Sunday row and newbie class

First, congratulations to our 7 members who burned up the Black-burn! Paulie, Cap'n Jack, Mary Ellen, Jay, Carmi, Thomas, Stephanie, you are awesome! If June is more cooperative next year, maybe this Melrose-based member can get enough "time of the water" (as Paul keeps telling me) to contemplate doing the challenge.

I did get in a good Sunday row with Dee Johnson. Four of us (Carlton, John, Dee and I) launched from the dock together, but by Marblehead Rock we separated. This was Dee's first row of the season, and she was recovering from a bad case of poison ivy. So we did a gentle row around M-Head Rock, Children's and back. Being one of first real summer days that I was out there, there was a fair amount of traffic and I was surprised how close several motors and large sail boats came. I occasionally put my whistle in my mouth thinking, "Jeez, are these guys going to veer off or not?" But I can't really complain, the wind and water conditions were very nice, high tide, beautiful blue skies, and moderate winds. I hope Dee can get back on the water more before summer ends.

I returned to the dock with Dee just as Carlton and John returned from a longer row that included Tinker's (and a loop back around Children's?) The newbies were just setting up on the dock. John took out Stan, and I Sheila and Eileen. Eileen is a natural, seems like she's got the style of rowing naturally. I'll bet she'll be going out around Children's in a week of two. Sheila also has nice style, although she needs to work on increasing the momentum of her drive stroke. It's good when newbie class and (more-or-less) high tide aligns, as this allows for practice within Brown's Island. We did a combination of practice on the flat water inside the island, and some rowing (and dodging of motors!) out in the bay.

Charlie