Rowing accidents

It is a general lack of respect from rowers and their support boats (in particular). I always endeavour to reduce my wash when near rowers (I used to be one in slimmer days) but this is rarely acknowledged and I sometimes wonder why I bother. I don't necessarily expect the rowers to nod, but the support boat could make an effort!
 
I was in the rowing world from 1959 to 2000 as a cox, rower, School teacher coach, club coach, University coach and have spent 1000's of hours on the upper Thames.
I also owned a cruiser on the Thames for 3 years.
I nearly always coached from a long fibreglass skiff with a small outboard on the back which had to be specially tested and licenced to be able to go at rowing coaching speeds, producing very little wash.
I've seen several serious accidents or the results of them over the years mostly due to cox or coach errors. In my experience the holiday chartered cruisers also contribute to a few incidents and lots of near misses causing anger and frustration for rowers.

Many accidents were however 'self inflicted either due to incompetance or arrogance of coaches or coxes.
Others, mostly incidents rather than accidents - and just a handful, were due to the arrogance and again incompetance of the helms person of large privately owned mobos - obviously better suited to being on the lower Thames or tidal waters.

Some self inflicted rowing accidents.
In the early 70's whilst coaching a school 8 just after a racing start, a boy rowing at bow caught the very traditional crab. The blade dug deep, the oar handle came up under his chest and lifted him off his seat, out of his clogs and straight over the for'ard side of his rigger. The boat was still moving on fast as he surfaced and struck his head on 5's rigger. He went under again and surfaced right by the bows of my launch whereupon I grabbed and lifted him into my lap almost unconcious, with a bleeding gash in his head.
Not an accident that blame could be proportioned. Thank goodness I was in my launch in attendance.

In the late 80's a school coach took his crew below a certain safety point whilst the river was in flood and the crew managed to get out, some ripping their shoes from the stretchers. The cox, went through the weir in the cox's seat whilst the 8 was destroyed before him. He clung on to the remains and the crew ran to rescue him below the weir.

On another occassion in the late 90's, I had just come in off the water at around 7.50a.m. after coaching a University crew. The conditions were as bad as I'd ever seen the Thames. I made towards another couple of crews just going afloat and warned the coxes and coaches not to take their boats below a certain point due to the dangers involved. They took no notice and some of the crew from one boat went through the weir about 4 miles below the boathouse. Others just made it ashore before the weir. The 8 was in matchstick pieces. The crew were all shocked and hypothermic and some with minor injuries. All were all taken to the lock keepers house and cared for. One of the coaches who ignored my advice was an Olympic oarsman, others far more experienced should have known even better!

At the Womens Head of the River Mortlake to Putney in the late 90's a crew of mine were being marshalled below the finish into line astern, to then round a buoy and then to turn to go back to their boathouse. The marshalls although well meaning just hadn't a clue what they were doing which led to my crew in their 8 going broadside in the ebb tide against the metal buoy and breaking the 8 in half later to be smashed to pieces against a bridge buttress. The crew clung to other boats and were eventually picked up by launches to be taken for care.
There are many accidents and incident missed out but the well coached cox with an experienced coach should rarely get into trouble.
From my beginnings as a cox I realised how vital the coach was in advising and guiding the cox. This brought me to the point where I never allowed a crew out without a launch supervising and made it my role to ensure the cox had just as much coaching as the crews, for their own good and others.
 
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Weymouth and the Ferryman :rolleyes:
He's not worried when he sets off in front of me (complete novice, daft and an iriot in charge of a yacht to boot) but I am and you should see the looks on his passengers :D

Still, he is quite swift at rowing.
 
Hi ramage! Yeah, in the incident to which you refer, I was moored on my home mooring when hit bows on by a double, who proceeded to try and fend off with their blades down the whole length of my hull. 'bang, scrape, bang, scratch, bang etc". Even though I was right there (they could see me) no apology or even communication from them was forthcoming. Eventually I commented "thanks for the apology", at which point I was told I was a "fxxxing cxxx!" (yep, the nasty expletive). Followed him with my bino's to see which club he belonged to, then drove over for a chat. Eventually forced an apology after making a big scene on the riverfront with lots of witnesses - yet I STILL slow down and change course for them every time..
 
