Hit Again!!!!

[junior]

Just had a first.

 

Got hit full on from behind by a rower on the River Weaver. He was going full pelt, i was almost stationery.

 

His little plastic canoe/rowing boat versus the stern of a Large Northwich was only going to end one way and he is now limping back to the rowing club with the thing that holds the oars broken off and a big brown turd in his pants i expect.

 

He apologised like mad, no damage to me except some small paint scratches, and luckily there was 3 witnesses including a CRT full time locky.

 

Only as a result of this incident though have i noticed something for the first time and that is that they go backwards. So they are not looking where they are going. MADNESS! Surely it can't be safe to be going about 10mph (guesswork) backwards on a river and not looking where you are going?!

[PaulG]

To misquote Clint the Squint: "When a man with a [plastic rowing boat] meets a man with [many tons of narrowboat]" ...

Edited August 25, 2016 by PaulG

[junior]

I should point out that the thresd title is tounge in cheek.

[Pie Eater]

How hard would it be to fit a small mirror so that they can see what is behind them?

 

Steve

[PaulG]

I should point out that the thresd title is tounge in cheek.

Oh, come on!

Surely you have been been traumatised?

At the very least you must have suffered some whiplash?

 

Get your claim in here!!!

 

http://www.slatergordon.co.uk/personal-injury/road-traffic-accidents/whiplash-injury-compensation-claims/?infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~77160673357~kw~claiming%20whiplash~mt~p~cmp~S%26G%20|%20PI%20|%20Google%20|%20Road%20Traffic%20Accidents~ag~S%20%26%20G%20|%20Google%20|%20Whiplash%20Injury%20Claims&gclid=CJT5rf2q3M4CFVXGGwodLpoCKg

[dogless]

That's what always terrifies me on the Thames !

 

And sometimes there's gazillions of 'em in one boat going at about 500mph.

 

Rog

 

PS I may have used a tad of poetic licence in the above post

[junior]

How hard would it be to fit a small mirror so that they can see what is behind them?

 

Steve

I agree, at minimum that should be compulsory. Maybe even a reversing camera on a pole with a small monitor.

 

I notice that the ones that have more than 2 people in them often have a small person who sits at the end not rowing and facing the correct way as a lookout.

 

The one that hit me was a single, so really he either needs a lookout or to turn round and face the way he is going.

That's what always terrifies me on the Thames !

 

And sometimes there's gazillions of 'em in one boat going at about 500mph.

 

Rog

 

PS I may have used a tad of poetic licence in the above post

Cross posted, but the ones with 'gazillions' in them often have a lookout facing the right way.

[PaulG]

I agree, at minimum that should be compulsory. Maybe even a reversing camera on a pole with a small monitor.

 

I notice that the ones that have more than 2 people in them often have a small person who sits at the end not rowing and facing the correct way as a lookout.

 

The one that hit me was a single, so really he either needs a lookout or to turn round and face the way he is going.

 

Cross posted, but the ones with 'gazillions' in them often have a lookout facing the right way.

I think you will find that it is your responsibility to keep out of their way, rather than the other way around.

[billS]

So if I understand this correctly, you were hit full on from behind by a single man with no cox?

 

hmmm...

 

Are you sure it wasn't a lady?

[Jerra]

I think you will find that it is your responsibility to keep out of their way, rather than the other way around.

Even when they are faster, lighter, more maneuverable and approaching at speed from behind?

[junior]

I think you will find that it is your responsibility to keep out of their way, rather than the other way around.

Even when they go into the back of you when you are coming in to moor and you are concentrating on the boat you are about to breast up to?

 

I can't have done too much wrong as I've just been back past the rowing club and all his mates were smiling and giving him a bit of a ribbing.

[Trillian]

How hard would it be to fit a small mirror so that they can see what is behind them?

 

Steve

One of the rowers on the Bridgewater has a small mirror attached to his hat which means he can see us coming, so no not difficult.

[Jerra]

One of the rowers on the Bridgewater has a small mirror attached to his hat which means he can see us coming, so no not difficult.

Something like this perhaps?

 

[Trillian]

Something like this perhaps?

 

yep, very similar though attached to a baseball cap.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Some scullers do have mirrors.

 

The appropriate action in this situation is to bellow loudly "Ahead Scull" (or "Ahead pair", four, or 8 as appropriate). I also have a human powered foghorn to attract attention. This is because I am quite keen not to sink the GB squad when they are training near Ely in the winter!

 

The lookout is called a cox, and controls the rudder (and gives instructions to the crew).

 

A pair or a four may not have a cox (and they are then called a light pair or light four). The bowman controls the rudder using one of his feet

 

In sculls (single, double, quad or octuple ie 1,2,4,8 people) each oarsperson has two oars, one in each hand.

 

In pairs, fours and eights each oarsman has just one oar.

 

So now you know...

Edited August 25, 2016 by Scholar Gypsy

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

Since you seem to know a bit about this can you answer a question for me.

