Rowers (Scullers too)

[WindHawk]

Just curious, but who on the forum has ever rowed competively? Not up the channel to the store, but in an 8 or a 4? You lonely guys who scull (1 0r 2) are asked to "chine in" as well.

[rbgarr]

There are a few of us who have admitted to being sweep rowers. I was one in school/college in the 60-70's, but those were the days before it became a year 'round sport for serious competitors.

[Shalfleet]

I rowed a lot as a boy in Bedford England in fours and eights. Beautiful wooden boats that were a joy to row. I started up again recently in Atlanta and the boats were all plastic. I must admit that they were fast and felt incredible in the water but there was something missing of course..... I actually would love to build a sculling boat and took a fancy to the CLC Annapolis Wherry. Should be quick to put together and would make a nice training boat.

[garland reese]

I'm a sculler, recreationally for the most part. I've raced a few times in quads. My daughters rowed until this year, my oldest having been offered a partial scholarship to the University of Tulsa for rowing/coxing. Megs coxed a women's eight in the Head of the Charlse in Boston in 2002. I was equipment manager and served on the board of directors for out local club, until my recent "retirement". Strangely, our club has a new vespoli eight, named "Garland Reese" (that is a long story). I'e nver been in a sweep boat before, but they say that if you can scull, you can sweep :D :D ;) . Our club has no wooden boats, save one newly built single of the builder's own design. Our last wood double now hangs in the TGI Friday's restaraunt....(that's another story.. :rolleyes: ).
Rowing is fun. :cool:

[Tim B]

I'm a sculler too. I didn't get into the sport until after college. I have never raced or belonged to a club. Currently I row a CLC "Oxford" shell.

[JimConlin]

I'm a recreational sculler.
My daughter has been a competitive rower for five years and just completed first year of rowing at Harvard.

[skuthorp]

I've raced kayaks, K1's and K2's, mostly in longer distances as I never was a sprinter. Always fancied a go in a single scull but no opportunity came along.

[Gary Piantedosi]

I have a fair bit of competitive experience in 8's, 4's, and pairs. In the mid 70's I rowed at MIT, the Union Boat Club in Boston, and the Vesper Boat Club in Philly. I rowed on US National teams in 74 (spare for World Champion 8), 75 ( pair w/o cox in the PanAm games in Mexico), and in 76 (four w/o cox in the Olympics in Montreal). I continue to row in an eight in the Head of the Charles each October and try to catch a couple of other such races in the fall. This time of year I prefer to scull for exercise and do some open water ocean racing in canoes and skiffs fitted with my rowing rigs. The next big race coming up is the Blackburn Challenge around Cape Ann on July 10th.

[garland reese]

Hey Gary! I love your drop-in units! A friend of mine built an Oxford shell from clc and we have a small rec boat at the club that uses the rigger...........great stuff. Nice to see your name here of the WB forum. :cool:

[WindHawk]

I rowed in 4's & 8's for a couple years in High School on the Detroit River (Wyandotte). That was a lot of fun. By the time I got to college, I was too old to compete, but I have a good set of oars for the Swifty 13 that will get some use.

[Gary Piantedosi]

Thanks Garland. Good to be here. In addition to my necessary business interests I also have a 1960 Brownell 24 in the midst of restoration. I had hoped to have it ready for my kids - now I'm pointing to have it ready for future grandkids.

[rbgarr]

Brownell 24s... nice boats :D :cool:

The house I grew up in had a boathouse on a river that had an English Simms pair left by a previous owner (along with two Old Town canoes!). My brother and I used to row it, and he rowed in the Tokyo Olympics four with cox.

I rowed with Ayling (wood) oars in Pocock and Garafalo (wood) fours in school and Pocock and Staempfli (wood) eights at Harvard. When the crews were really tuned up and rowing well the wood boats would 'sing' with a distinctive vibration, especially the Staempfli. The Pococks rowed best when kept driving straight forward, while the Staemplfli seemed to be faster when 'bounced' (surging up and down in the water). In one Harvard-Yale race I was rowing bow, and during one particularly fast set of power strokes the entire foredeck of the boat was slicing underwater and the bow splash boards were cutting the water. It was cool.

I only rowed in composite boats when I was much older, and not as good a rower anymore, so have never experienced that sound again. :(

[ 06-14-2004, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: rbgarr ]

[Jon Etheredge]

I have only raced a couple of times. Open water rowing in fixed seat / traditional boats. Once in a single seat Delaware Ducker and once in a Gardner/Herreshoff pulling boat rowed as a double.

I sculled out of the Austin Rowing Club (Austin, Texas) for a couple of years. Rowed in an 8 a few times at the same club.

I am currently finishing up a sliding seat pulling boat (Ken Bassett designed Firefly) so I can get back into recreational rowing again. I would like to do open water rowing in this boat. I'm thinking of building another boat for rowing the flat water of Town Lake in Austin.

[DougC]

I finished a Ken Bassett Firefly with a Piantedosi drop-in rig and started sculling this season. I love the boat and the rig. My technique needs a lot of work, but it's fun and very fast. Doug

[carlg]

I'm an open water recreational sculler and compete from time to time on San Francisco bay.

There's an annual Bridge-to-Bridge regatta sponsored by the South End Boat Club that starts at Aquatic Park and goes around the south pier of the Oakland/Bay bridge, then to the south pier of the Golden Gate bridge and return to Aquatic park (about 10 nautical miles). I only do the short course to the Bay bridge and back (5 miles), but it's great fun. Conditions can be fairly sloppy but the last time I didn't even get wet.

The boat is a Maas Aero.

[nedL]

I rowed in college mostly in eights & for a bit afterwards in singles. I rowed '7' in our light weight eight. I've been in Pococks, Garafolos, some plastic, & my favorite was a Kashper. (It was great when things were going well & the hull would 'sing' smile.gif . We were officially a club sport at my school, but we followed the 'small school' circuit & did quite well. I have a first place at the 'New Englands', & a bronze from the 'vails', along with a decent pile of shirts (my favorite - from the USCG academy :D ) I certainly do miss the comradery (its the ULTIMATE team sport!! smile.gif ), though I don't miss those practices (& races)where the the water froze on your back. I don't know of any other sport where everyone got along so well (even between teams!). We would be playing frisby with the guys from the other teams before races & have to stop the game to go out & race each other. I was the repair guy for our team & on more than one occation I was called on the help make emergency repaires to other teams boats. It would get a bit un-nerving to have their whole team standing over me & watching me repair a torn off skeg, or make am emergency fix to a hole in the boat, or something else, knowing that in a few minutes the ones watching you will be in that boat racing against you! Its a sport that can't be fully understood unless you participate. Now even 20 years later I get a rush when I see shell out on the water, you know-- like when you hear "sit ready"-"ready all"-"ROW!".

[James River Rat]

I am about to sign up for lessons (sculling)at our local rowing club.

Bought a Concept 2 Erg and LOVE indoor rowing. Can't wait to try it in a boat!!!

Then I think I have to call CLC up and order a boatkit!!

Ric

[Chris Boers]

I rowed in high school and my first two years of college. In high school we had a beautiful wooden four made in Italy by Cantiere Navale Donoratico, it was allegedly used in the Olympics at some point in its life. Other than that, we mostly rowed older wooden Pococks and were making the transition to new (plastic) Schoenbrods. One of my greatest memories is competing in the Head of the Charles, although I had a better time the following year as a spectator!