31st MAY 2010
So! The rowers could not cross The Channel due to really foul weather and the following time constraints. The cutters were taken across on one of the cross Channel ferries, as were the rowers on board coaches. The weather was that bad that the row had to commence again from La Havre on the tidal section of the River Seine.
The following two and a half days along the river section were hectic for the rowers, and if you look at the officialo website, you'll see how the rest of the story unfolded.
For our part as land support, it went well. We were ahead of the game all of the time and had the welcoming party ready and waiting at the Marina L'Arsenal in Paris as the crews came home. After they helped getting their boats out of the water and loaded onto the trailers, the rowers were treated to some bubbly stuff and some well earned beers! The evening reception was also sorted before the rowers and their families arrived at the hotel in Paris. All in all, a good performance all round!!
In 2012, we are hoping to hold an even bigger Challenge. This time for around six crews of twelve, so if you know of anyone brave enough to enter, send them our way!
Until next time - bon voyage!
Roger G
Monday 31 May 2010
Monday 10 May 2010
Weather problems cause concern
SUNDAY 9th May 2010
News just in from Jock that the trailers will be stood down for the night but will be needed on Monday to take the cutters and their crews to France on the ferry as the weather is getting worse in the days ahead. I phoned Richard and Malcolm to let them know the news, and they, like true professionals, ask questions but understand the need for caution and take it all in their stride. After all, they have both rowed this route themselves and between them are extremely established and record holding long distance rowers. If ever you want someone in your corner helping out, these two are your men!
At 08:30 on Monday 10th May 2010 I received a text from Nicola stating simply. "Gravesend - sunk. Reivers - towed, Outloars - result". I was amazed and worried at the same time. Phoning Nicola, I discovered that Richard and Malcolm had been phoned direct by Jock in the dead of the night to get them down to the coast to pick up the crews and cutters to take them to France on the ferries. The Gravresend boys had apparently taken on water and had to be lifted off by their safety boat. The cutter was emptied and taken to shore without apparent damage. Reivers were taken under tow by their support crew who obviously deemed it too rough to continue rowing, and the Outloars, who were in a slightly different area, managed to valiantly struggle on in difficult conditions to complete this stage. All were now in the Herne Bay area regrouping and looking for breakfast!!
Who says this is not exciting stuff?
News just in from Jock that the trailers will be stood down for the night but will be needed on Monday to take the cutters and their crews to France on the ferry as the weather is getting worse in the days ahead. I phoned Richard and Malcolm to let them know the news, and they, like true professionals, ask questions but understand the need for caution and take it all in their stride. After all, they have both rowed this route themselves and between them are extremely established and record holding long distance rowers. If ever you want someone in your corner helping out, these two are your men!
At 08:30 on Monday 10th May 2010 I received a text from Nicola stating simply. "Gravesend - sunk. Reivers - towed, Outloars - result". I was amazed and worried at the same time. Phoning Nicola, I discovered that Richard and Malcolm had been phoned direct by Jock in the dead of the night to get them down to the coast to pick up the crews and cutters to take them to France on the ferries. The Gravresend boys had apparently taken on water and had to be lifted off by their safety boat. The cutter was emptied and taken to shore without apparent damage. Reivers were taken under tow by their support crew who obviously deemed it too rough to continue rowing, and the Outloars, who were in a slightly different area, managed to valiantly struggle on in difficult conditions to complete this stage. All were now in the Herne Bay area regrouping and looking for breakfast!!
Who says this is not exciting stuff?
So it begins...
SUNDAY 9th May 2010
Follow the Challenge on http://www.london2parisrowing.com/
Challenge Day started early for everyone today. Both Nicky and I were up and away by 03:00 to meet with Richard Carless and Malcolm Knight of Marine Film Services http://www.marinefilmservices.co.uk/ at Richmond Bridge Boathouses to tow the two cutters to St Katherine's Dock. The Paul Satow and Arthur Alcock looked really gleaming in the early morning haze. The weather was clear and very chilly! First stop, Richmond Lock. A really wonderful experience travelling through one of the oldest pieces of architecture and engineering in the country. It always fascinates me just how ingenious mankind can be when we put our minds to good instead of discovering news ways to injure or overthrow each others way of life! That being said, we progressed through a waking City of London with only one other craft on the water for the entire distance travelled.
Arriving at St Katherine's on the pier of the dock, we find all three crews already there along with the support vessels. http://www.doverseaschool.co.uk/ My jobs included placing the Small Ships Registration numbers on each of the three cutters. With those firmly gaffer taped to the forward hulls of each, I press on with the next issues. The spare bits of kit brought up from Mark Edwards at the boat house are stowed on board the committee boat and I set off to the Dickens Inn, where the staff have come in extra early just for us to enjoy breakfast and a final briefing. With breakfasts ordered, Mike Oram delivers the final briefing.
Everyone is shocked to hear the news that the French authorities have blocked our attempt to row the Channel. Reasons given are that the event is too dangerous and will compromise the safety and security of the crossing area in the port of Calais. Mike has been carrying out these events and escorting such crossings for too many years to remember, and he is flabbergasted that they have known about this event for so long, and waited until Thursday before sending a rushed email, telling us of their decision. In their email, they tell us that the safety boats will all have to pay hundreds of thousands of Euros in fines if they persist with the crossing, and added that the cutters will be impounded for two days and charges made to get therm back! It is obvious that they have not read our Risk Assessment or looked at the safety precautions taken to ensure things are met with safety in mind.
However, the weather looks like it will not allow a safe crossing anyhow so the problem will not arise. Our Plan B will doubtless be put into full swing with Richard and Malcolm trailering the cutters to France and the rowers pulling them along the French coastline to La Havre.
