NEWS FROM CAMP ROCK N ROW

BIG ROW

A universe of forces came together yesterday, Marblehead to Gloucester and return, 24 miles, 8 hours on the water, the beach and the islands, fully subscribed to an underlying philosophy of Rock N Row, MORE IS BETTER UNTIL ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Princess Stephanie has been pushing for a big row before she returns to fully employed Monday, Friday washed out so Saturday is the target. Rising early to a gloomy sunrise, couldn’t tell what the visibility was like, I prep for a day on the water, we had talked about rowing “all day”. Took forever to get organized and off the dock, talked to Jay, Seth and his son, kibitzed with Wayne from FW Woods as he watched the RnR morning routine from the deck of his 1959 Concordia. Both of us were feeling a bit ragged and unprepared but off we went into a brisk norther heading to Beverly shore. Taking an easy pace, trying to keep my boat speed over 6 and my heart rate under 130, we headed out to a first planned stop at Misery Island. I like stopping at Misery, its kind of ritual, good place to stretch or use the head after a first 4 miles.

Caretaker came down to greet us, young man excited about the rowing shells he chatted us up, wanted to know where we we headed, “Gloucester, we’ll see you on the return”.

Now we’re committed as the sky clears, sun cones on strong and we push off for Stage Fort Park. Out under House Island, we have a perfect ride along Singing Beach to Magnolia, touching 7 mph in Aero, Steph was gone baby gone, we were in the groove, albeit different grooves!

After Singing Beach the coastline flows East towards Gloucester with predictable confused seas. From Misery to Gloucester is 8 miles of exposed coastline, look right and watch the beautiful homes roll by, look left and nothing, broad open water, no land till Europe. Rounding Norman’s Woe Steph ran into a dory rower shouting, “Er ya training fer Blackburn sweetie”? These Gloucester fishermen can be so endearing!

Past Hammond castle turning with the coastline we head to Stage Fort Park, the beach and most importantly, a snack bar!

Stephanie is of the belief that I can only row well with a food destination in mind and that training with me these last three weeks she’s actually put on weight!

Beach is gorgeous. Pulling in between exposed rocks I paddle close to a Cormorant standing tall on his rock, watching him I feel like we share this world of water and salt, wind and spray happily, I feel the beauty of this place, grateful to be here, green underneath turning aqua as we approach the beach, 12.4 miles from home.

I love the feeling of reaching a destination, complete, whole having used my body well, every cell smiling saying, “Yes, this is good, very very good.” Hanging out, stretching, hydrating, its time to eat, what’s it gonna be, a few bars on the beach and a quick turnaround or a short walk to the snack bar for something a little more substantial. Reading the menu Steph declares nothing suitable, she wasn’t going for the cheeseburger and fries so I drop my head to the screen and say to the women behind, “Have any peanut butter?”

“Yes, she nods.”

“Will you make a couple of PB&J’s?” I ask. “Oh and we need a bag of chips!”

Rock N Row Special here we go. Peanut butter, jelly and potato chip sandwiches on wheat bread, I dare say the ultimate rower’s lunch, a full complete satisfying indulgence. With a little luck Steph will post the training video on how to prepare an RnR special.

The energy shifts to rest after feeding, refilling water, talking about family and life, we are both feeling ready to row but not ready to depart, its just so nice here, going slow we take our time coasting back to the boats, a swim, reorganize, no rush.

Remembering the second half, telling the tale to come, well lets just say, “All hell broke loose.”

Pushing off from the beach I was stunned by the vibrancy of the colors, blue sky, green in the trees, water, boats, birds, pushing the boat speed from a piddle to a middle letting the body find a comfortable rhythm, ready for another 12 miles to home, little did I know what was around the corner. As we began to turn west out of Gloucester Harbor the breeze freshened to a wind, white snapping off the wave tops, swells running in from open water at odd angles against the chop I thought, “No problem, done this before, I’m feeling good, strong, well fed and ready.” It was relentless though. There’s a funny thing that happens when conditions get tough, as Stephanie said later, “I kept thinking, when I get around that next point it will be easier.” Optimism is a wonderful quality.

