Memorial Day Row Recap

What do you get when you mix overcast skies, high humidity, lumpy wave action from the southwest and 10 Rockers? I'll tell you what.... a perfect Memorial Day Club row that's what. In attendance were: Paulie, Stephanie, Stan and Shelia, Vivien, Chas, Karen (Guest from Melrose), Sarah, Thomas and yours truly the Captn'. Based on talent and time, we broke out into different pods (Is that what you call a group of rowers?). Anyways Chas took care of his guest and ended up doing a 2.5 miler. Pretty good showing for her first time. Stan and Shelia continue their quest for pushing the limits of longer rows. Along with Sarah and the Capt'n they came cloze to crossing the 4 mile mark (I dare say with Stan's unique zig zagging technique which I can only conclude he must have learned in a prior life as a submariner definitely rowed more than the rest of us who seem to chose the more direct route.) Kudos I say to him. Keep up the great work. Then there were the group made up of Vivien, Paulie, Stephanie and Thomas who made short work of the "round Tinker's" row. We all made is back safely to our basin and were treated to some Mem Day brownies and OJ complements of Stan and Sheila. Boats washed and tucked away, another great row is becomes a summer memory. blessings- JT

"Hot town, summer in the M-head"

[Apologies to the Lovin' Spoonful] - We had a chance at three teams of 3 today, it would have been oh-so-Pythagorean, a perfect Square. But three prime numbers ain't so bad: 5, 2, and 2 (more about the twos later). Five of us (Paul, Thomas, Steph, Seth and me) headed towards the Beverly Shore, our long triangle leg at 3.7 miles. The wind and waves were mostly favorable, and we were clocking upwards of 5.5 mph much of the way. For me, this was the "hot town, summer" leg, as my shirt and hat were on and I was sweating bullets. Paul called for our second leg: straight for Children's Island, which he kept calling "Cat Island," possibly to confuse Stephanie so much that he might beat her there. At Children's, we rested for a while in that sheltered cove on the NW side. I happened to be resting near a lobster pot, and the pot's owner, in a large, working boat, thought it a good moment to pull his pot. Did he come within 10 yards of me to make a point? To show his impatience? His dislike of people foolish enough to go out on the water in these flimsy craft just for fun? Fortunately, I did move out of his way in time.

We were certainly rockin' and rowin' when we got to windward (ocean) side of Children's, although we weren't getting swamped. It was great fun. Seth made the cut that is passable at high tide, between the main part of Children's and the rock that birds love to roost on just to the south east. I'll bet he had some nice wave action in there!

The row back was the easiest leg, the wind at our stern and the waves just big enough to help us along without making it too bouncy. An 8 mile row, not bad for week two of the season.

One of the two remaining pairs, Stan and Sheila, started down towards Salem Harbor, although maybe they stayed close to Brown's to row with Frank and Loretta, the second pair, who had the opportunity to enjoy some flat water on the inside of Brown's, as the tide was high.

The First Sunday Row of the 2011 Season
By Stan

Well on Sunday 8 of us took the first Sunday row of the 2011 season: Charles, Vivien, Sheila, Stan, Sarah, Jay, Bobbie and Paul. It was cold and overcast but off we went. The day turned ugly and on the way back from Salem the wind came strong from the East. Sara had some difficulty and on the return leg had to beach. However, she was rescued by a kind homeowner, who provided shelter and refreshment for her. When Jay picked her up she didn't want to leave and the adoption papers had been started! More importantley when we spoke to her later that day she was doing much better. With the help from Lord Tennyson I've included a little poem to better describe our row!( Hope the formatting works!)

The Row of the Brave Eight*

~

~

2 miles, 3 miles

5 nautical miles onward

All in the Ocean of waves

Rowed the Brave Eight

‘Row on the Brave Eight’!

‘Row for the Salem\Beverly bouys’ said he

Onto the Harbor of Quiet rowed the Brave Eight!

~

‘Row on the Brave Eight’!

Was there a person dismay’d?

Not tho’ a Rower knew

Nature had a another brew!

Theirs not to make reply

Thiers not to reason why

Thiers but to do and Row dry

Into the Ocean of waves

Rowed the Brave Eight

~

Ocean to the Right of them,

Land to the Left of them,

Roiled and thunder’d

Storm’d at with froth and spray

Boldly they rowed and well

Rowed for the Salem/Beverly Bouys’

Onto the harbor of Quiet rowed the Brave Eight

~

Flash’d all their oars with spray

Flash’d as they tried to ‘catch’ a wave

Charging the angry sea

While all on land wondered

Plung’d into the trough

Rowed over the crest

Right through the wave they broke

Back from the adventure they rowed

But not the Brave Eight!

~

Ocean to the Right of them,

Land to the Left of them,

Roiled and thunder’d

Storm’d at with froth and spray

Boldly they rowed and well

Rowed for the Salem/Beverly Bouys’

Onto the harbor of Quiet rowed the Brave Eight

~

When can their adventure fade?

