Quite apart from keeping fit and rowing fast, a key component of success in the Rallye was manoeuvring the boat in and out of the water. It took us a little while to get the hang of this, rather perversely in part because our large shore crew meant we occasionally got in each other’s way. We got better with practice, as you do, but Georges K’s arrival on Wednesday helped considerably.
One of the complications was that more often than not there was no nice pontoon, or obvious mooring point available. With fifteen boats jockeying for position whilst also trying to avoid the various barges and pleasure cruisers on the canal it was often a case of finding any available site with a reasonably smooth bank and giving the incoming boat enough time to stop. More than once several boats misjudged their approach with varying degrees of damage to the bowball resulting.
The trick we learned was to quickly unload the trolley and the crew before swinging the boat back out to an approximate 45 degree angle. The boat’s bow was then lifted high out of water and placed on the trolley. A second lift then re-positioned the trolley near the boats centre of gravity, after which it was easy for just two or three people to run the boat past the lock. Where it was less than a kilometre or so between locks, as was frequently the case on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was faster to not bother relaunching the boat but keep runnning. The shore crew usually took care of the boat at this point, with the rowers enjoying a brief respite on the bikes.
Here are a few photos illustrating the process, courtesy of Pierre Allard who was “embedded” with the winners, La Dépêche TASL during the Rallye.
Getting back in the water on Monday afternoon (Rowing Club de Paris to the left)
Lifting the boat out of the water at Carcassone on Wednesday lunchtime
Meanwhile, La Dépêche TASL put more distance between themselves and the rest of the field
Like some strange tortoise, Fred and his wife carry his scull whilst wheeling a bike
As Andre watches in the foreground the Blackstrokes manouevre the boat out of a chaotically crowded canal on Wednesday afternoon.
blackstrokesrowingadventure 