Harlem River Community Rowing

Container Repairs—Stage 2 Complete!

2010-12-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

A handful of dedicated volunteers hauled their butts out of bed this past (chilly) Sunday morning, hauled gear and equipment (including a portable generator), hauled coffee and bagels, hauled sheet metal and extension cords, hauled oars and old equipment out and back into containers, and hauled tools and sacks of mystery gear around to fix parts and shoo away mice—all in the name of the last work day of the year. (The mice were my favorite part, as well as Martin’s break dancing and, of course, pop-riveting some ornery flaps of metal into place.)

Masochists? Well, sorta. But if you don't remember the sorry state of our containers, with their leaky and rusting roofs, check out this photo showing what they USED to look like.

Those holes were covered this summer; the leaks in the fence-side container, which caused the floor boards to rot, creating several gaping pits, were covered yesterday. They were an eyesore, yes, but also really bad for our equipment. We are extremely indebted to all our volunteers who have made our boat facilities safer (Jessie and Andrea, Terence and Shawn, Katie and Jenny and Jeff included), but special kudos go to Martin S., the project manager and construction expert who not only planned the repairs, but carried them out with zest and good spirits despite the long hours and frigid wind. Everyone did an amazing job. Though the two hibernating mice weren't too happy about things, we couldn't be more pleased. Thanks!

2010 regattas

2010-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

A big shout-out to the members who competed this year at various races and regattas. We had rowers represent the New York City region at this year's Empire State Games, held in Buffalo. We had another rower jump into her alumni boat for the Head of the Charles this fall (see photo—go 2 seat!). And two other members raced at this year's Head of the Fish, in Saratoga Springs (with strong interest to field another boat from several other members).

Racing may not be for everyone, but you don't have to be an Olympian or elite athlete to enjoy the thrills of competition. Here's hoping interest in racing continues to grow during our 2011 season.

Halloween Row 2010

2010-11-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

Fall is a wonderful time for rowing. It's cooler, for one thing—a nice respite from broiling summer afternoons—and the colors on the trees along the Harlem River are just gorgeous.

Last year, we initiated an annual tradition: the Halloween Row. Members dressed up and rowed as fairies, cowboys, and the requisite pirates. (Our goal next year is a boat of Vikings.) A closer look at the regalia as we rig our 8+:

We had the pleasure of hosting a couple of visiting Alaskans for a row with us. Harold and Sue Faust hail from the Kenai Crewsers Rowing Club (www.kenaicrewsers.org), where they often have to shoo brown bears away from their launch site in order to get on and off the water. And we had Martin Semjen's mom ride along in the safety launch, snapping these great pics.

Donuts, coffee, and cider afterward. Thanks, crew, for making our end-of-year outing so much fun!

HRCR Competes in Our First Regatta

2009-12-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Fall 2009 marked HRCR's first foray into competitive rowing. To those who prefer taking their strokes in the late afternoon, the idea of meeting at 6 a.m. probably sounds like crazy talk, but a handful of rowers rose (literally) to the challenge, meeting a couple of early mornings a week to practice for the Head of the Fish regatta, Oct. 25.

Those early mornings, by the way, were lovely. We were on the water by dawn, and the birds were just waking up. There was no boat traffic, save for a few shells from other boating groups, and most days perfectly calm, smooth water. By the time we got upstream to Spuyten Duyvil, the Palisades cliffs were cast in red by the rising sun. Someone was cooking bacon near the river (Applebees?), which gave us powerful hunger pangs. We rowed all the harder for it.

After weeks of preparation, we headed up to Saratoga, NY, for the Sunday race. The Head of the Fish is a wonderful regatta—big, yet well managed; competitive, but friendly; and lots of fun, as it's scheduled near Halloween, which results in many folks wearing costumes in the shells. (My favorite from prior years was an eight, with the rowers dressed in blaze orange vests and the coxswain wearing deer antlers.)

