What a fabulous morning! Five a.m. proved to be way too early for most on this foggy August morning, but there were two pairs among our tiny turnout. I'd never rowed a pair before.
But, with lights on our boats, our two pairs ventured out. Pairs can be tippy; they are the ultimate balance exercise! Now, I've been in plenty of tippy boats before in sculling - and I've certainly tipped them, too.
But Caroline and I got our rhythm to match quickly. A tugboat aligned perpendicular to the massive gravel barge across from SPU cast out a perilous wake and pushed us up against a pleasure boat. We had to maneuver quickly to recapture our one oar which was sliding under the pleasure boat. But, we managed.
Caroline - a fisheries researcher - pointed out the "sea smoke" rising from the water - the product of warm water colliding against cooler air. We went on to the locks.
On our way back to the Ballard Bridge, we came upon the team that rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in their huge open water boat. They are gearing up for another ocean voyage, this time from mid Africa to South America. Today, they are working on flip tests!
Our two pairs had a wonderful morning. No disasters, and no seriously close calls. I am enjoying the adventure of trying different boats and different rowing combinations. Without a sculling foundation, though, I can appreciate that the pair could be the ultimate in "instant karma!"
Take care,
Linda Gromko, MD
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