Rowers

[Wavey]

As yesterday was such a nice day we decided to have a little jaunt from Penton down to Chertsey lock and back. There were quite a few rowers out all along the stretch, some of whom were quite young and obviously novices given the number of times they were catching crabs and having a touch of the wobbles. What did concern me was the complete lack of any safety boat. Just a bloke standing on the bank by the rowing club who would have been a complete waste of time if one of the sculls had got into trouble, the vast majority of which were out of his sight. Just not right in my opinion.

 

[riverraft]

rowers reggata

second voyage in new boat we ended up surronded by rowers. on the wrong side of the river , because the lock keeper informed us to stay to the right away from the reggatta when we rejoined the river there was a line of bouys down the center, i didnt know if the bouys were joined by line , so didnt try to cross in case a fouled my props, someone on the bridge shouted our name thru a loud hailer and apologised. lesson one turn on vhf and put onscan. lesson two buy oars engines being useless going that slow,
still we have a lot to learn and will no doubt meet the rowers again. any advice always welcome. you may take the mick being new i expect it
riveraft

 

[Bodach na mara]

And I'll bet that they were not wearing life-jackets!

Actually I used to row and only went in once. On 25 February 1963. The day is engraved on my memory as it was in the middle of one of the coldest winters in living memory (except 2010-11.) I went into the Clyde at Dalmarnock from a single scull, got it to the bank, righted and emptied it then rowed back to the clubhouse. Unfortunately all other crews were away for a longer row (with the keys) so I had to run up and down for about an hour. One of the medics suggested I should go to hospital to get my stomach pumped, but I went to the pub for a DIY job.

Rowing people seldom get into trouble (in the water anyway.) In all my years connected with the sport, I am the only one that I know who has gone in.

 

[Keith 66]

It is a common theme amongst rowers that they dont wear lifejackets, "They get in the way", or "if you can swim you dont need them".
I have rowed on the coast for many years mostly in traditional fixed seat boats that are stable, lately i have got into a recreational sliding seat sculling boat, now she is relatively stable.
However i have got into tha habit of wearing a lifejacket, i dont find it particularly restrictive but i am not the worlds best swimmer.
It is often advised you should carry a lifejacket in the boat, my point being if you go for a swim it aint the time to try to put a lifejacket on, you will most likely drown before you get the thing on.
I am afraid Rowing has some way to go before it takes this issue seriously.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Yea Keith, if you are seriously rowing, a lifejacket is a no-no. Why do you think that it is only the coxes of the Oxbridge crews that wear them?

 

[Deefor]

Didn't a young rower drown not so many years back and no lifejacket then either IIRC - 2004, maybe 2005?

 

[Chris_d]

You can't row properly in a racing scull with a lifejacket on, end of story.

Its not common practice for a safety boat to be around all the time, juniors always start off in sculls and they do wobble a bit however its very rare to capsize unlike a novice in a kayak for example.

I agree safety should be considered, but it would be sad if kids couldn't get out on the water because of overkill H&S.

 

[Keith 66]

Therein lies the difference between sailing & rowing, the RYA train younsters to wear lifejackets as a matter of course, British rowing dont require it at all except for Cox's.
I found this difference some years ago as Chairman of a new rowing club, many were the arguments about safety & i did the WSA's job as well, there was a very different almost lackadaisical attitude towards safety by a majority of rowers, perhaps the yachtsmen in the club were more used to hearing of people drowning!
I do think that sometimes the RYA have gone too far down the safety road but thats the way they do things. As for rowers if you are at the fiercely competetive edge of the sport maybe a lifejacket is restrictive but to make a blanket statement that you cant row in one end of story is not helpful, I dont find it gets in the way as i have one that fits & is very compact & know several coastal rowers apart from myself who wear them on occasion. There is a world of difference between inland rowing & out on the coast. In the end its down to the individual.

 

[DownWest]

As with Wight Dawn, I rowed on the Thames in the early 60s. LJs were not even in sight. On the (very) odd occasion that things went wrong, we swam for it. And thought nothing of it. Used to row a clinker 8, flexed like bu++ery and had no covering on the fore or aft decks. Leaked as well and with the 62/3 cold, we were dodging icebergs. As bow, I was supposed to look out for them. Did any of us suffer. Yes! Two of my class got blown up by landmines out on the old army ranges. Despite a yearly brief by the local plod with a show and tell of the very stuff that that caused the grief.
Our coach told us what to do from the tow path, or in the cox's seat. He was then late 60s or even 70. And had a spendid fur coat to keep warm. When one boat went down at the Heads of the River, he swam ashore in the coat as he valued it so much. Drove a nice Riley 1.5 too.
The idea of the OPs about lack of 'safety' boats makes me cringe. BTW at the same era I was also sailing offshore on the east coast in regular racing, early teens.
Hurruph! Rant over....

Cooling down... Just get something in my nikkers about the currents nanny state and the dumb followers.
DW

 

[Reverend Ludd]

Not someone taking a risk

We can't live in bubbles.
Probably a lot safer than cycling.

