The boats (or shells) are basically of two types and reflect the two forms of rowing: sweep rowing and sculling. In sweep rowing each rower handles a single oar (about 12.5 ft or 3.9 m long) in sculling a rower uses two oars, or sculls, (each about 9.5 ft or 3 m long).
The word shell is often used in reference to the boats.

Each rower has his back to the direction the boat is moving and power is generated using a blended sequence of the rower's legs, back and arms. The rower sits on a sliding seat with wheels on a track called the slide.

Boat - the boat itself. Sometimes referred to as the shell.
Stroke side - the right side of the boat - when sitting in the cox's seat, looking forward; sometimes referred to as starboard. Oars for this side of the boat often have a green marking.
Bow Side - the left side of the boat - when sitting in the cox's seat, looking forward; sometimes referred to as port. Oars for this side of the boat often have a red marking.
Stern - the back end of the shell, where the cox usually sits; also the end of the boat with the rudder and/or fin.

Bow - the front end of the shell, covered by a bowball.

Bowball - small rubber ball that covers the end of the bow; intended to prevent/reduce damage upon collision.
Fin - the fin under the stern of the boat which helps to keep the boat on course.
Rudder - a small, movable part, usually metal, that sits under the stern of the boat; allows the coxswain to steer the boat.

The boats are steered either by the coxswain, or by the bow seat (in boats without a coxswain - called "coxless" boats).
Cox's use a rudder to steer the boat, which they control using cables that are connected to it. To help keep the boat on course, all boats have a small fin in the stern.

There are two types of boat - rowing and sculling. There are also boats which can be used for either rowing or sculling, depending on how they're rigged (i.e. the boat comes with two sets of riggers - see the next section for information about riggers). Rowers (sometimes called sweep) have one oar each, while scullers have two oars each.