How do you handle...
Boat traffic.
This has been one of those issues that's likely plagued rowers since someone first considered rowing as an exercise and way of competition rather than a means of transportation or warfare. Despite the planet being mostly water, there seems to be an abundance of traffic on the waterways requiring some deft moving, and negotiation skills.
I'm fortunate that most of the locations I've coached at lack much in the way of waterborne traffic, though occasionally you might find someone coming your direction. I've coached on small water ways, and large ones, lakes and rivers and have found that often, if there is a problem with other craft, both parties are at fault - typically.
I'm going to sound old here, but there's certain decorum that I believe needs to come when operating on the water, and it begins with acknowledging other boaters. That's more than understanding that they exist. This means physically acknowledging them with a friendly wave. If you've traveled behind a motorcycle as they've passed another, you've likely seen them extend their left arm with their index and middle fingers pointed down. It's a sign from one person to another, and I find it to be a good ice breaker if you will for other boaters.
Where I find fault with other boaters is them not understanding the delicate nature of our shells, or the danger that their boats present to ours. A wake that seems harmless to them might well swamp one of our shells. Because we're lower toward the water, it makes us more difficult to spot especially in low light conditions or when the sun is reflecting off the water.
Where I find fault with rowers and coaches is in the belief that every single boat sharing the water way must give way to the shell, and hold up their business while we conduct ours. Rowing shells have a 100 foot wakeless zone around them in all directions, but if you've ever rowed on a river, you realize how navigating this zone can be difficult. I also find that most coaches refuse to change what they are doing meaning boats traveling in the same direction are forced to try and pass without causing any wake. Think of it like trying to pass a car doing 60 mph, and you're only allowed to do 60.1. Furthermore, I find that motorboats make situations worse by trying to slow down to be courteous. I'd prefer them to rip by us while on plane giving us a wider berth as to create less wake.
More than anything, I find that situations are either set off or defused by simple courtesy.
1. Keep your shells close together. Shells should be no more than 10 feet apart from oar tips, and should not be more than 2 lengths of water behind or ahead.
2. Keep the coaching launch on the outside of the shells. Because the launch is usually bigger or more visible, it creates a physical presence on the water.
3. Lights. It's alarming the number of programs that see lights as a hassle. Your coaching launch should always have lights on and running, and it's helpful for your shells to do the same.
4. Brightly colored clothing.
5. Be aware of the conditions. Again, low light conditions, or evenings, or fog make life more difficult for other boaters as well as your crews.
6. ALWAYS obey river traffic laws. If you're smack in the middle of the water way going against traffic and you get waked out or run down, that's 1000000000000 percent on you.
7. Simply understand your water way. If you're on a river, or lake, understand where and when it will get busy. If you're on a navigable river or lake with commercial traffic, understand when it's likely to be a problem, and where you're going to encounter issues.
Above all, common courtesy will go a long way toward making situations easier to manage. It's difficult in the heat of the moment to allow calmer nerves to take hold, but it's better to approach the situation in a non threatening manner. Yelling, screaming, attacking, cursing, are guarantees that your point will be lost, no matter how valid. Dick measuring doesn't ever work.
Remember that it's not your water way just as it's not theirs. If someone is an asshole about it, then they're an asshole about it. If it's a major problem, I've suggested that you have a couple of cameras running so that you have physical, indisputable evidence of their wrong doing. Keep in mind that this also means you could be found at fault.
Have emergency numbers on standby in case a situation gets out of hand. While in college, a drunk boater decided to have a go at one of our shells and chewed up three oars, and a couple of riggers. Thankfully no one was hurt, and the police were there to nab them.
Common courtesy isn't all that common, but it should be. In 15 years of coaching, I have had only two incidents with other boaters or folks on the water. One was a masters rower who didn't obey the lake traffic rules, and one was a fisherman fishing in a spot that was clearly marked, "NO FISHING."
Other than that, I've had no issues, and hope to continue that. And I've found that simply being an adult goes a long way toward ensuring my encounters are pleasant or at least fruitful.