 

We were on the Thames in Oxford a while ago, and saw a few boats with 2 or 3 people in them who were standing up to row. They had long oars (obviously) and were doing more of a stiring motion with the paddle than conventional rowing.

 

Looked a bit unstable. We saw 1 boat on our way down, then a whole fleet of them getting back to the boathouse as we came back again.

 

Looking forward to the answer.

 

Thanks

 

Sue

[churchward]

Since you seem to know a bit about this can you answer a question for me.

 

We were on the Thames in Oxford a while ago, and saw a few boats with 2 or 3 people in them who were standing up to row. They had long oars (obviously) and were doing more of a stiring motion with the paddle than conventional rowing.

 

Looked a bit unstable. We saw 1 boat on our way down, then a whole fleet of them getting back to the boathouse as we came back again.

 

Looking forward to the answer.

 

Thanks

 

Sue

There are some standing rowing styles. The Italians go in for it particularly around Venice. Not just the Gondoliers but other larger rowing craft and they have very competitive racing with multiple rowers.

 

The style does get round the issue of seeing where you are going as they face forward.

Edited August 25, 2016 by churchward

[Scholar Gypsy]

Confusingly, that is also known as sculling. It has the advantage (a bit like a gondolier) of being able to see where you are going.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculling (see modern single-oar sculling)

 

Then there is standup paddleboarding, which is a more normal paddling action.

[frahkn]

That's what always terrifies me on the Thames !

 

And sometimes there's gazillions of 'em in one boat going at about 500mph.

 

Rog

 

PS I may have used a tad of poetic licence in the above post

 

Absolutely!

 

I was at Henley lock on a sunny Sunday evening this year. There were queues for the pontoons and I was surrounded by dozens of plastic boats (some of them hired by the hour by the clueless).

 

I was just thinking 'this much plastic and a 23 ton narrowboat can only end in trouble' when the locky called me in. Even then, some of them thought I was pushing in front of them.

 

While waiting in the lock one of the hirers managed to fall off his (already tied up) craft.

Edited August 25, 2016 by frahkn

[churchward]

Even when they are faster, lighter, more maneuverable and approaching at speed from behind?

Yes. Motorised craft give way to rowing and sailing boats. Rowing boats give way to sailing boats.

 

Mind you not easy to do when in Junior's case he was stopping and trying to moor up.

 

Actually a long racing rowing boat is not that easy to turn as you might think. The long slender shape makes them stable (when going forward) and fast running through the water but just like a stretched limo harder to turn/corner.

Edited August 25, 2016 by churchward

[Rob-M]

I used to play chicken with the rowers on the Gloucester and sharpness to see how close they would get before noticing I was approaching. Only once did they get so close they had to pull their oars in.

[Jerra]

Yes. Motorised craft give way to rowing and sailing boats. Rowing boats give way to sailing boats.

 

Mind you not easy to do when in Junior's case he was stopping and trying to moor up.

 

Actually a long racing rowing boat is not that easy to turn as you might think. The long slender shape makes them stable and fast running through the water but just like a stretched limo harder to turn/corner.

As I understand it it was a single sculler so not that long or difficult to change course.

 

So basically you are saying a rower is never to blame for any collision?

 

I also thought the Give Way Zone was between dead ahead and 112 degrees to either port or starboard. Have I got that wrong?

[KevMc]

Yes. Motorised craft give way to rowing and sailing boats. Rowing boats give way to sailing boats.

 

Mind you not easy to do when in Junior's case he was stopping and trying to moor up.

 

Actually a long racing rowing boat is not that easy to turn as you might think. The long slender shape makes them stable and fast running through the water but just like a stretched limo harder to turn/corner.

 

Surely (or maybe not), giving way means that if you are both heading for the same place on conflicting paths then you slow down or stop to allow the one with right of way to proceed - but doesn't mean that if you are (near) stationary or being followed in line that you must maneuver away from the other's course.

[NB Lola]

Been round rowing boats and narrow boats for many years. What you described does happen, even in front loaded coxed boats. Thankfully, it's relatively rare and injury more rare still. Often it's the boat/equipment that's suffers. A single scull is what likely hit you. I suspect damage to you nil, to the sculler, reputation, embarrassment and a couple of hundred pounds-minimum.

 

Edited to add that there are mirrors but these are generally regarded as needed for old people. In rowing that's anyone over 27!

Edited August 25, 2016 by NB Lola

[QCat]

You can't turn round and row the other way, you'd be sat backwards on the seat, it wouldn't slide correctly and you'd have nowhere to put your feet (the shoes are attached to the boat).

 

What you are supposed to do is look round every few strokes to check your line. Which probably didn't happen if he missed a big 'ole bit of boat shaped steel.

 

Accidents have to be reported to the club and I'm pretty sure they have to report to the governing body as part of the rules for their affiliation. Safety is taken rather seriously as I recall.

 

I did a bit of rowing once, it was good fun but the whole teamy thing at 6am every sat and sun wore a bit thin in the end :-)