After rowing out of Henley Rowing Club for four days, we headed upstream fourteen miles to the city of Reading. We didn't take a car, a train, or a double decker bus; we actually rowed from one city to another. Although I've put in many miles up and down Lake Quinsigamond after two years of rowing, I've never actually gotten to use rowing as a means of transportation. I found that I really enjoyed the purposefulness of having a destination of some kind instead of circles.
Linda and Kristin (me!) at the locks
The row to Reading started off slow but exciting as we entered the first lock (one of four along the row). Both eights had to squeeze into the narrow lock and avoid collisions as the lock filled with water. Although it was a long row, I appreciated not being a coxswain and having to maneuver a borrowed boat into concrete lock. My job in the bow pair was to row us out of the lock using only half of my oar. As an eight we generate a lot of speed, but as soon as we pull in even part of our oar we are quickly reduced into an awkward, fumbling octopus.
Here we go!
As we were rowing we passed by quite a few estates. From the river we could look into people's backyards as they enjoyed their tea and played with their dogs. Meanwhile, Coach Pat and Coach Paul rode bicycles along the shore, which seemed more fair than their usual launches. Around the time we stopped at the third lock, there were a couple of aggressive swans who got very close to the boat and gave our coxswain Nicole the evil eye. As we arrived in Reading, which we later found out is a swan sanctuary, we were greeted by a horde of water fowl. They weren't intimidated by Coach Pat when he tried to shoo them off the docks.
A country house along the row
We made it to Reading!
- Kristin
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