Bumps, Blades, and Bowballs- Cambridge Boatie Chat

ooops! Was the narrowboat (that is most likely what it was- there are v few barges on the river) actually moving? James will find this rather funny. Hope you're alright though, no wiel's disease setting in...

Reply 981

Rainfaery

12

Chewwy

because... we had a lot of boats going out, and the lower boats were using those crazy boats that have the cox sitting behind bow, which probably require someone more experienced. and we have a real dearth of coxes. plus we were being coached by a former german international, so we didn't expect anything that bad to happen.

we were going fast straight into a barge, the cox screams "WATCH OUT!!!", we all spin round (and so shift our weight), bow side have their blades forced all the way in, we fall in.

Even though I don't go to Cambridge yet, I thought I'd pop in and say bow-loaders aren't actually harder to cox. Steering is generally easier, especially because it's really easy to see what's in front of you. The only problem is that you can't see your rowers, so you've really got to try to feel in the movement of the boat whether everyone is catching together and not rushing their slide.
</random interruption>

Reply 982

smilepea

You know said cox has been asked to cox again ...

Reply 983

Chewwy

17

lol i know, but only the M2 eight, which is far less capsizable, plus has a far less precious crew :smile:

Reply 984

smilepea

ah is that who she's coxing, i don't think she knows that yet, she feels really bad about the whole thing, and twas the first time she'd been out in an actual boat :s-smilie:

nothing like being thrown in at the deep end :o:

Reply 985

Apagg

13

@ Caius M1 taking a swim :biggrin:

Reply 986

FadeToBlackout

OP

15

Chewwy

lol i know, but only the M2 eight, which is far less capsizable, plus has a far less precious crew :smile:

I'm around for the rest of the week- it's half term!- and I'm up for coxing if you want someone a little more experienced.

Another college to add to my list of 7 town clubs and 4 college clubs...

Reply 987

Scipio90

Went all 8 for the first time today - not brilliantly balanced, but I think we're kind of getting the idea.

Reply 988

Chewwy

17

was ******* amazing today. 500m piece @ 1:31. made getting to the boathouse for 6am worthwhile...

Reply 989

Galatea

11

aah, I've just started trying rowing and coxing in these least couple of weeks; both are so much harder than they look, especially rowing! And what's with the 6 am starts; ok, I know some people have lectures at nine, but we could at least go out at 7, then that wouldn't mean getting up in the middle of the night.

My coxing today was pretty crap; I somehow managed to crash the 8 man boat into a tree (I know what you're thinking; they're aren't many trees in the middle of the river cam; but it really came out of nowhere), trying to avoid hitting a duck.

I also don't know the meaning of half the stuff I'm instructed to say 'all crew feather tight paddling, low pressure', etc; what the hell does it mean?

But yeah, apart from all of that, good fun

Reply 990

--

3

Galatea

I also don't know the meaning of half the stuff I'm instructed to say 'all crew feather tight paddling, low pressure', etc; what the hell does it mean?

feather = twisting the blade to make it flat on the recovery (blade = oar, recovery = sliding forwards ready to pull the oar again). As opposed to square blades where the angle of the blade stays the same. Basically a feathered blade looks like this ----- and a square blade is vertical.

tight paddling = **** knows, keep the same timing maybe?

low pressure = as it sounds, the rowers put less pressure into the stroke, dont push as hard with their legs/arms/back

I dont have to get up for a 6.15 outing tomorrow now as its been cancelled, woop.

Reply 991

Galatea

11

possibly it was 'light paddling'...

hmm don't know. Thanks anyway!

Reply 992

groovy_moose

1

What are you doing up at 6am if you're a novice crew? You're not even allowed out until 7.30!

Reply 993

Rainfaery

12

Random question: If one has rowing and coxing experience before they come to Cambridge, would they join the novice crew, or would they get to go out with more experienced rowers?

Reply 994

groovy_moose

1

I imagine that in most colleges they would let you try for a senior boat - there's no point in inflicting 7 novice rowers on someone who is already somewhat proficient, though i've never met anypne who's actually done that, to the best of my knowledge

Reply 995

smilepea

There's a guy at Caius who had been rowing for about 7yrs when he came and he was put straight into M1 ... until he decided to swap getting up at 5am for getting home at 4am and joined the drinking soc

Reply 996

--

3

groovy_moose

What are you doing up at 6am if you're a novice crew? You're not even allowed out until 7.30!

I'm not novicing, I'm in our senior M2 boat. The three outings I had last term seem to have counted as me novicing. So out on the river at a ******* freezing 6.15am for me for the next week or so, till it gets darker in the mornings again.

There's a couple of guys in my college that have arrived this year with previous experience and went straight into senior boats. And someone arrived last year who'd coxed before and went straight into coxing the senior M1.

Reply 997

--

3

smilepea

There's a guy at Caius who had been rowing for about 7yrs when he came and he was put straight into M1 ... until he decided to swap getting up at 5am for getting home at 4am and joined the drinking soc

Haha, I'm so far managing to balance rowing with a drinking society, as long as I don't get monday morning outings I should be fine...

Reply 998

groovy_moose

1

Cantab

I'm not novicing, I'm in our senior M2 boat. The three outings I had last term seem to have counted as me novicing. So out on the river at a ******* freezing 6.15am for me for the next week or so, till it gets darker in the mornings again.

There's a couple of guys in my college that have arrived this year with previous experience and went straight into senior boats. And someone arrived last year who'd coxed before and went straight into coxing the senior M1.

That was aimed at Galatea, rather than you - i know you're not a novice - she wrote about 6am starts, and i can't imagine any reasn why you would need a 6am start when you're not allowed out on the river til 7.30... unless you were walking from homerton, or something...

Reply 999

Apagg

13

groovy_moose

That was aimed at Galatea, rather than you - i know you're not a novice - she wrote about 6am starts, and i can't imagine any reasn why you would need a 6am start when you're not allowed out on the river til 7.30... unless you were walking from homerton, or something...

She's a novice cox, not rower

Bumps, Blades, and Bowballs- Cambridge Boatie Chat

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Trending

Latest