 General Safety Information
Remember Common
Sense is not so Common
Rowers
All rowers
must pass a swim test.
All rowers
must watch the US Rowing Safety Video
Warm up properly to prevent
injuries.
During warm up run
always stay single file on the road and pay attention to oncoming cars.
Have clothing suitable for
the water and weather conditions. Dress in layers. Make sure clothing
can not get tangled in the seat or the oar. A warm hat is necessary during the
spring and fall seasons.
Carry drinking water in the
boat and stay hydrated.
Listen to your cox!
Boats
Shells must have bow balls
at all times.
Boat Hatches must be secure
before launching.
Shoes must have working heel
ties.
Rowers are responsible to check the
nuts on their riggers and position of their foot stretchers before
rowing. The oar lock gates need to be checked for tightness.
Carry the oars blades
forward.
Never step over a boat,
always walk around it.
Do not step or put your arm
through a rigger when getting in and out of boats.
One hand shall remain on the
oar and oars shall not be pulled in until all rowers have entered or exited the
boat and don't forget about your cox!
Shells and launches must be equipped
with lights when operating between sunset and sunrise.
Table of the
time of sunrise and sunset in Barnstable
Weather and Water
Conditions
Rowing is not allowed when the
weather conditions such as freezing temperature, high winds (greater
than 12 knots*), waves, storm clouds, thunder, lighting or fog
(visibility less than 100 yards*) indicate a potential hazard to rower's
safety.
*recommend wind speed and visibility
by US Rowing
Boats must return to the dock at the
first sound of thunder, sign of lighting or if fog sets in (see March
2007 Tip of the Month regarding fog). If caught in a sudden storm, boats
shall be take ashore to the nearest safe point and wait for the storm to
pass.
General Weather Links
National Weather Service - Hyannis Forecast
National Weather Service - Experimental Forecast - Hyannis This site
will give you predicted wind speed and direction and other weather
predictions for 4 hour intervals though out the day. For example,
you can find the predicted wind speed at 5am.
Lightning Links
Lightning Guide from National Weather Service
Lightning Safety
Waves
Shells are vulnerable to high waves
whether they are generated from wind or wakes. If a wave is higher
than the gunwale, the shell should be maneuvered so it is parallel to
the wave. This allows the hull to be supported, through out its
length, while the wave passes under it. Once parallel, rowers should
stop rowing, and lean away from the wave with the oars set parallel to
the water. The oars, on the wave side of the boat, should be held
parallel but slightly off the water.
Deep and closely spaced waves, lower
then the gunwale, should be approached at a 90 degree angle. All other
types of waves, lower than the gunwale, hold course and continue to row.
The Lake
It is important for anyone
using a body of water to be aware of its hazards. Wequaquet Lake
is not an exception to this. Below is a chart of the Lake which
illustrates the shallow areas and the rocky areas. (The chart was
distributed by Wequaquet Lake Protective Association)
The dark blue areas are
shallow. Notice that many of them occur directly off points of
land or near the entrance of coves. It is wise to use caution in these
areas.
The light red areas are
rocky areas in the Lake. The rocky areas scattered thought out the
Lake.
The dark red dots are very
dangerous areas. All rowers need to know the location of these. The red
dots represents rocks that are near the surface which can damage a boat.
Large waterproof copies of
this chart are available in the Club's shed.
Traffic Patterns for
Rowers on the Lake
When boats are hugging the
shore and passing each other on reciprocal courses they shall pass port
to port.
A Brief Overview of the Rules of the Road
Technically speaking the Rules of the Road do not apply on Wequaquet
Lake as it is not considered to be "navigable waters", however it is
important to understand and use them on the lake for safe boating. In
boating, always err on the side of caution.
General - Rule 6 - Safe speed - Every vessel shall at all times proceed
at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to
avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the
prevailing circumstances and conditions.
Steering and Sailing - Rule 7 - Risk of Collision - Every vessel shall
use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and
conditions to determine if the risk of collisions exists. If there
is any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.
Steering and Sailing - Rule 13 - Overtaking - ....any vessel overtaking
any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken.
Steering and Sailing - Rule 14 - Head-on Situation - Unless otherwise
agreed, when two power driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or
nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall
alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side
of the other.
(Although this rule is for power driven vessels it is prudent to use it
with shells).
Steering and Sailing - Rule 15 - Crossing Situation -
When two power driven vessels are crossing so as to involve the risk of
collision, the vessel which has the other on her starboard side shall
keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit,
avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.(Although
this rule is for power driven vessels it is prudent to use it with
shells).
Lights and Shapes - Rule 25 - Sailing Vessels Underway and Vessels Under
Oars - A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit (i) sidelights; (ii)
stern light. A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in
this rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready
at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which
shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
Fog - Although shells are not specifically mentioned in the
Rules of the Road for sound signals, it would be prudent to use the same fog sound signals
as a sailing vessel (Rule 35) which is one prolonged blast of the whistle (a 4 -6
second blow) followed by two short blasts of the whistle (a 1 second
blow). This shall be done every two minutes. It should be noted
that the proper sound signals for a power boat is one prolonged blast
every two minutes (Rule 35).
The
Complete Rules of the Road
Massachusetts Boating
Regulations
Safety at Regattas
Crews participating in regattas shall be governed by the safety rules in
the current addition of
US
Rowing Rules of Rowing or the
FISA Rules of
Racing and by the rules of the particular regatta
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