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Wow, now I see why rowing has such a bad name.
Accidents in rowing are almost inevitable, by virtue of going forward while facing the other way. However anyone I coach knows to apologise if they have any collision, even if it is "not their fault" at the end of the day, any collision does require two parties, and the rower is normally at fault.
I always advocate politeness while on the river, even if someone else is blatantly at fault.
 
Years ago in my youth I used to row on the Thames at Staines, 8's, 4's, sculls etc... I also used to cox. In my experience 7 out of 10 summer mobos didn't give a damn about their wash and we often had to bail due to wash coming over the low freeboard.

We also used to get mobo's ploughing through our tunring circle when we turned on or before the bends above Penton Hook (Silvery Sands we used to call it), it being a club rule that no boat could go past the bends after an eight was lost (with deaths) on the weir. Rarely did any of them slow up, and most failed to appreciate that and eight needs a fair bot of river to turn around, especially when the stream is running.

At the end of the day a mobo, while drawing more, is far more manouverable than an 8 or 4, is narrower so takes up less river width, has more power "on tap", can reverse easily, can stop faster etc.. etc...

And whilst an 8 or 4 could go close to trees / banks / bridge piers, the damage that can be caused to person and craft by an oar catching on either of those is huge and potentially very serious.

Why you think you have absolute rights over other river users is juts beyond.

BTW I experienced the same "its my river" attitude from summer mobo's when kayaking and sailing on the Thames too.

NOTE: I am refrring to summer mobo's - not just rentals, but also the occasional fair weather prats.

Oh yes, and have just remembered a lock incident where a large mobo insisted that we took our oars in so he could come up beside us, the fool was complelety unaware that the 8 would tip. He got quite indignant that he had to wait for the next lock cycle.
 
rebellion said:
Wow, now I see why rowing has such a bad name.
Accidents in rowing are almost inevitable, by virtue of going forward while facing the other way. However anyone I coach knows to apologise if they have any collision, even if it is "not their fault" at the end of the day, any collision does require two parties, and the rower is normally at fault.
I always advocate politeness while on the river, even if someone else is blatantly at fault.
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Trouble is Alex, not everybody is as realistic as you guys!

There are a few good Rowers on the Upper thames, no doubt about it, but rather too many who seem indoctrinated into disliking Motor Boats. :(

Obviously a few A'holes drive those too though :D
 
We get the members of the York University rowing club on the Ouse.

Knowing they only have a few inches of freeboard, I always chop my power to idle to reduce the wash. The result is that at best, I get studiously ignored. Sometimes I get glared at, at and often a barely heard, muttered "fecking boaters".

I can count with the fingers on one hand, the times when I get a nod or a thanks.

The safety boat careens around at high speed, bow high out the water, producing 2 feet of wash that is not a problem under way, but they don't bother being cautious when one is moored up either.

another thing that rowers probably don't appreciate is that I am single engined and if I have to stop hard by throwing her into reverse, the prop torque will spin the boat 90 degrees, so I cannot stop quickly and under control at the same time.

The result of this is the perception that rowers are arrogant little twerps who think they own the river.

I am courteous to all river users and always attempt to display good seamanship.

Kayakers, canoeists and other water uses always make a point of waving or saying thanks, just not the rowing fraternity, hence the dislike.
 
rebellion said:
Wow, now I see why rowing has such a bad name.
Accidents in rowing are almost inevitable, by virtue of going forward while facing the other way. However anyone I coach knows to apologise if they have any collision, even if it is "not their fault" at the end of the day, any collision does require two parties, and the rower is normally at fault.
I always advocate politeness while on the river, even if someone else is blatantly at fault.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you could ask the eights not to come down the long narrow lock cut and sit broadside across the lock gates while they discuss how the row went ? ;)
 
Fair play, I think the problem is that within a club it is difficult to coach good practise when it is acceptable among peers to act recklessly.
I would like to say that new coaches are starting to take more notice of river etiquette, or at least trying to improve matters, but it takes a lot to turn an entire boat club round.

