Barbara Agnew – Page 35 – Queensferry Rowing Club

Tides for the week of 2-8 December

Dónal writes: I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful night on Saturday – thank you to the Social Committee for organising it.

On Sunday we had SCRA committee members Max (Woudrichem), Barbara (Anstruther), Topher (Ullapool) and Robbie (North Berwick) out in Ferry Lass in perfect if very cold conditions, and they enjoyed themselves and admired our bridges and wildlife.

Max, Barbara, Topher and Robbie enjoy an outing in the Lass. Photo by cox Dónal

This week the tides are good for day and night rowing. Thankfully we will not need a pontoon at the weekend. I won’t be down next week, so enjoy yourselves.

Can we get some Skippers to let us know if they will be there so we have enough to get the boats out. Email me at dferrie74@gmail.com.

Monday 2nd December
1109—2.0m L. 1829 — 5.0 m H. 2341 – 1.8 m L

Tuesday 3rd December
0714 — 4.8m H 1154 — 2.3 m L 1911 — 4.8 m H.

Wednesday 4th December
0808 — 4.6 m H 1331 — 2.6 m L. 2005 — 4.6m H.

Thursday 5th December
0917 — 4.5 m H 1502 — 2.6 m L. 2127 — 4.5 m H

Friday 6th December
1027 — 4.6 m H. 1608 — 2.5 m L. 2242 — 4.6 m H

Saturday 7th December
1124— 4.8 m H. 1656 — 2.2 m L. 2337 — 4.8 m H

Sunday 8th December
0523 — 1.8 m L. 1211 — 5.0 m H. 1734 — 1.9 m L

QRC packed out the upstairs section of the Railbridge on Saturday night. Photo by Lorna Bark

Tides for the week of 25 November – 1 December

Dónal writes: What a great weekend of rowing we had, albeit a bit wet and windy on Saturday. Sunday was perfect, with at least four crews out.

As you can see we will need a pontoon on Saturday morning. We will have that organised by the end of the week. See you all on Saturday evening for the Christmas Dinner.

Monday 25th November
0729—0.8m L. 1328 — 5.9 m H. 1944 – 1.1 m L

Tuesday 26th November
0815 — 0.7m L 1417 — 6.0 m H 2031 — 0.9 m L.

Wednesday 27th November
0855 — 0.8 m L 1504 — 5.9 m H. 2112 — 0.9m L.

Thursday 28th November
0929 — 0.9 m L 1548 — 5.9 m H. 2149 — 0.9 m L

Friday 29th November
0957 — 1.1 m L. 1631 — 5.7 m H. 2213 — 1.1 m L

Saturday 30th November
1012 — 1.4 m L. 1712 — 5.5 m H. 2221 — 1.3 m L Pontoon Needed

Sunday 1st December
1035 — 1.7 m L. 1751 — 5.2 m H. 2256 — 1.5 m L

A weekend youth training session involved a close encounter with North Queensferry – and a seal! Photo by Dónal

Maid maintenance

Despite a brisk breeze and a shower or two, there was a good turnout for this morning’s social rowing session. It was just the Lass, as the Maid is upside down – more on that below. There was an early training row followed by three (bouncy) excursions down to the old harbour and back.

Sheena and Ranald visited, bearing a large batch of Sheena’s famous shortbread. It was all gone by the time the third crew arrived back in the shed!

As the crews came and went the maintenance squad carried on working away in the background. The Maid is resting on the Carse Transporter, a wheeled platform created by Douglas that allows the boat being worked on to be easily moved outdoors.

Mark putting on an undercoat. The dark grey is primer, and the numbers are readouts from the moisture meter

If you want to help, keep an eye on the club emails or contact Mark, who is organising the work. The keel and outside will be done first, then once it’s dry the boat is flipped and work begins on the inside, and the gunnels, footrests and rudder.

We are very lucky as a club to have such a skilled and willing group working on maintenance – thank you! Work is also being carried out on refurbing the shed itself – you can see from the photo above a new window frame on the right. That work has been suspended while the boats are being repainted but will resume in due course. Again, a huge vote of thanks to all involved in that project.

The Carse Transporter is visible in this photo, as is its creator Douglas, centre. The note is the Maid’s birthday card

Ferry Maid’s birthday

Peter writes: I was out rowing this morning early with the (oldish) men. We had intended to go out keeping south of the Hound Point Terminal, then go round and come back north of Inchgarvie. As we came out from the lee of Hound Point we encountered heavy swell which we enjoyed but thought it prudent (and to save on the insurance premiums) we turned and surfed back! On return we were met by the smell of fresh paint and were greeted by Mark and John H continuing the work on Ferry Maid. I am sure you will all join me in thanking the people involved in the maintenance and improvement of our boats and shed who work away quietly and modestly! We enjoyed a warming cuppa and a banana loaf baked in a first baking attempt by Alistair. Despite worries about the slightly well done top, it was delicious!

Which brings me to the Anniversary. Although she is upside down and receiving a bit of TLC, this weekend sees the anniversary of the launch of Ferry Maid in 2012. Nothing fancy but I will be doing bacon rolls tomorrow morning, so I hope some of you will come along and wish her a happy birthday and have a row in her big sister!

A video of Ferry Maid’s launch.