Thought Provoking Articles
Health Protection agency: The Thames Recreational Users Study (PDF 923Kb - 91 pages)
Sourced from: http://www.hpa.org.uk/london/pubs_pdf/Thames_rec.pdf
14/03/2006
Noted the following
Further to my posting on communicating with other persons when in trouble afloat, I'm sure Steven won't mind me posting his brilliantly simple and effective idea. I also carry a whistle in the pocket of my umpiring jacket, but I cannot claim to be the one who came up with the idea that a whistle is a great way to attract rowers' attention. I was at a GB Junior training camp many years ago; I asked a coach (in the bar!) why he had a whistle round his neck. He told me that the one thing that always attracts attention when crews are about to hit something, is the shrill piercing noise of a whistle. I have also found it does the same thing when you need to attract the attention of wayward rowers during regattas when the cheering/shouting of spectators is ineffective.
I strongly recommend other clubs (and not just those with juniors) follow Steven's excellent suggestion.
Ken Hastie NE Rowing Online
Also----I believe that capsized crews struggle to summon help easily. Voices do not carry well and sometimes crews are rendered dumb by cold water shock. Seconds count in cold water. Launch drivers may be distracted coaching other crews (but not in an ideal world!).
To help counter this I have fitted plastic survival whistles to the saxboards of the junior boats -one each side. They are £1 each and are available from outdoor equipment suppliers. Velcro sticky pads are cheap and are obtainable from DIY stores. String avoids their loss. The whistle noise travels well and clears of water immediately when blown.
They are cheap, effective and easily fitted. I recommend this.
Steven Leigh
26/12/2006
Noted the following on the NE website
First of all Merry Christmas everybody, hope Father Christmas was kind to you all.
Secondly, just to keep abreast of the Eight's dilemma. I had a look at the Grass by Elvet, and the stern section has been moved there.
From what I know of this boat, if it is Mary's, it was moved to Elvet Grass during the summer, but then was moved onto Grey landing stage and had been there all last term.
During this holiday though, it looks like someone chucked the bows into the river, and also someone moved the stern back onto the grass, maybe due to seeing what happened to the other half?
Either way the bows of the eight are still on the corner of the river at the Sands, though now tucked into the bank, and might be accessible from the river bank. I'm going to go see if it is reachable from the bank tomorrow. If it is I'll report back, if anybody is able to help me get this boat out of the river I'd be most grateful.
Yours, Ben
Ben.
I hope you do not mind my getting in touch with you and stating my thoughts.
As one whose life has been totally involved in safety, prevention rescue and death on waterways, it perturbs me greatly when I hear of incidents like this.
Someone could have drowned trying to reach this boat section, trying to play with it
Someone could have thought that there had been an accident to a crew and called out the emergency services
No craft or piece of craft should be left lying where members of the public can access it and perhaps accidents occur.
Therefore it is my opinion that this section should not have been left lying about.
Once it had been thrown in it should have been removed immediately by some responsible person.
Having reached the weir it certainly should not have remained
there for any period of time before being removed.
If there had been an accident, heaven forbid a child or youngster drowned trying to access it for play, then the ramifications on the rowing world would have been great.
Rowing cannot afford such an accident.
It is my opinion that this message should reach everyone involved and I will be happy if you would copy my thoughts to regional safety personnel club and college members and indeed anyone who will take cognisance of my views.
Thank you for your time and have a Merry (and safe) Christmas.
George Parsonage
And I agree the section should be removed forthwith. And if it is known that it does belong to St. Mary's Boat Club then it is they who should take immediate action (assuming it is safe to do so) to
remove it from the water.
If anyone is reading this from St. Mary's and they know the craft is theirs and don't have the facility to get to it, then if they contact me I am prepared to bring my own tender/outboard/ropes/buoyancy aids to help retrieve the boat.
The main thing that disappoints me here is that equipment appears to be valued so cheaply these days. This is not the first report of misplaced equipment to have hit these pages this year.
Ken Hastie
Thought Provoking link:
http://www.leoblockley.org.uk/news.asp
Observed the following the Evening Times Wed 23rd November 2006:
Let's reduce risk of floods
This is the time of the year when the leaves fall off the trees. This is also the time of year when flooding occurs across Scotland.
Why is it then that councils are still using machines to blow leaves off pavements into the gutters of our streets? These leaves more than any other thing block the gutters and drains.
Surely we should have machines that suck the leaves up instead of blowing them into the gutters?