The weekend promised lots of rain—in fact, the drive up took an extra hour due to torrential amounts of the stuff—but it had begged off by Sunday morning. Still, we had to contend with the mud. Lots of mud. Scads of it! Wellies were the footwear du jour; flip flops served only to mire one's feet in the muck or flick spackles of crud all over the back of the legs.

We had two boats compete: a mixed quad and a men's double. Neither boat had been raced before, and a couple of the rowers in them hadn't raced since college days. (How long ago was that? Let's just say they have never worn a unisuit.) Our team colors and uniforms have yet to be determined, so we opted for holiday-specific garb: orange caps. They were a tremendous help in identifying our rowers as they came down the course.

Though we didn't place near the top of our categories, we felt better when we learned there were former Olympians competing. (For real, Olympians—is that fair?) We ran into friends and other familiar faces. Manhattan College had trailered our boats for us; their women's double is shown heading back to the dock as our men's double charges down the course. A rower on the Williams College crew team had been in Jenny's junior learn-to-row group a few years back (he's even taller now). Coach Trisha and Martin the Brit were there to rally her Sarah Lawrence novices. We ended the weekend with southern cooking at Hattie's (www.hattiesrestaurant.com). Red beans and rice, fried chicken, jambalaya...yum.

All in all, a successful outing isn't judged to be one by how many medals you bring home, but by what a good time you had. We're already planning for next year.

Trick-Oar-Treat!

2009-10-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

Beneath an atmospherically appropriate grey sky, HRCR rowers let their true colors show at an end-of-season Halloween Row.

HRCR's very own Spuyten Duyvil grins wickedly as an NYPD patrol boat cruises by.

Pirate Jenny prepares to board the ship!

Powder blue shell, electric blue coif: complementary or clashing?

Pop 'n Lock

2009-06-09T15:05:00.001-07:00

Ah, the rites of spring: new life abounds, spirits lift, warmth returns, docks are refurbished...

One of these things is not like the other you say? Well, my friend, then you have clearly never enjoyed the rejuvenating excersise that is the cleansing, draining, plugging, and re-assembly of a JetFloat dock.

Think large, floatable Legos: our dock is a modular affair, composed of sturdy, buoyant blocks held together by pins that fit neatly into four overlapping tabs on the corner of each block. While theoretically waterproof, enough wear and tear on the Harlem River renders the blocks a tad soggy. Add the effects of flocks of Canadian geese over the course of a year, and you have one honking mess.

So what's a rower to do? Time to bust out scrub brushes, scrapers, giant hex wrench, and plumbers tape! Yes, it's about as much fun as it sounds, but many hands make light work, and after a few chilly mornings, we had the pieces ready to go.

Little did we suspect that the hardest task was ahead of us, for despite the somewhat clunky appearance of the floats and pins, we discovered that assembly demanded considerable precision: the tabs on the corner of each block must be aligned in perfect sequence, and one tab out of place throws off the entire setup, like a giant sudoku puzzle.

Mental and logic tests aside, we were challenged by an unexpected need for brute force to jam the connecting pins through the tab, and then wrench them around with a special key designed just for these pieces. Our kung-fu technique improved quickly as we learned how to aim our kicks just-so, and soon we had the pins popping in with a satisfying click, followed by our Keymasters locking the pieces in place.

Much of this assembly was accomplished on land, but eventually we had figure out how to attach large sections of dock to the ramp that connects to the shoreline, without letting any section float downstream a la Huck Finn. This required an understanding of fluid dynamics that was somewhat lacking in our group of intrepid dockworkers, but somehow we prevailed, and unlike the process of removing the dock for winterizing, no one went for a swim in the still-frigid waters of the Harlem this time.

I hope I speak for the group when I say I have never seen a more beauteous dock in my life; the long stretch of black blocks resting lightly upon the water, warm in the late afternoon sun, yeilded an enormously satisfying feeling of accomplishment. Woe to any geese who dare sully the fruits of our labor!