On a slightly lighter note, I was coaching beginners this afternoon, and all boaters passing the kids slowed down for them, and all gave me or the kids a smile or a wave. A fisherman even said thank you for keeping the everyone clear of his lines. All in all, a very encouraging day.
 
Scotty_Tradewind said:
I
Some self inflicted rowing accidents.
In the early 70's whilst coaching a school 8 just after a racing start, a boy rowing at bow caught the very traditional crab. The blade dug deep, the oar handle came up under his chest and lifted him off his seat, out of his clogs and straight over the for'ard side of his rigger. The boat was still moving on fast as he surfaced and struck his head on 5's rigger. He went under again and surfaced right by the bows of my launch whereupon I grabbed and lifted him into my lap almost unconcious, with a bleeding gash in his head.
Not an accident that blame could be proportioned. Thank goodness I was in my launch in attendance.

In the late 80's a school coach took his crew below a certain safety point whilst the river was in flood and the crew managed to get out, some ripping their shoes from the stretchers. The cox, went through the weir in the cox's seat whilst the 8 was destroyed before him. He clung on to the remains and the crew ran to rescue him below the weir.

On another occassion in the late 90's, I had just come in off the water at around 7.50a.m. after coaching a University crew. The conditions were as bad as I'd ever seen the Thames. I made towards another couple of crews just going afloat and warned the coxes and coaches not to take their boats below a certain point due to the dangers involved. They took no notice and some of the crew from one boat went through the weir about 4 miles below the boathouse. Others just made it ashore before the weir. The 8 was in matchstick pieces. The crew were all shocked and hypothermic and some with minor injuries. All were all taken to the lock keepers house and cared for. One of the coaches who ignored my advice was an Olympic oarsman, others far more experienced should have known even better!

At the Womens Head of the River Mortlake to Putney in the late 90's a crew of mine were being marshalled below the finish into line astern, to then round a buoy and then to turn to go back to their boathouse. The marshalls although well meaning just hadn't a clue what they were doing which led to my crew in their 8 going broadside in the ebb tide against the metal buoy and breaking the 8 in half later to be smashed to pieces against a bridge buttress. The crew clung to other boats and were eventually picked up by launches to be taken for care.
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Three down, 297 to go :D
 
It could surely not be because.............

Must confess that some of the ill feeling being generated could possibly be because some boat owners are just simply not that good at keeping their boats under control and tend to panic .The tired old excuse normally trotted out to excuse wash (especially on the Motorboat Forum) of "Well my boats got a planing hull and cannot be steered slowly" merely shows rubbish boating skills and further a sorry failure to anticipate.
If you cannot control your present boat get rid of it and buy some olde house brick of a Broom which wont move much at the best of times.:)

Down here on the Medway things have not got to such a sorry state.We have a thriving rowing club at Rochester with more and more people joining.
On my last trip down from Allington a couple of weekends ago we met at least 5 or 6 boats including single sculls and a couple of eights on the way down.Although in a bit of a hurry to get back on my berth before all the water went,made it obvious that I had seen everybody by slowing down well in advance and going past as slow as possible.
Received several nods of appreciation and a very audible "Thanks" from the last boat we passed.
 
As an oarsman at school I was always reminded by coaches that regardless of the rights and wrongs of the matter if there was a collision it would be me swimming away from the props. A healthy level of self preservation ensued.

OG, I have a full planing hull and dont have trouble so I agree with you wholeheartedly. Tickover minimum speed is a new can of worms. I usually put the engine nearest the rowers to neutral retaining some steerage and the knowledge that a handful of reverse will swing me away. But, and its a big BUT, there are oarsmen who read the very traditional compact version of the Colrefgs and though "sail" and "oars" meant the same thing.
 
[QUOTE"sail" and "oars" meant the same thing.[/QUOTE]

I havn't come across many rowers how would agree with this, even to back up their misuse of the river.I think the main problem is simply that rowing is physically and mentally exhausting, and when you have that much thought going in to your technique, it's very difficult to think about other river users.
Coxed boats shouldn't have this problem, but then again coxes are almost never formally trained in any way, so maybe there lies the problem.
 
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