GEORGE PARSONAGE Glasgow Humane Society Glasgow Green
This Yellow gate is meant to be for emergency access to the river banks – it has been like this since the gate was erected 2 years ago.
Observed the following (selected text only)
Accidents can happen anywhere.
The fortunate thing is that no one else lost their life in a rescue attempt
Man feared drowned on Whanganui
A man is missing presumed drowned after capsizing his single scull on the Whanganui River last night.
Whanganui police say two college students tried to help the rower, but were unable to rescue him.
Two high school students were heard pleading for help as they tried to rescue an elderly rower from the Whanganui River last night.
A 75-year-old man is presumed to have drowned after the boat he was rowing capsized
Whanganui police said two high school students attempted to help the capsized rower but were unable to rescue him.
Watching an elderly man slump – possibly to death – hasn’t put his rescuers off getting in the water.
Wanganui twins aged 15, were with a number of people at the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club when a 75-year-old had what appeared to be a heart attack while rowing.
The Wanganui City College Year 11 students said they watched him slump forward then tip his boat over. “We looked at him a couple of times and there was no movement, and then everyone else went to open the Aramoho shed to get the coaching boat out. I thought I would go to him before that and ended up just diving into the water,”
A Wanganui Collegiate student, who had an injured arm, had the same idea and reached the man before he did, While the pair tried to turn the boat over, they spotted Mr. Munson’s feet still trapped in the boat.
As they watched, the feet fell away.
Peter said he wasn’t disturbed by the sight, and his first instincts were to dive down after him.
They both dived down into the murky water several times in vain to find the man, but couldn’t see even the tips of their fingers.
Also observed the following
The reporter here seems to be missing a very important point.
What if someone had drowned during this incident? If the launch and oars etc were so readily accessible to the public it means that anyone could have taken them-even some youngsters, and there could have been an accident resulting in very bad publicity for the rowing world.
I have read several articles recently regarding boats being stolen, just pushed into the water, or taken out by persons unknown.
This is an accident waiting to happen and we should all be very careful to lock our premises and put items out of reach of the general public.
We should also take into account the amount of potential vandalism to craft costing thousands of pounds.
"The PLA were rather confused on Tuesday morning when they came across a launch belonging to Twickenham RC sitting on the river bank just downstream of the Teddington stone.
Apparently abandoned, it had been tied to a tree, but its outboard engine was sitting on the bank alongside it.
Confused as to why it was there and with the tide preventing the launch crew from getting to it, they tried calling the club to no avail. The lockeeper at Teddington, did however manage to rouse one of the club's coaches, who informed the club captain that he'd better go and rescue it - which he did.
With the Captain none the wiser to why it was there, it looks suspiciously like someone had attempted to nick it. Some TwRC sculling blades has also been taken and left in the boat, so whoever had taken it had obviously rowed it upstream to the stone then tried to remove the engine before abandoning it.
Again a timely reminder that as engines are not cheap and are easily sold on, just locking your petrol supplies away isn't going to stop the determined thief from having a go. "
Observed the following article in Evening Times Newspaper
Hunt for hammer gang after attack
Police are hunting a gang of three who attacked a man near to Glasgow Green.
The 36yr old victim was assaulted on McNeil Street close to Adelphi Street around 5.30pm on Thursday.
He was struck with a hammer on the knees and ribs and slashed on the face by the gang.
And had it not been for the quick action of George Parsonage of the Glasgow Humane Society who is based at Glasgow Green, there could have been a more serious outcome.
Mr Parsonage said "the man came running to the house shouting he had been slashed and stabbed."
"I slammed on the Police help point button which meant that the CCTV cameras would be positioned on us."
The thugs wearing hoods or balaclavas had carried out the attack after jumping from a black 4x4 car.
TRAGIC OARSMAN'S KIN SUE OVER DEATH CRASH
Source: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62303.htm
(Extract) February 23, 2006 -- The family of a rower killed in a predawn collision with a motorboat on the Harlem River last fall is suing the groups that provided the scull, along with the skipper of the power craft.
The executors of the estate of Jim Runsdorf say in the complaint, filed yesterday at Bronx Supreme Court, that the New York Rowing Association and the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse failed to install running lights or markings that would have made the scull visible in the predawn darkness.
They also say the association and boathouse should have provided the rowers with an escort vessel.
