SOME GREAT "EARLY MORNING" ROWING ADVICE FROM PAL BICKFORD

Hi Fellow Rockers


For those who row in the mornings, the sunrise is now at 6am which means those of use who are getting on the water closer to 5:30 definitely need lights. Today the cloud cover was very heavy and the light was exceptionally flat so even at 6:15 - 6:30 the fishing boats still had their lights on.

For those without lights and wondering how to address this situation, here are a few options:

West Marine sells suction cup lights for boats -- both the white and the red/green. I've lost a couple by the dock over the years but such is life. (Luckily, today the red/green stayed put on the boat and the white one floated -- not sure why we were so lucky.) Hilary found the white one slung over the foot stretchers rather than stuck to the boat worked fine and was safer.

I've decided a headlamp works really well -- it lights up the inside of the boat barn and then when I'm rowing, I'm facing the stern with the white.

For the bow, I found little rowing lights from a rowing site for red and green which can attach to the riggers or the elastics on the deck. Sarah tells me that they aren't very visible but I haven't tried them again this year yet.

My alternative suggestion for color bow lights is a red bike light -- wish I could find a green one but haven't been able to do so. A bike light at least provides coverage against the minimum requirement. The advantage of bike lights are they can be attached to the elastics on the boat deck so they don't dive off when suction releases. You could also attach them to the back of your hat/head light band.

I don't row in the evenings so I'm not sure on timing, etc. Sunset is now around 7:45 so I suspect people going out after 6pm need to keep lights in mind, also.

Pal