Steph, rowing Chickadee, the Mass 24, has the challenge of staying upright. Rowing her boat in 20 knots of wind off the bow with seas crossing under both ways is very very difficult. Later I asked her, “Were you ever scared?”

“No, she replied, just pissed.”

It was hard, really hard, wind blowing so strong my oars are vibrating on recovery, impossible to keep rhythm, every stroke is a challenge to find water on the blades and move the boat. With the cockpit flooding over the bow and broadside I am thankful the water is warm, realizing I need to hunker down for a very long row home. I tell myself, “Forget about boat speed, just move the boat. If you move the boat with each stroke you’ll get there, may take awhile but you’ll get there.”

And so it was. The wind easing for a moment I felt hopeful to link a few good strokes between gusts that stopped the boat dead. I lost Stephanie as she went in towards shore looking for relief to find none. Just keep the boat moving. Right hand having trouble holding the oar I wonder if the spirit of Howard Blackburn is playing with us. Rounding Kettle Island off Magnolia I pull up next to Steph waiting, we both admit to at least thinking about quitting, yes folks it was that tough, we both thought about quitting, “Did someone say TAXI!”

No quit in us we started up again for the stretch to House Island off Manchester and a rest stop back to Misery. No relief, each stroke oars vibrating, water and waves throwing balloons, it was really hard to make headway, “Just keep the boat moving.”

I remember from my sailing days a simple rule for sailing in rough weather, when the wind is screaming in the rigging and the bow is dipping under the wave crests just keep the boat moving in the direction you want to go, eventually you’ll get there. Thankfully our strategy worked and we eventually pulled into the cove at Misery Island to a scene reminiscent of the movie Animal House, a boat on the rocks, drunk beer bellied men and women in skimpy bikinis with big hair. As we pull up onto the beach to stretch, the caretaker, the same young man who had chatted us up in the morning came trotting down to greet us, “I’ve been wondering what happened to you guys, its crazy out there! Do you need anything, water, a place to nap?”

A gentleman (older than me) pulls up in a surf kayak with a fishing rig and begins to talk about Blackburn, he’s run 15 times. Already paddled the course 6 times this summer. And I thought we were ready!

Now 21 miles into the row we have 3-4 more to go. I push off thinking, maybe the shelter of Salem Bay will provide relief. Not to be, once we round out of Misery we’re back at it, 20 kts, gusts higher, chop from the west, swells from the east and boat wakes from every direction. Steph shouts, “Whats the plan?” She’s looking for a strategy to deal with the conditions.

“No plan, I scream, just row your ass home, 240 degrees!”

I don’t know if its possible to appreciate how tough it was. With the seas hitting broadside and the wind screaming Stephanie tacked her way back. She rowed off to the South moving the wind and waves aft. A half mile later she turned 90 degrees to row straight into the wind and swell. After three hours getting slammed broadside she’d had enough. At least the change felt good something productive was happening.

It took us an hour and a half to get back from Misery, usually a quick 30 minute row. Pulling into Little Harbor we finally finally found a lee, calm water, how sweet. Pumping a fist I felt like I had reached a summit, expedition complete, tested and passed, roundtrip to Gloucester DONE in remarkably difficult conditions, YES!

It was 4:30 when we pulled up onto the dock, we had left at 8:30AM. Wayne, still there working on Skye, popped into the cockpit and said, “Where you been, all your friends have come and gone?”

“Gloucester and back”, I replied to his eyes bugging out.

“In this wind?”

He was impressed, very very impressed. He knows now, Rock N Row is serious business.

Feeling punch drunk silly and a little delirious we clean up the dock as Thomas comes wheeling into the parking lot to see if we have returned. He too is impressed, wishing he was with us and glad he was not.

An awesome row, one incredible day, tested and ready to row Blackburn. Marblehead to Gloucester to Marblehead, wind NW at 20 seas 2-3 feet.

BIG ROW