We stand victorious, and ready to ROW!

We are Guppies!

2009-03-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

HRCR was thrilled to receive the first-ever "Guppy Award" in December from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, for being the best new Alliance partner in the past year. We are so proud to have been recognized by MWA who have been so helpful to us as we literally and figuratively navigate the waters of New York City. Special thanks go to outgoing MWA Executive Director Carter Craft, whose wise council and endorsement has been invaluable to us, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Our fellow honorees included Jessica Lappin, New York City Council Member and Bill Woods, New York City Department of City Planning, who received the Wetsuit MWAward for most helpful bureaucrats, and Dan Petrie, devoted volunteer captain on Big G, who won the Waterlogged MWAward for best volunteer. We’re psyched to be included in such company! While all awardees received a take-home prize, we feel that without a doubt our giant green glass fishing float, complete with intricately-knotted netting, was by far the most distinctively nautical (and conversation-starting) of the handouts. Debate rages as to where we shall enshrine our big glass ball—surely such an artifact deserves a place of honor and high visibility. Look for it and us on the Harlem River this coming spring!

The Big Lift

2008-12-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

With our fall season over, and the weather gradually ebbing from calm and balmy to chill and wintry, we knew it was time to wrap up our rowing for the year 2008.

Closing shop for the season is pretty straightforward: You haul the motors off to be winterized, tidy up a bit, batten down whatever hatches happen to be unsecured. Oh, and you disassemble the entire 40-foot-long JetFloat dock, hauling it section by waterlogged section from the water, heaving those onto dry land, and piling them in an out-of-the-way corner of the park.

This is something of a chore. Though the interlocking one-foot-square plastic cubes appear light and buoyant, many were cracked and had taken on water. Then there is the inevitable patina of goose poop smeared across their top surface; a slimy lacquer of algae along their edges; and a bristling of barnacles on the bottom to contend with.

We came prepared, wearing work gloves and bundled in waterproof gear. Good thing, as it was perhaps the coldest, windiest day yet this fall. We’re talking serious frigid gusts, people. Coffee was not merely keeping us awake, it was keeping the blood in our fingers from freezing.

Using a special T-bar tool to “unlock” chunks of dock in rafts two cubes by three cubes big, we floated the sections over to the ramp, hefted them up, and carried them to the edge of the baseball field. It took four or five people to haul one section. Brackish water and muck slicked our hands, arms, bellies, and legs. We started singing that song about Sal the mule and the Erie Canal. That stopped when someone fell in.

Oh yes, you heard me—someone went swimming. He, who shall go unnamed, stepped on a loosened cube and took the plunge into the 50 degree water. He was quickly rescued by our own stalwart rower, Al. Moments later, said swimmer was sitting on terra firma, pouring water out of his shoes. He left for his car soon after (and reported later that day that he was just fine).

We toiled on without him. A couple of rowers from the Fordham crew came down to help. James S., from ESRA, was in charge of draining waterlogged cubes. Spirits were high as we wrapped up before noon—a satisfying few hours of work.

Lest you think we’re crazy, keep in mind the sorry state of the dock this year—the popped pegs that stubbed our toes, the unsecured cubes that sank precariously when stepped on—and imagine what a few good winter squalls would do to it. As we’d like to have a dock come spring, taking it off the water was the only solution.

Which leads one to the obvious conclusion: We’re going to have to put it back if we want to row again. But you can be sure that we’ll not only have more donuts on hand, we’ll wait for a blissfully warm, sunny day on which to do so. And we’ll bring extra clothes in case anyone goes swimming again.

The 1st Annual Bow Ball!

2008-12-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

HRCR is thrilled to thank all of the rowers, friends, and crewpies who came out on September 23rd to celebrate the 1st Annual Bow Ball Fundraiser!

