By Nick Tittle (Thames RC)
I’ve rowed for a long time; some say TOO long and even more say not very well. So I know the Tideway, at least facing backwards and pulling an oar…
So when Paddy Ryan and LYR offered me the chance of learning to pilot a launch I thought “YES, a chance to get my own back for all those times I’ve been washed down.” Now it’s Monday night, 7.30pm outside Thames boat house on Putney Embankment. Being November, it’s dark so I’m looking forward to the first session in the classroom, in the warm, maybe with a mug of tea, and a biscuit, watching someone draw pictures on a whiteboard and explain how to do, um, launch type things.
Hang on, why am I putting a lifejacket on? Why are the boat-house doors open and why are we wheeling out a couple of aluminium boats I recognise as those devil coaching launches responsible for spoiling so many morning outings?
To my horror, I realise we are going out on the water… in a launch … NOW. Paddy is saying something about doing figures of eight past the moored boats. Oh heck, best pay attention… I’ve never done this before and I’ve got no idea what to do. Just as well then that Paddy, and his best mate Tom Metcalfe, are systematically talking us through everything we need to know. This is kinaesthetic, learning by doing, the memorable way. By the end of the session I know about 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines, respective fuels and oils, navigation lights and battery packs, how to float the launch off the trailer (with the stream), dropping and lifting the engine, starting it and paddling to the shore when it doesn’t. Also how to drive the thing, in circles and figures of eight: not bad for one session.
Man overboard
Over the next few weeks we progressively build on what we have learnt, repeating the basics to make them second nature, building confidence through familiarity. Not to mention the endless stream of river wisdom from Tom, a tenth generation Thames Waterman and a very fine sculler who’s won Doggets Coat and Badge. You could pay good money for this sort of one to one tuition. Now, Tom’s not stupid – very far from it – so why, on another dark evening in the middle of December, is he jumping off the side of the boat into the Thames? Ah yes, of course, he’s going to be the man overboard so we can practice rescuing him. All we have to do is manoeuvre the boat up to Tom (preferably without running over the top of him and chopping him up with the propeller), knock the engine into neutral, pull him up and over the side into the launch. No problem there, then…
Well, I don’t know how many times Tom jumped in and we fished him out, at least 20, probably more, but every time he went in we learned a bit more; about how to keep control in a strong current, how to prevent the swimmer being swept under the boat, when to knock it into neutral, and not least, the need to keep talking to the person in the water.
By the end of the sessions, I felt much more confident about everything, particularly controlling the boat. Don’t get me wrong, I need practice, and lots of it, but I can do things now I couldn’t six weeks ago and it’s given me the confidence to go out on the water and learn to do even more, like how NOT to wash scullers down. Also it’s taken me a long way towards my Level 2 Safety qualification. This seems to be the LYR way, to learn by doing and, by doing, learn to do more. I like it. By the way Paddy, is there actually a classroom and whiteboard at Thames?
Many thanks to LYR for the opportunity and to Paddy, Tom and Steve Salter for making it happen.