Maybe everyone on a yacht should wear a helmet to protect themselves from being injured by the boom.

What about motorists. Helmets & leg protectors.

 

[DownWest]

Something on the news today that cycling is def more dangerous. Esp in London.
DW

 

[Bodach na mara]

Regarding rowing, I agree that there is a difference between coastal rowing in heavy, fairly stable boats and inland racing in lightweight toothpicks. I have done both and never wore a lifejacket. We always thought that keeping out of trouble was better than getting out of it.

Once I took up dinghy racing (in a GP14, then YW Dayboat) I did always wear a floatation device. It was not a lifejacket. Nobody wore them, the only ones available were ex-WD (from Thomas Foulkes) and stuffed with kapok. We had no safety boats and I couped at the start of my first race. That was when I found that the buoyancy bags did not really keep the boat afloat enough to bail it out with a great deal of effort. I resolved never to coup again and I kept that resolve.

 

[Keith 66]

I used to race a YWDB, never wore a lifejacket in her as she was a a superb sea boat.
I wear one when i think it appropriate, my choice.

 

[Wavey]

I mentioned this because I witnessed a novice sculler capsizing while moored outside Windsor Marina some weeks back. Several attempts by the youngster to get back on the boat left him pretty much exhausted. While I was launching my RIB a passing day boat came to his assistance. It was a good 10 minutes later when the safety boat appeared. I'm not suggesting lifejackets for scullers just that when novices are about there should be someone responsible not a million miles away.

 

[stuartbaggs]

The thing that pisses me off is Safety boats that don't carry VHF.

Have you seen those Dart 16 hulled rowing safety boats?

 

[Romeo]

Therein lies the difference between sailing & rowing, the RYA train younsters to wear lifejackets as a matter of course, British rowing dont require it at all except for Cox's.

It is a balance of risks. Sailing dinghies are very likely to capsize. They have a high spar going up the way, which gets pushed over by the wind. Rowing boats are quite the opposite- they have spars sticking out either side which can be used to assist rather than compromise stability.

Perhaps rather than praising the RYA for insisting on lifejackets one could question the sense in sending youngsters out in such inherantly unstable craft, where they are quite likely to end up in the water!!!

On normal river rowing most rowers must consider that the risks that would be ameliorated by wearing a lifejacket would not be worth the restriction caused by wearing a lifejacket, which may in itself cause some danger. It is reasonable to leave it to participants to make that judgement themselves.

I wear a lifejacket when I go rowing. I go rowing on the sea, often a couple of miles off shore. All my sea rowing friends wear lifejackets too, and (a) we do not consider it to be particularly restrictive for our activity (b) we all do it, so no one has a perceived advantage in competition by not wearing one and (c) we have all been wearing lifejackets since we started the activity, so we don't know any different.

R

 

[Chris_d]

Some confusing posts here are we talking rowing on the rivers in proper racing Olympic style boats or coastal skiff racing? Clearly its possible to row a skiff in a lifejacket or dinner jacket even but a racing scull no way, well it is possible but not advisable you will get the oar caught in the jacket capsize, be tangled to the boat by the oar and possibly drown, alright an exaggeration but no more than the percieved danger of not wearing one.

Rowers coaching launches don't carry VHF on the river because nobody is listening.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

As yesterday was such a nice day we decided to have a little jaunt from Penton down to Chertsey lock and back. There were quite a few rowers out all along the stretch, some of whom were quite young and obviously novices given the number of times they were catching crabs and having a touch of the wobbles. What did concern me was the complete lack of any safety boat. Just a bloke standing on the bank by the rowing club who would have been a complete waste of time if one of the sculls had got into trouble, the vast majority of which were out of his sight. Just not right in my opinion.

It is really concerning how many coaches take risks with inexperienced rowers.
I was in the rowing/coaching scene for decades and it was always a concern that sensible safety arrangements were made.
Make it your responsibility to advise the British Rowing of your concerns and they will ensure that the regional safety officer checks the club out. You could save lives!
see
http://www.britishrowing.org/contact

 

[Keith 66]

Quote; "Rowers coaching launches don't carry VHF on the river because nobody is listening."

Exactly.

 

[TrueBlue]

..... Rowers coaching launches don't carry VHF on the river because nobody is listening.

I thought I might say that, but then I thought someone is bound to shout me down - what about marinas who keep a listening watch (supposedly) and why shouldn't the rowing club base have VHF as a norm?

or mebe PMR kit is more suitable?

On anther tack don't the boats have some buoyancy? (I recall the several occasions when the Boat Race crews sank - well the didn't appear to be sinking; the crews were still rowing furiously, just that you couldn't see the hulls anymore....

If the hulls still float, then because there is very little freeboard it's reasonably practical for the crew member to grab the boat - provided that he's not injured or swept away.

This may well be why dinghy sailors don't wear life jackets, they usually have a hull to hang on to.

Just some idle thoughts, which might stimulate some discussion.