This has been one of those issues that's likely plagued rowers since someone first considered rowing as an exercise and way of competition rather than a means of transportation or warfare. Despite the planet being mostly water, there seems to be an abundance of traffic on the waterways requiring some deft moving, and negotiation skills.
I'm fortunate that most of the locations I've coached at lack much in the way of waterborne traffic, though occasionally you might find someone coming your direction. I've coached on small water ways, and large ones, lakes and rivers and have found that often, if there is a problem with other craft, both parties are at fault - typically.
I'm going to sound old here, but there's certain decorum that I believe needs to come when operating on the water, and it begins with acknowledging other boaters. That's more than understanding that they exist. This means physically acknowledging them with a friendly wave. If you've traveled behind a motorcycle as they've passed another, you've likely seen them extend their left arm with their index and middle fingers pointed down. It's a sign from one person to another, and I find it to be a good ice breaker if you will for other boaters.
Where I find fault with other boaters is them not understanding the delicate nature of our shells, or the danger that their boats present to ours. A wake that seems harmless to them might well swamp one of our shells. Because we're lower toward the water, it makes us more difficult to spot especially in low light conditions or when the sun is reflecting off the water.
Where I find fault with rowers and coaches is in the belief that every single boat sharing the water way must give way to the shell, and hold up their business while we conduct ours. Rowing shells have a 100 foot wakeless zone around them in all directions, but if you've ever rowed on a river, you realize how navigating this zone can be difficult. I also find that most coaches refuse to change what they are doing meaning boats traveling in the same direction are forced to try and pass without causing any wake. Think of it like trying to pass a car doing 60 mph, and you're only allowed to do 60.1. Furthermore, I find that motorboats make situations worse by trying to slow down to be courteous. I'd prefer them to rip by us while on plane giving us a wider berth as to create less wake.
More than anything, I find that situations are either set off or defused by simple courtesy.
1. Keep your shells close together. Shells should be no more than 10 feet apart from oar tips, and should not be more than 2 lengths of water behind or ahead.
2. Keep the coaching launch on the outside of the shells. Because the launch is usually bigger or more visible, it creates a physical presence on the water.
3. Lights. It's alarming the number of programs that see lights as a hassle. Your coaching launch should always have lights on and running, and it's helpful for your shells to do the same.
4. Brightly colored clothing.
5. Be aware of the conditions. Again, low light conditions, or evenings, or fog make life more difficult for other boaters as well as your crews.
6. ALWAYS obey river traffic laws. If you're smack in the middle of the water way going against traffic and you get waked out or run down, that's 1000000000000 percent on you.
7. Simply understand your water way. If you're on a river, or lake, understand where and when it will get busy. If you're on a navigable river or lake with commercial traffic, understand when it's likely to be a problem, and where you're going to encounter issues.
Above all, common courtesy will go a long way toward making situations easier to manage. It's difficult in the heat of the moment to allow calmer nerves to take hold, but it's better to approach the situation in a non threatening manner. Yelling, screaming, attacking, cursing, are guarantees that your point will be lost, no matter how valid. Dick measuring doesn't ever work.
Remember that it's not your water way just as it's not theirs. If someone is an asshole about it, then they're an asshole about it. If it's a major problem, I've suggested that you have a couple of cameras running so that you have physical, indisputable evidence of their wrong doing. Keep in mind that this also means you could be found at fault.
Have emergency numbers on standby in case a situation gets out of hand. While in college, a drunk boater decided to have a go at one of our shells and chewed up three oars, and a couple of riggers. Thankfully no one was hurt, and the police were there to nab them.
Common courtesy isn't all that common, but it should be. In 15 years of coaching, I have had only two incidents with other boaters or folks on the water. One was a masters rower who didn't obey the lake traffic rules, and one was a fisherman fishing in a spot that was clearly marked, "NO FISHING."
Other than that, I've had no issues, and hope to continue that. And I've found that simply being an adult goes a long way toward ensuring my encounters are pleasant or at least fruitful.
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