Observed the following on the web
Source: http://www.ara-rowing.org/news/060208_capsizedrill.php
Changes to the capsize drill
08/02/06
Level 2 UK Coaching Certificate
The Level 2 Coaching Certificate succeeded the Instructors Award at the beginning of 2006 with updates of the resources including the Capsize Drill.
The new resource Coaching the Capsize and Immersion Drill in a single scull in a safe environment has been trialled and modified since last August in various parts of the country. Those with the Instructors award are assured that their certificate is valid, but as with all coaching practices need to be aware of the additions to the capsize drill now featured in the new resource document.
Download Coaching the Capsize and Immersion Drill in a single scull in a safe environment (as an acrobat file)
Observed the following on the web
Source: http://www.nerowing.com/formConfSafetyNotesJan06.doc
The Northern Region Club Development Conference on Sunday included a presentation on safety advice, which is on the NRC Safety Page as a PowerPoint presentation. For those that don’t have PowerPoint on their computer, I have listed some of the key points below.
Insurance:
If your club runs private events (not on the ARA calendar) check your insurance; they are not covered by ARA insurance. University events may be covered by the university’s insurance.
Clothing:
One of the contributory factors in the tragedy at Reading was that the young sculler was wearing jeans, which restricted his ability to swim. This table shows some examples of suitable and unsuitable clothing for rowing. Club colours are required for racing but during training any suitable clothing may be worn.
| Suitable | Unsuitable |
| Layers which can be removed/added e.g. T-shirts | Clothes that restrict movement and swimming ability, e.g. denim jeans & tops |
| Close fitting | Loose fitting clothes |
| Stretchy/Elastic | Bulky garments – e.g. fleeces & quilted items |
| Sports clothes | Day clothes |
| Wind/Rain protection | Tracksuit bottoms round ankles! |
| Thermals | |
| Sun Protection | |
| High visibility colours |
The comment on tracksuit bottoms round ankles refers to the practice of pulling them down to race without going to the effort of removing them completely; this is very dangerous! You might as well wear an anchor.
Key Points
- Safety is a responsibility shared by everyone.
- The Club and Coaches have a higher level of responsibility to their members.
- Coaches have a safety-training role.
- The Club needs to have a well defined written code addressing the safety, welfare and progress of its beginner and junior members.
- A code needs to be understood and followed by all and regularly reviewed.
- A structured induction process is essential for safety, skill development and …
Boat buoyancy:
Several clubs will be taking boats to the Tideway for the Women’s, Men’s and Veteran heads. Swamping is not an unknown hazard on the Thames. Durham University Colleges are making all their boats buoyant and, being students, will use the cheapest and most effective method they can find. I know of four methods of making a boat buoyant: buying a fully buoyant boat in the first place; boxing in the under-seat compartments with ply-wood or plastic; inserting airbags under the seats; or inserting foam under the seats.
Buying a fully buoyant boat. Any new boat should be fully buoyant; it should not be heavier, it should be stiffer and it should not cost more. Ask the manufacturer to confirm that the boat will, when swamped, support the crew and allow them to control their boat. A Janousek coxed four completed a race at BUSA in 2004 with water flowing in and out of the boat; it was slow, but it made it. If you swamp in a wide river or lake, you will regret getting a non-buoyant boat.
Boxing in the under-seat compartments. If the boat has buoyancy compartments that have been drilled for lightness, e.g. Filippi and most older plastic boats, thin sheets of ply-wood or plastic will seal the compartments, and hatch covers will give you dry storage for your spare kit. For older open-lattice wooden boats, professional boat builders, such as Browns of Durham, would probably charge an uneconomical rate to box in the under-seat compartments because each seat is different and every one would have to be boxed in with considerable craft skills.
Airbags. You should aim to have 40 litres of airbags under each seat of an eight and 20 litres under each seat of a four. The Eton Racing Boats airbags have a capacity of 10 litres each and cost about £11 each (about £90 for a four and £350 for an eight). They are easy to fit but must be secured so that they do not protrude through the slide bed and jam the seats. If you do use airbags, ensure that you do not over-inflate them; they can push the skin away from the ribs, weakening the structure.
Foam. Carl Douglas recommends that, if you use expanding foam, you insert the foam into a polythene tube (or a bag with the closed end cut open). This will prevent the foam damaging the hull. The resulting tube should be fairly solid and should not move within the structure. Ensure that you use foam that does not fill with water and sink; make a small test block, hold it under water overnight and check that it is still fully buoyant. DU Colleges are working with foam to make their wooden boats fully buoyant. They have promised to send me some pictures of the method used and information on the results, which I will publish here.
