Rowing Tales 2020 covers the strange year we’ve all lived through. Our tales explain our situation – and give us hope that we will continue to row again in the future. Most of these tales are NOT about Covid19, they’re a blend of quick-fire anecdotes, misdemeanours and some quiet triumphs.

Here is one of the stories from the collection:

Scott Patterson is the author of The Oarsmen, the remarkable story of the men who rowed from the Great War to Peace. He is making a film about the King’s Cup at the 1919 Peace Regatta held in Henley upon Thames.
A tinny is Australian slang for a metal coaching boat.

When it’s draining

We were in the school first eight one day rowing in Tarbone Creek, Sydney. And while we were rowing it started pissing down raining.

So we took shelter under this rather large bridge and we’re just sort of all sitting there, the coach is there and he’s in his tinny and we’re all there, shivering away.

We all just kind of noticed under this bridge, that there were drains coming down at regular intervals under the arch with water pouring out of them.

And then without anyone saying anything the crew just started to slowly back down the boat a little bit at a time as the coxswain is still sitting there, saying nothing.

And then all of a sudden our cox hears these drain water noises coming up on the stern canvas of our boat. And he called out “Touch it, bow and two”.

And we just carry on backing the boat and suddenly he’s pulling up his all weather proof jacket over his head.

We check the boat and the cox is sitting there with this drain dumping water down on him.

And we just sat there laughing. Even the coach was just smiling at us guys.

And no one said a word.

Interested in more stories?

Rowing Tales 2020 by Rebecca Caroe