Club Covid officer Marianne writes: The current Central Belt restrictions are being extended until Monday 02 November, so we’re off the water until at least then. This date is advisory, but as ever as things change. I’ll keep you up to date.
So, with envious eyes we must continue to gaze wistfully across the water at the Free Independent State of the Republic of the Kingdom of Fife where the denizens are free to row. 😢
Those were the days… June 2018, the fleet lands on Inchcolm after rowing from Kinghorn. Photo by Vicki Locke
Club vice-captain Dónal writes: At the upcoming AGM for the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association there are two places for the Committee to be filled. This is the perfect opportunity for QRC to be represented on the governing body of the sport that we all love.
The QRC Committee have agreed to nominate our outgoing club Captain, Anne P. We wish her the best of luck in her efforts to get on the SCRA Committee.
Club vice-captain Dónal writes: On October 16th 1939, the first German air raid on the UK happened when a Junkers 88 attacked the Firth of Forth and the naval dockyard of Rosyth.
A Luftwaffe aerial shot of the raid in progress
Click here to read an eye witness report by a passenger on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen train, which was crossing the Forth Bridge at the time.
Almost simultaneously there was a giant waterspout as high as the bridge alongside one of the capital ships and a barge tied up alongside; it seemed to fly up in the air! In later life I discovered it was HMS Southampton. There were two or three other explosions further off and one of the ships was actually struck; it was HMS Mohawk and casualties were sustained on board. The German bombers were in plain sight only a short distance away flying parallel to the bridge. Meanwhile the train stopped briefly and as it did so the painters and riggers working scrambled from the scaffolding of the bridge and made for shelter.
QRC Covid officer Marianne writes: You’ll all be aware that the First Minister has announced some further restrictions as Covid infection rates rise. These restrictions apply to specific health board areas, including Lothian, where most of our members live, and where of course the Club is.
Unfortunately the announcement included the suspension of organised contact sport for over-18s. Rowing is considered a contact sport for the purposes of Covid because of the proximity of rowers (see SCRA guidance for a full explanation). This means that from midnight on Friday 09 Oct until midnight on Sunday 25 October, rowing is OFF once again.
You can read the SCRA’s Covid update – there may be more to come, but I’ll let you all know.
All the crews currently booked in on Thursday and Friday can go out. Thanks to you all for making the back to rowing protocol and booking system work so well. We will be back on the water, all things being well, in a couple of weeks. This time we will be poised and ready to go!
Mike B writes: I am very pleased to be able to advise you all that the Committee has authorised the resumption of Midweek Rowing!
The mechanism for booking a boat is as it was before lockdown – place an entry in the Google calendar for either Ferry Lass or Ferry Maid. (You should be able to access these from this website. Any problems, contact Barbara.) If you already have a crew, please put details of the RP and crew members in the calendar record description box. If you don’t have a crew, but want to organise a row, just send out a call for crew members to the queensferry-rowing-club email address (and then put the details into the calendar record). You should also, of course, make a note of the crew members in the book at the shed. Please bring your own pen!
All the restrictions that apply to our social rowing at the moment will still apply in midweek rowing – for example crew members should arrive at the shed ready to row – there is no changing permitted in the shed and only two persons to be in the shed at any one time.
The Maid gets a post-row scrub
Please also ensure that when you return from rowing that the crew members disperse from the area of the shed immediately the cleaning work on the boat is complete and the boat is safely back in the shed. We have to ensure that there is no possibility for different crews to interact so please do check in the calendars to make sure the other boat is not also being used. If it is, then your rowing slot should begin at least 1 hour after the other boat commenced its slot, or finished its slot.
I know that the lack of socialising before and after rowing is a bit of a blow to members – but if you do want to have a coffee, some cake and a bit of a chat, why not do it when you are out in the boat rowing…that should be acceptable I think, as you will be in a defined bubble during your row.
