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Principles of Motion

The dragon boat is propelled forward by the paddler's action through the application of propulsive drag force on the paddle blade, which acts as a temporary anchor in the water.

This mechanism relies heavily on the mechanical principle that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction).

The Propulsion Mechansim

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The overall process is a cycle divided into four phases (Entry, Drive, Exit, Recovery), but the actual forward propulsion occurs primarily during the Drive Phase.

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We will look at the phases of the stroke in more detail elsewhere, but for now we want to understand the concepts of how the boat is propelled forward as a result of paddler effort.

The Anchor

(Catch/Entry Phase)
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  • The paddler twists their torso and extends the paddle well forward and down, placing the blade cleanly and fully immersed in the water.

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  • Goal: To establish a fixed point (an anchor) in the water.

The Propulsive Drag

 (Drive Phase)
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  • Once the blade is "set," the paddler's body, primarily using large muscles in the legs, core, and back, begins to rotate back (de-rotate) and sit up.

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  • The top hand drives down on the paddle grip. The bottom hand stabilises the paddle in the water, but the main force comes from the body leveraging itself against the anchored paddle.

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  • The paddle blade, kept as vertical (perpendicular) to the boat's direction as possible, pushes backward against the water.

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  • The water is momentarily compressed, acting as a solid resistance.

The Reaction Force

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  • The water exerts an equal and opposite forward-acting force (propulsive force) on the paddle blade.

 

  • This force is transferred through the paddler's body (feet bracing against the boat, hips on the seat) to the boat's hull, driving the boat forward, thereby stressing the importance of feet position in the boat.

Summary

What this means in practical terms (paddler actions) is explained in Drive Phase of The Stroke Cycle.

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Conceptually, we want think about pushing the boat forward towards our paddle as opposed to pulling the water back towards us. 

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