Over 75 revellers gathered at Lolita Bar on the Lower East Side and enjoyed Sugar Hill Ale generously donated by Harlem Brewery, Inc. while bidding on a variety of silent auction prizes from African drumming lessons, to fencing classes courtesy of Olympic silver medalist Tim Morehouse, and a Block Island getaway. Former oarsman DJ NaTurner provided musical stylings. Thanks to everyone for making the evening a smashing success!

p.s. Speaking of smashing--it's not a party without a pirate piñata.

The Road To (and from) Learn-To-Row 2008

2008-06-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Would that I could spin a narrative to unite the following non sequiturs. Use your imagination to connect the dots between these behind-the-scenes images from LTR 2008.

It was crawlin' and it stunk…

To be fair, they were at the site before us.

The HRCR Mobile Boathouse: modular dock + Uhaul = office on-the-go.
We multitask, people.

Racks!!!

2008-05-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

A quick update from the equipment and storage front:

As most of you know, rowing shells are big (well long really) and finding a place to store them in New York City is a bit of a logistical challenge (someday ask Tracy about the oars in her bedroom or the dock in her basement...). The point is that with many thanks to Turner Construction and Jacobson & Co. Inc., for their generous donation of lumber, time and expertise, HRCR now not only has boats, but has a place to put them!

Our fantastic construction crew poses with the lumber...

And then we all get to work...

Two racks down, one more to go...

The moment of truth...

Hey! Check us out! We have boat racks!

The Jingle Mingle Erg Relay

2008-05-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

First, a confession: I own an erg. However, it is typically found in an upright position in the corner of my room, where I find it useful for hanging up not-quite-dry laundry. In my defense, I didn't actually buy the thing for myself, it belonged to my dad until my mom told me to get it out of her home office where he was storing it. At any rate, it doesn't get a lot of use.

So when I got the announcement for Row NY's first annual Jingle Mingle erg relay event, in which Row NY girls would be paired with adults for a series of 500 meter pieces, I did not exactly see it as an opportunity to showcase my strength. Ordinarily and historically, I have avoided both athletics and athletic competition. In high school my eligibility for graduation was questioned because I was delinquent one gym credit. Thus my involvement with the sport of rowing is a constant source of surprise to those who know me well. What can I say, I love being on the water.

But this seemed like a competition I could handle, if for no other reason than because the registration form asked, "if you had to pull 500 meters right now would you A) feel fine B) give a shaky high five C) fall off the erg D) need an ambulance." I circled "D" and sent it in.

On the day of the event I dragged myself out of bed far earlier than should be allowed on a Saturday morning, and made my way to the Row NY headquarters in Long Island City. I found the erg room abuzz with Row New Yorkers, masters rowers, a few babies and children, and one very large dog. There was a large cohort of what appeared to be recently graduated varsity athletes, judging from the fresh faces, lean physiques, and collegiate unis, and also one particularly tall gentleman who I later learned was an Olympic gold medalist. You might think I felt out of my league, and indeed I was, but I also felt a sense of relief that whatever junior athlete I was teamed with would not be entirely dragged down by my performance, as these other folks would surely improve our average.

The races kicked off with the novices, in teams of four that combined both youth and masters, each pulling 500m with 15 seconds in between to switch rowers. A din arose as teammates urged each other on. One exchange: Teammate: "Go faster!" Rower: "I don't know how!" I hear you, sister.

The second event was for the Row NY varsity girls and their adult teammates. I huddled with my crew, which included one Row NYer and two guys in unis, both looking pretty fit. We decided on our lineup, stood attentive until the head coach pronounced "Ready all, ROW!" and our lead man went at it with all his might.

