The primary objective of rigging a boat is to accommodate the different physiques and styles of rowing of the crew in such a way that the oars move in similar arcs through the water, thus improving the crew's efficiency and cohesiveness.
Moving the button towards the handle reduces the inboard and increases the outboard, making each stroke harder but more effective.
The gear ratio is calculated slightly differently for sculling and sweep boats.
is the spread The reason for two formulas is that spread is typically measured as the distance between port and starboard pins in a sculling boat and the distance between the keel and the pin for a sweep boat.
The height of the gate can be adjusted, usually by moving washers on the pin from below it to above it, or vice versa.
This may be required if the boat is sitting particularly low or high in the water, due to the crew's weight.
If the rowers on one side had a different transverse pitch than the other it would tend to unbalance the boat.
The footstretcher can sometimes be adjusted for the angle to the horizontal, allowing for more or less flexibility in the rower's ankles.
Although, 42 degrees is ideal.. - Flatter for inflexible ankles: too much reduces effectiveness of the leg push and increases the likelihood of over-reaching - Steeper for more flexible ankles and can be used to prevent over-reaching: too much will increase the likelihood of achilles injuries Changing the height of the feet changes how easy it is for the rower to reach forward and the amount of power they can comfortably apply.
The footstretcher can also move bow-wards or sternwards, usually to accommodate the length of the rower's legs.
The slide (the runners on which the seat rolls) can usually be adjusted fore and aft so that the rower can use full reach.