. We have a capsize plan and know what to do in the event that it happens as I was a part of the capsize that happened in 2023 in Sarasota, FL.

We practice in the Berkeley Marina amongst the sailboats, fishing boats, and Hornblowers. Our steers test references the USCG Navigation Rules for International and U.S. Inland. We are cordial to our boating neighbors and invite them to join us on the dragon boat. We wave to them and also communicate our intentions on the water when we are navigating the same area. We look out for fishing line from the shore, though fishing isn't allowed in the areas we practice. We are very respectful to larger boats that are under motor or sail and are conscientious of where we are in the water at all times when boats approach or enter into the waterway.

@Liisa Reimann thank you! Should we enroll in your steering courses, would that be best practices for us as steers and clear us faster for races?