This guide summarizes matters that require steerers’ attention during offshore activities conducted and/or attended by the Hong Kong Japanese Dragon Boat Club (“HKJDBC”).
- Basic
1.1. The safety of the boat and the people on board is always of the foremost and
utmost importance.
1.2. Helming a dragon boat is collective work by a drummer (or a coach in charge) and
a steer person. However, a steerer must realise it is ultimately his/her
responsibility to steer ad rem.
1.3. A boat may become unstable when paddlers are boarding or alighting. A steerer
must board first and alight last in an attempt to stabilise the boat. It applies to both
races and practice sessions.
1.4. Steering impulsively may result in capsizing a boat. A steerer should strictly
refrain from a sudden / hasty / reckless steer.
1.5. Always keep your view broad and perceive the surroundings from a wider
perspective.
1.6. Direct the bow of a boat at least a 45-degree angle against incoming waves, also
look out for waves coming from behind.
1.7. Instruct paddlers to hold the water surface with paddles when waves are likely to
affect the boat.
1.8. Try to minimise water intake and instruct paddlers to bail water out of the boat
regularly. - At Tai Tam Bay
2.1. When you are boarding, make sure lifesaver rings, water bailers and ropes are on
board (also refer to the Safety Manual of HKJDBC).
2.2. When you leave the boat, even for a short while, moor the boat with ropes both at
the bow (front) and the stern (rear), where it permits.
2.3. When we deploy multiple boats for practice, stay close to each other as much as
possible so that we can be seen by one another.
2.4. Check the tide condition before boarding. When it is low, stay away from shallow
water.
2.5. Keep a safe distance from the shore and any reefs.
2.6. Pay particular attention not to strand the boat and not to damage the hull (bottom)
of the boat.
2.7. Try memorising the day’s practice menu as much as possible so that you can
navigate efficiently and accordingly. For example, arrive at around our usual
starting area for a time trial when a preceding practice finishes.
2.8. Sometimes we need to pick up / drop off teammates in the middle of practice.
Check and know such needs in advance so practice runs smoothly and efficiently.
2.9. When docking two boats on the water, it is highly recommended to dock on the
starboard (right) side of each other (two boats facing opposite directions), so the
steering oars on the port (left) side do not get in the way.
2.10. Pay attention to weather changes. Do not go far from the pier when worsening
weather is predicted. When lightning occurs, dismiss the practice and seek shelter
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at the store (tea house).
2.11. Pay attention to waves and swells. Practise within the inner part of the bay in
rough sea conditions. Motorboats can also cause rough waves, anticipate
motorboats’ directions and navigate us into the stable sea. - At the Race
3.1. Must study a rulebook provided by a race organiser in advance.
3.2. Before the start of our first race, understand the type of boat used, steerer’s seat
setup, start-line, goal-line, race course setup and so on.
3.3. Sometimes specified passageways to a start line from a boarding area and/or from
a goal line to an alighting area are set up by the race organiser. Do not go beyond
the boundary.
3.4. When you get to the steerer’s seat, check the steering oar and its setting/fitting to
the base unit. If you find any damage or problems, request the organiser to rectify
them.
3.5. Paddling to a starting area is often an important warm-up and start-practice time
for paddlers before a race. Try to understand the drummer’s intent on pre-race
manoeuvres and navigate accordingly. If needed, take a little detour to complete
the practice.
3.6. When getting into a start lane, look out for other boats’ manoeuvres and avoid
collisions. It is advisable to remember not only your lane number but also the
boats in the neighbouring lanes.
3.7. Once you are in a starting lane, check the transit (passage line) towards the goal
very carefully. Buoys separating lanes are often very confusing and may lead you
to intrude into other lanes.
3.8. There are races without buoys for lane indication, yet you should check your
transit and goal carefully.
3.9. Boat direction may change while you wait in a start lane, especially in windy and
wavy weather. Steer as often as necessary to align the boat with the transit.
3.10. In a start lane, it may be difficult to change the boat’s direction by only steering. A
drummer is primarily responsible for instructing paddlers to keep the boat straight
by side paddling but when the drummer’s instructions tend to delay, then do not
hesitate to instruct paddlers at your discretion.
3.11. In competitions, three types of starting systems are commonly used: 1. grab and
release a handrail attached to pontoons (frequently used by IDBF), 2. grab and
release a rope attached to a buoy in the water and 3. grab and release a rope
hanging from a structure above. In a very rare case, there is no grab and release
by steerers. A running start is also often common for long-distance races.
3.12. At the start of above mentioned 1. the handrail system, pulling or pushing the
handrail may result in disqualification. Steerers are prohibited to apply any
forward propulsion force at any given time during the race, including the start.
3.13. For 2. and 3. the rope system mentioned above, a boat can be easily drifted by
current and wind, so it is best to enter a lane from the windward side. If a long
wait is expected, maybe you can sit down, keep the rope under your bottoms or
feet and steer, so you will not be exhausted by standing and steering all the time.
3.14. As briefly mentioned above, many competitions prohibit steerers from applying
any forward propulsion force during a race. A weight shifting or balancing act may
be allowed but intensive body movements may lead to the opponents’ claims
against us for disqualification.
3.15. To reduce resistance / disturbance, try to raise the steering oar out of the water as
much as possible when changing directions is not required (in other words, with
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extreme caution, keep it in the air unless you need to steer).
3.16. When a steerer has less race experience, you may feel the steering is not making
much impact and steer too much ending up making a sharp turn. When it happens
it is natural to take a counter steer to amend it, thus resulting in a meandering
manoeuvre. It is certainly easier said than done but try keeping yourself calm and
steering little by little thus adjusting the direction little by little.
3.17. When other boats intrude into our lane, it is OK to escape into other lanes to avoid
collisions. Intrusion into other lanes to avoid collisions does not lead to
disqualification.
3.18. For competitions held at beaches where embarkation and disembarkation are
carried out on the beach, for example, in Stanley competitions it is often required
to stop the boat at a right angle (a 90-degree angle) to the beach.
3.19. In some races, a space beyond a goal line is rather limited (maybe there is a quay
or an anchored large vessel). However, sharp steering and turning in a confined
area can be very dangerous and thus is better to instruct paddlers to stop the boat
first, then steer and turn the boat around.
3.20. For a long-distance race, there may be some corner turns required. Discuss with a
drummer a course to be taken and race strategies in advance and take safe turns
on a course.
Translation of the “First Edition” in Japanese, dated April 2020
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Go! 日本龍! 