Lifting and carrying boats
We often forget that this can be a cause of injury. Lift boats as you would lift weights: keep your back straight, keep close to the weight and use your legs to lift the weight. Bear in mind that a crew must work together when lifting a boat as much as, or more than, when rowing. Don’t leave one person carrying most of the weight. If you have to lift a boat in an awkward position, e.g. onto a rack, consider getting others to help. Many hands make light work. How often does the lightweight or junior crew get the heaviest boat? They may need help.
Coxing on the Tideway
Durham University are holding coxing briefings on the 1st and 15th of February. They have promised to put details on Nerowing and open them to all clubs in the region. I would encourage any cox who has not been to the Tideway before to attend one of these sessions. Things can go very wrong, very quickly on the Thames, when you are surrounded by hundreds of boats and the tide is running faster than I can!
Parting Thought
Safety is not an inconvenience; it’s a vital part of our sport. Coaches have a responsibility for the safety of their crews as well as their speed. The dead and injured don’t row faster!
Letter to Regatta Magazine - 31 Jan 2002
The Editor Regatta Magazine 31stJanuary 2002
ARA 6 Lower Mall Hammersmith
London W6 9DJ
Dear Sir,
I write with reference to article in regatta number 145 February 2002 "Inflation kept under control".
I quote from a safety warning handed out in Scotland.
"The wearing of lifejackets by coxswains is now mandatory during both racing and training. It is essential that the life jacket is your top garment as it can cause suffocation or even crush your ribs if it expands when you go into the water. It should also be the top garment to be visible to umpires and other observers, as well as an example to others".
Yours sincerely
George Parsonage
Letter to Northeast Rowing News/Regatta Magazine / Rudersport
During the summer months I heard a few snippets of information pertaining to standing up in racing craft. It seems that in the North of England there was a young man whose parents bought him a new sculling boat. This young man attended a coaching course where the coach asked him to stand up in his boat. The young man did as requested overbalanced and smashed his new scull.
Also in the North of England a young lady was at a coaching course. She too was requested to stand in her boat. She did as requested fell in, was subsequently sick and missed her exams.
These stories are third hand and I cannot vouch for their accuracy. However I can vouch for the accuracy of the report of a rower who stood up in his boat at the end of a race to celebrate, overbalanced, hit his head on the rigger pin, and sunk.
Since I read that article, I have never been in favour of standing in a racing boat. (Yes this does mean that at least once, before I read the article I did stand up in a racing boat and wish to be on record as stating how absolutely stupid I was and how I regret the example I set).
I cannot see the benefit to be achieved and would welcome rowers’ comments on this, a kind of “safety” versus “benefit to rowing ability” discussion.
We have reached the time of year when Universities start to row again and many beginners are coming down to the River. Once again this year I have had to speak with coaches/coxes regarding the dangers of standing in the cox’s seat, sitting up on the back “canvas” or kneeling up in the boat. All of this behaviour sets a bad example (and does not really help the balance of a beginner crew). Think before you act, your actions may result in some younger or less experienced person copying you, falling into the water and drowning.
But how can one really blame these persons for standing up when many crews especially the Germans were seen to be doing this at the World Championships, and when Coaching Courses include standing in boats.
Have I missed something, is this a vital requisite for becoming a top rower or sculler? Was that where I missed out, as I was never taught to stand in my boat?
I am sure that others would like to hear views on this behaviour and I look forward to a good debate at least on the website of the Northeast.
Yours faithfully
George Parsonage
Letter to Regatta Magazine - 12 Nov 2002
Regatta ARA 12th November 2002
6 Lower Mall
Hammersmith
London W6 9DJ
Dear Sirs,
Thank you for publishing my letter which you entitled “Making a stand for safety”. I found the comments by Mr Colin Brown very interesting but quite disturbing. Having obviously read my article stating what can happen and has happened, I cannot see how Mr Brown can continue to advocate standing in any boat. Now that my article has been published in an internationally read magazine, some of the dangers of standing have been brought to the fore and would have to be addressed in any risk assessment. If Mr Brown continues with what in my mind I see as very unsafe practice, then I can only hope that he never has to stand up and be counted and be accountable in court at a fatal death enquiry.
Yours sincerely
Ps I still cannot see how standing actually achieves anything towards making anyone a better sculler.
George Parsonage