Sculling Policies

Updated March 2006

CLRA is primarily a sweep rowing club. We have some club sculling boats, as well as some members who own their own sculling boats, and we provide limited sculling activities when these can be done without interfering with sweep rowing. The emphasis for the sculling in club boats is primarily on “team” sculling in doubles and quads, although there will be some (but much less than in the past) sculling in club singles.

CLRA does not teach novice scullers to scull; we only provide sculling opportunities to experienced scullers. Members can learn to scull elsewhere, for example at Craftsbury sculling camp.

Sculling can complement and enhance sweep rowing by: (i) providing additional challenges and competitive opportunities to sweep rowers who also know how to scull. (ii) by allowing flexibility in boating so all rowers can go out on the water during sessions when the number of rowers is not a multiple of 4, the needed coaches and launches are available, and the conditions are safe for sculling.

Policies:

Only coxed club boats with bow and stern lights will go on the water during darkness. Coxless boats may launch no earlier than the beginning of civil twilight in the morning and will return to the boathouse no later than the beginning of civil twilight in the evening. Coaches, the captain, and the sculling captain may further restrict sculling when visibility is limited, or wind, cold or other factors make the conditions unsafe. Club singles will not be permitted to go out before April 15 or after October 20.

All boats will stay within line of sight and earshot of the coach’s launch, so that the coach may provide immediate assistance if it is needed; any boat that gets ahead will slow down or stop to allow the other boats and the coach to catch up. There will never be more than 4 boats (counting all types of boats) with each coach.

Logistics:

We will implement the ability for each rower to indicate the desire to scull when signing up on-line for the session. A list of qualified scullers (including a shorter list for singles) will be maintained by the captain and the sculling captain, and only those who have demonstrated the necessary skills will go out in club sculling boats.

The coach making up the boatings may choose to put some rowers in sculling boats, provided this can be done without exceeding the four boats per coach limit. Sometimes this might just be two extra rowers in a double who will “tag along” with a coach and a sweep boat or two, keeping close to them but not interfering with their practice. In that case the coach would put two fairly fast rowers in the double, so that they can readily keep up with the sweep boat(s). This could also be done with a fast enough rower in a single, as well. Other times, there may be enough coaches and enough qualified rowers desiring to scull so that one coach can go out with only sculling boats (up to 4 boats). Since the scullers may launch no earlier than the beginning of civil twilight, the coach may specify a brief erg or tank session before launching on mornings when it is still dark when the sessions starts.

On occasion, depending on coach availability, rower interest, and other factors, we may also arrange extra sessions that are designated specifically for sculling in club boats. If there are enough rowers signed up to finance such a session at the standard seat fee, such a session can happen. For this to work financially, these sessions will consist mostly of doubles and quads.

Also, we may have special coached sessions for singles (both private and club boats), with larger sculling boats also permitted. These sessions will be arranged by the captain and the sculling captain, taking care not to interfere with coach availability for regular rowing sessions. These sessions will also be limited to no more than four boats with each coach. Participants must be on the list of certified scullers for the type of boat they use in the session. The coaching fee will be shared by and billed to the participants.

Please contact Veronique Oomen or David Huse, sculling captains, with any suggestions or questions.