Learning to row

July 26, 2011
For the past couple weeks, we have been too busy and I haven't had a chance to do anything with the dory.  I keep telling myself to get moving on the sailing kit, but I also want to enjoy the boat now that it can be rowed.

I took the dory down to Herrick's Cove by myself, and got it into the water without incident.  I had put the sliding seat back in and managed to get one sculling oar in place but could not reach the other one from the dock.  I decided to get in in the dory and got the other oar in place and then managed to get far enough away from the dock so that I could use the oars.  Unfortunately, I no sooner got out in the river when I realized that I had left my life vest in the car, and had to go back.  I went through the whole procedure again and finally at long last I was out in the river on my own.  Coordinating, arms, legs and sliding seat took awhile.  I decided to practice each part before trying to put it all together.  For awhile a rowed with just my arms, then I put my feet in the footrests and practiced sliding and keeping my back straight.  I thought I had mastered the movements but then realized that I wasn't turning my wrists.  To get that movement down, I again rowed with just my arms but turned my wrists on the return to let the blades just skim above the water.

Once I had the movements synchronized, it felt great.  I'm not sure how good my form was but it felt great.  I had the same feeling I get on a good day cross country skiing.  When I hit the groove, everything else just falls away and I feel like I'm gliding effortlessly.   For a little while today, everything was moving perfectly and I was just flying across the water.  It gave me a glimpse of how much fun this dory can be.

The sliding seat is definitely worth it.  Sitting up a little higher, and the longer oars give a lot more leverage, and the sliding seat lets me use my whole body to good advantage.  Although I've never been in a sculling boat, I also like the stability of the dory even though I can't go as fast.  Sculling boats look like fragile water bugs to me; one false move and I'd be in the water instead of on top if it.