Five hundred meters goes pretty fast--when you're watching someone else do it. Before I knew it, my teammate was done and I had 15 seconds to take over. I did not get off to an auspicious start, however, when I was unable to wedge my excessively large feet (size 13, to be precise) into the foot straps, and wasted valuable time readjusting before I actually began to pull. Flustered, I yanked away, and managed a few strokes at a respectable 1:45 or so...and slowly watched my numbers increase to 2:10 and beyond. It felt like concrete had been poured over the erg and into my limbs. I cannot honestly recall what my ultimate time was, but suffice it to say that despite the valiant efforts of the teammates who suceeded me, we placed 7th...out of seven. As far as defeats go, this was not too painful (emotionally, at least--my lungs were another matter), and in short order everyone moved on to other relays. As the event was sponsored by the good folks at Credit Suisse, everyone lined up for a free-for-all known as "Credit Suisse vs. The World", as well as an exclusively Row NY relay.

Without a doubt, the Row New York relay was my favorite event of the day, and not just because I didn't have to exert myself. As each girl stepped up to do her piece, she was surrounded by her peers yelling encouragement. This may not strike you as remarkable--they are teammates, after all. But as someone who spent thirteen years in an all-girls school growing up, I can say with authority that the prevailing vibe in an all-female environment, especially adolescent, is not always one of sisterhood so much as it is of competition, disparagement, backstabbing, jealousy, contempt...you get the idea. And while I'm sure these girls are competitive not only against other teams but also against each other--rowing does not attract the complacent--it was nonetheless gratifying to see the girls cheering each other on.

The Jingle Mingle concluded with awards, food, and general merriment. While I may not touch my erg at home for a few days (or more), Adam M. suggested that over the winter HRBC register for the Concept 2 online log to collectively track our progress. Stay tuned to the HRBC website for details, if you'd like to participate. So the countdown to Jingle Mingle 2008 has begun: Next year I'm shooting for 6th place, and Credit Suisse is going down!

Pimp My Trailer

2008-05-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

(posted by Kate, November 6, 2007)

You've probably heard us muttering for some time about our newest acquisition, a 39' Vespoli boat trailer purchased from our friends at Duke University. But "where is it?" you might ask. "What does it look like" and, most importantly, "what color is it?"

Answers, answers and a photo as proof! It lives, until we find it a home here in the city, in beautiful (no sarcasm here, it really is beautiful) upstate New York. It looks, well, rather like a boat trailer. As to color, it is currently smurf blue.

Proof that we were there and actually did work (de-rusting and a fresh coat of aforementioned smurf blue paint) is in the photo. Maryanne will be posting soon to fill you all in on the details of the weekend including: the run-in between the dog and the burrs, the amazing food and the gas-station bacon.

A Newbie Goes to Boston

2008-05-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

(by babs, Thursday, October 25, 2007)

Row- row-row your boat....
really quickly up the stream/river/thing...
try not to tip over, crunch around a curve, or crab...
or it'll end your dream...:)

Soooo thennnnnn....I went shopping, got the clothes, lived through a couple more classes/practices/whatever we're calling them, and ANOTHER email went out to the group.

This time it was news of the impending Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

First: I had to look up "regatta".

Second: I had to find a cheap way to get to Boston, given my proclivity to shop.

Third: I...that's right folks...I, the newbie, had to cajole the coaches into going...and even then, Teddy, Teddy, TEDDY, what happened my man?

So, I booked my little ticket on the Fung Wah bus for 6:30am on Saturday morning. Four hours and ten minutes later, I stretched my legs and stepped off the bus, my first time in Boston. (Cute, old, but very white as far as cities go - I guess I've gotten spoiled by New York.)

I knew which general direction to go in (thank you, thank you) from the bus depot. I got the T to the Harvard stop and asked, "which way to the Charles?". After an easy enough walk from there, I was at my first official or even unofficial regatta.

Keep in mind kiddies, members of the reading audience, that by this point I'd been sculling (and using the official terminology) for a mere two weeks.

I spent the first couple of hours tooling around, going to vendor tents, eating the food I brought with me then realizing I had a major spill in my bag and cleaning the damn thing out, trying to ascertain which way the rowers were racing and which way they were going to get to the starting line, etc. etc.

