ROWING FAQS:

Do I have to pay to row in a four? No, the fours are available at no extra charge to all members in good standing by monthly reservation to our secretary, James Warren, or on a first-come basis if they are not previously reserved. Each four must designate a captain—not necessarily the stroke, who is responsible for checking out the boat and for reporting damage to the boat to the equipment manager, Hank Holswade. If a crew breaks equipment, it is responsible for coordinating repairs with the equipment manager.

You only have to pay over and above your dues to row if you want to be coached by our summer coaches, Ansel and Erin, whose current rate is $10 per seat per row—which can last 60-90 minutes depending upon the crew’s stamina. Mary Lewis’ four is fast reaping the benefits of 2x week coached sessions.

I want to sweep row—when do the boats go out? Get out your latest roster and make a few telephone calls to 4-5 people. If you want some help, call one of the officers and we will try to match you with some likely folks. There are a large number of ex-scholastic and ex-collegiate rowers who can be prodded back into a sweep boat. The Club will supply the oars, the boat, the dock, and a roster—the rest is up to you. In past years, we’ve had two men’s fours and a women’s four—3 fours on the river at the same time, which made for spirited practices and great post-race parties.

And yes, you will need a coxswain. We have several in the club and several new-comer coxies who coxed in college and would like to get back in a boat. Coxswains who don’t row don’t pay dues. By tradition, coxies never pay for beer or cider at Poe’s or any other boatclub venue. Remember, without the coxswain, you can’t have your fun.

An alternative to getting a coxswain—a highly skilled person who can ease around buoys without giving you whiplash and dock without splintering the bow, is to use a rotation of 6 rowers—1 rotating spare and 1 rotating coxswain, with everyone in the lineup taking a turn at being a spare and being a coxswain. The spare will get you through scheduling problems.

If you let work get in the way of rowing, then you will nearly always have company at the boathouse either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. At either time, you will find plenty of folks willing to lend you a quick hand with carrying your boat and keeping an eye on you on the water, if only you ask. Just be organized, have your oars on the dock, and remember that water time is precious.

The morning crowd hits the dock between 5:45-6:00 AM. Generally there are 4-6 of us launching in the morning and returning by 7:15 A.M. Morning rowers swear by the flat waters, amazing sunrises, sights of eagles hunting for breakfast, and the lack of rowdy boaters churning up the water. The weather is usually calm and dry. It may rain before 6:00 A.M., and after 7:00 A.M, but in my 17 years with the Club, I have seen it rain between 6:00 AM-7:00 AM fewer than a half dozen times. AND, you’ll never arrive at work yawning or lacking focus—that comes with the afternoon slump after lunch.

The afternoon rowers gather starting around 5:15 and launch through about 6:00 PM. Afternoon rowers enjoy relaxing on the water after work, and frequently afterwards, taking an extended cocktail hour on the deck of Poe’s Pub with other Club members. Real rowers, they say, deal with afternoon chop from wind and occasional boats. They have a point—when you race, you will have to deal with both.

Weekend rowers typically row from 6:15AM to 10:00 AM. While certain physician members of our Club are never daunted by week-end afternoon crazies in speedboats, most of us cede the afternoon weekend waters to the motor boat crowd.

Most of the VBC club oars for sculling are stored in the bottom bay against the back wall. If you own oars, please be sure to mark them with your initials—otherwise they mistakenly may be used as Club oars. Members, please don’t assume that oars with VBC colors on the blades are Club oars—if they are in the upstairs bay, chances are they are private oars. Check the collar for initials if you are in doubt. Oars with initials are private.

How Can I Race? Pick a race from Row2k.com, submit your entry early as many fill up, and start training. Find out who’s going to which races and make a day of it from the road trip, to helping with launches, to an after race party. Regattas are social events—the rowing world is a small, generally well-mannered, and a fun group. If enough members commit to a race, the Club will pay for truck rental. Race entrants must load and unload their own boats and provide a driver to pull the trailer.

Racing will give you a goal for your daily training, provide a yardstick for your performance, and expand your horizons.

Thanks again for your interest. I hope to see you on the river!

Paul D. Georgiadis,

VBC President