O’ the wild row they made!

All the rowers wondered

Honour the row they made!

Honour the Brave Eight,

Noble Brave Eight!

~

~

*Special reference to Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

“Charge of the Light Brigade”

Memorializing Events in the Battle of Balaclava (Crimea Russia), October 25 1854

Written 1854

Eight oddballs alive & well

The world did NOT end yesterday --- which may appear comical as we contemplate those who were convinced it would, but is quite poignant when we contemplate those who sold their homes, spent down all of their life savings, and now must figure out how to get on with the rest of their lives.

But rowing season DID officially begin today. Jay has posted the details. (Small correction: some of us did only 5.5 miles, but still an excellent launch of the season).

I ask: What possesses us to laugh in the of the the gods? To dance atop the mighty ocean in our flimsy, floatable shells? And with the water was 50 degrees, adding even more encouragement than usual not to fall in. [The air was more forgiving, also 50, not cold, but brisk. ]

The row out was exciting: on the water again! The 360 degrees views of water, sky, rocks; of buoys, boats, and birds. The feel of wind and wave sometimes pushing us backward and sometimes pulling us along; of muscles awakened after winter's slumber. The warmth of friends newer and older, all on the same mission: to experience the thrill of the row.

The row back was dead into the stiffening wind, swells picking up, chop edging over our hulls every now and again. Slow but steady brought all of us home.

First Sunday Row-posted by club VP Jay Paris

50 degrees in air, 50 degrees in water, eight rowers covering 6 to 7.5 miles in five different conditions, including rugged swells, heavy chop and wind during final mile. Stan, Sheila, Vivienne, Sarah, Charlie, Bonnie, Paul, Jay. One early landing at Cloutman's Lane beach due to back spasms, but retrieved safely. Welcome to ocean rowing. Everyone feeling alive. A typical nontypical R and R experience.

GAME ON!

Thanks to all for another well organized random work team of cleaners, assemblers, unloaders, car movers, Bertha directors, trash picker uppers, rack layer outers, boat carryers and SUPERVISORS! We're in and ready. Lets ROW.

BTW, in case you're wondering, Jay and I did row in the afternoon, we survived a near hit by asteriod, chased Lynx around for awhile.... great row

Ode to Rowing-- Now, Please

You can only wait so long to get on the water, only watch another day open from a torpid night to a sky of crud born from steel shavings and oatmeal. It's a damn good thing that Rockers are endurance athletes because enduring has been our fate this spring of '11.

But I did pull over tonight on the way home from Boston to shake it off and walk the broad sandy strip of Lynn's beach. The fog had lifted, completely lifted, and Egg Rock appeared very close in the serene flatness of Swampscott Harbor. All spring -- if that's what this is -- looking across the blackness that sperates Route 1A from Ireland, Egg Rock has been uninvitingly distant and increasingly ugly. But tonight it was right there, incredibly tempting as an easy paddle of a couple of miles out and a couple of miles back.

I'm done waiting. I want nothing more of enduring the weather. I want to endure blisters, sweat, repetative motion, steep swells, pirate punch, sharks -- but not more demure, personality-disordered grayness.

On the beach I resolved that if we don't row this weekend, I'm cutting off the roof off my garage and will go rafting Monday morning around Brown's Island. I'll cancel my appointments (assuming we survive the end of the world, which is supposed to happen Saturday around noon, right after the cartoons end on the Fox Channel).

Anyone else planning to row Blackburn this year?

Found on Katie Reilly's Car

Mas Cerveza, por favor

Jack is about to wine and dine some Muckety Mucks from Corona, and believes this is an excuse to miss the board meeting! I suggest he sing them this Spanish classic. Better yet, how about Jack goes to the board meeting, and I get drunk with the Corona guys!


Beber, beber, beber es un gran placer - que gran place.
el agua es para lavarse y para las ranas que nadan bien.
Beber, beber, beber es un gran placer - que gran placer.
el agua es para lavarse y para las ranas que nadan bien.

Cada vez que te emborrachas, Manuel.
Tú vienes en busca mía, Manuel.
Ojalá te emborracharas, Manuel.
Todas las horas del día, Manuel.


[Loose translation]

To drink, to dring, to drink, what a great pleasure!
Water is for washing oneself and for the frogs who swim so well.

Every time you get drunk, Manual
You come looking for me, Manuel
Oh, you will get drunk, Manuel, all day long, Manuel!

Air Viking

Jon Hancke and yours truly had a great time flying the skies yesterday up to Auburn-Lewiston Maine (approx 92nm). On the way home between bumps and chops due to the uplifting afternoon cumulous clouds, I turned the yoke over to the Viking. In true Norwegian style he handle N816FA (Fat Albert) with grace and control. Holding altitude and bearing with nerves of steel.
A smooth cross-wind landing performed by the captain put us safely on the ground.
Kuddos to the Viking