I also was trying to get Bostonians to talk to me to hear the accent, but I guess it was too early cuz I couldn't find to many who would oblige.

Jenny arrived around 12:30 or 1:00 I think. I had enough time to think of a couple of questions for her, like "What's a master? A champion?", and to have made some stellar observations, such as: oooh, THAT's what you mean by arms out first, then body...or, NOW I get how to keep the left hand over the right without bumping the ends together and then not being able to move the blades at all.

I just generally watched everyone's form: their wrists as they feathered their blades back to the finish, their posture, the snap of their arms at the finish (can't remember what it's called), the slow recovery, the ratio thingy...

Note: I get the ratio thingy, I know it when I see it, I just don't know how to write about it. I'll work on that, I promise.

Jenny and I moved up and down the course, I grabbed a bread bowl of chowder (though really, at the end of the day, it could have been skipped), and headed back to the T. Yes, that's right, it was a 1 day thing for me, as I had things to do on Sunday. I made the 6 o'clock Fung Wah bus back to the city (the only city, NYC), which got me home by 10:30 pm.

All in all, it was a great learning experience. I tend to be rather visual. To have watched rower after rower - singles, fours, and eights - using proper form compete and then casually move to the starting line helped me put all the info together from my Learn to Row sessions. I felt the next practice session I had went better in terms of my form as I was able to picture everything I'd seen and try to replicate it.

I got so enthused and excited that I mentioned this next bit to both coaches (Jenny and Teddy) and my partner Tanya:

They have a "newbie" division/class/whatever it's called at the Head of the Charles. What's to stop us from entering next year?

More discussion needs to be had, and of course, lots more training, but hey, you never know

A Rower Is Born

2008-05-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

(by babs)

I found rowing completely by accident. I avoid gyms, you see (don't like the god awful mirrors everywhere, the pick up scene, or locker room trauma) and yet, I needed to get in shape. What to do, what to do? Get a home system, I said to myself...and so I did. The mighty Bowflex to be specific, which happens to have a limited but nonetheless useful row station on it.

So me and the Bowf (it's what I call her) were hangin out and I thought, you know I like this. I like being on the water, too, at least in the limited way I've been in the past. I wondered what real rowing might feel like, so I Googled my rowing options in New York City. I was a bit saddened to find not many exist.

Then I found HRBC. I looked at the site, sent an inquiry email, felt things out. Next thing I know, I get an invite to a barbecue and thought, well why not? A few days later the Learn to Row invite went out and blammo, I'm in rowing class.

Next I found myself picking up a really heavy boat at an early but not unholy hour and walking through goose poop to a dock where I tried not to fall in as we lowered her into the water. That first weekend I just focused on not to ripping my knee apart while doing deep bends to lock in the oars, actually getting in and out of the thing on command, and trying to remember the phrase "way enough" and not just shout "way, uh, NO...GO...STOP" when the boat got too heavy on the way back to the containers where the equipment is stored.

We spent a couple of days getting the different parts of the stroke down (listen to me usin' the lingo!). When we got on the water, I tried not to throw myself out of the scull or break a rib crabbing (lingo, lingo, LINgo). Or spread my knees apart at the catch (very lady like). Or try to muscle the scull through the water with only my arms, which got old fast.

Then, of course, I did what every new member of a sport does: I went shopping. I got myself the merino wool comfy clothes that will dry quickly but keep me warm as the Learn to Row classes go through November - possibly brrr, but then again possibly balmy given the warming of the globe.

I'll keep you posted on my progress; I know you're just dying to know.

2008-05-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Rowers!

Welcome to the HRCR blog! It’s a sad fact of life that we can’t be on the water all the time. So what to do during those landlocked hours, when thoughts of rowing fill your head? We hope that the HRCR blog will provide some relief. Here, current rowers will be able to share comments, ideas, questions, photos and more. So, ready all: BLOG!