This brings to notice another interesting rule VERY recently imposed by the French. It seems that Self Propelled boats (rowing boats), that are not automatic self-baling, are not permitted to be more than 2 miles away from coastal cover, and that Self Propelled boats that are automatic self-baling are not allowed to be more than 6 miles from shore cover! Effectively, this cancels ANY attempt to row the Channel, ever again.
The only way I see round it in future, is to change the type of boats used to something more substantial that have the ability to be sailed. For example, Whalers. These are 29 foot long, weight 29 hundred weight, and designed to carry 29 people in an emergency. They are usually rowed, but some have a facility to be sailed also. This would obviously change the event completely for the future, but if the French stick to this decision not to allow Self Propelled vessels further than 6 miles from their coast, the only answer is to make the event one that accommodates their choice.
The crews gave a mixed response to the news that they were unlikely to be allowed to row the Channel. This ranged from quiet acceptance to bewilderment and in some cases, underlying rage. You can understand this and appreciate that these people have been selling an event to themselves and their sponsors that includes a row across the Channel, only to have that game plan changed at the last moment by an authority that is outside our control. I'd be fuming if it were me! It's like climbing to base camp of Everest, then being helicoptered onto the final ascent and climbing the last 20 feet or so.
The Challenge started dead on time as the chimes of Big Ben sounded nine o'clock. The crews set off with the Gravesend Boys leading the way through the incoming tide. They were followed by the Reivers crew in Arthur Alcock with the Outloars in Paul Satow bringing up a close third.
By the time I left them at Greenwich the places were the same; apart from the fact that the spaces had increased a lot, the crews were still looking strong as ever.
However, read on for developments later in the evening!
Follow the Challenge on http://www.london2parisrowing.com/
Challenge Day started early for everyone today. Both Nicky and I were up and away by 03:00 to meet with Richard Carless and Malcolm Knight of Marine Film Services http://www.marinefilmservices.co.uk/ at Richmond Bridge Boathouses to tow the two cutters to St Katherine's Dock. The Paul Satow and Arthur Alcock looked really gleaming in the early morning haze. The weather was clear and very chilly! First stop, Richmond Lock. A really wonderful experience travelling through one of the oldest pieces of architecture and engineering in the country. It always fascinates me just how ingenious mankind can be when we put our minds to good instead of discovering news ways to injure or overthrow each others way of life! That being said, we progressed through a waking City of London with only one other craft on the water for the entire distance travelled.
Arriving at St Katherine's on the pier of the dock, we find all three crews already there along with the support vessels. http://www.doverseaschool.co.uk/ My jobs included placing the Small Ships Registration numbers on each of the three cutters. With those firmly gaffer taped to the forward hulls of each, I press on with the next issues. The spare bits of kit brought up from Mark Edwards at the boat house are stowed on board the committee boat and I set off to the Dickens Inn, where the staff have come in extra early just for us to enjoy breakfast and a final briefing. With breakfasts ordered, Mike Oram delivers the final briefing.
Everyone is shocked to hear the news that the French authorities have blocked our attempt to row the Channel. Reasons given are that the event is too dangerous and will compromise the safety and security of the crossing area in the port of Calais. Mike has been carrying out these events and escorting such crossings for too many years to remember, and he is flabbergasted that they have known about this event for so long, and waited until Thursday before sending a rushed email, telling us of their decision. In their email, they tell us that the safety boats will all have to pay hundreds of thousands of Euros in fines if they persist with the crossing, and added that the cutters will be impounded for two days and charges made to get therm back! It is obvious that they have not read our Risk Assessment or looked at the safety precautions taken to ensure things are met with safety in mind.
However, the weather looks like it will not allow a safe crossing anyhow so the problem will not arise. Our Plan B will doubtless be put into full swing with Richard and Malcolm trailering the cutters to France and the rowers pulling them along the French coastline to La Havre.
This brings to notice another interesting rule VERY recently imposed by the French. It seems that Self Propelled boats (rowing boats), that are not automatic self-baling, are not permitted to be more than 2 miles away from coastal cover, and that Self Propelled boats that are automatic self-baling are not allowed to be more than 6 miles from shore cover! Effectively, this cancels ANY attempt to row the Channel, ever again.
The only way I see round it in future, is to change the type of boats used to something more substantial that have the ability to be sailed. For example, Whalers. These are 29 foot long, weight 29 hundred weight, and designed to carry 29 people in an emergency. They are usually rowed, but some have a facility to be sailed also. This would obviously change the event completely for the future, but if the French stick to this decision not to allow Self Propelled vessels further than 6 miles from their coast, the only answer is to make the event one that accommodates their choice.
The crews gave a mixed response to the news that they were unlikely to be allowed to row the Channel. This ranged from quiet acceptance to bewilderment and in some cases, underlying rage. You can understand this and appreciate that these people have been selling an event to themselves and their sponsors that includes a row across the Channel, only to have that game plan changed at the last moment by an authority that is outside our control. I'd be fuming if it were me! It's like climbing to base camp of Everest, then being helicoptered onto the final ascent and climbing the last 20 feet or so.
The Challenge started dead on time as the chimes of Big Ben sounded nine o'clock. The crews set off with the Gravesend Boys leading the way through the incoming tide. They were followed by the Reivers crew in Arthur Alcock with the Outloars in Paul Satow bringing up a close third.
By the time I left them at Greenwich the places were the same; apart from the fact that the spaces had increased a lot, the crews were still looking strong as ever.
However, read on for developments later in the evening!
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