RSR's

Seems to be an elite crew back here again. Nice to see some familiar faces.

I've been on the verge of a rant for a few years now.

I'm opposed to the lionization and promotion of cross ocean rowing by our rowing communities. I know some of the people who've successfully done it, talked about their planning and experiences. They are religiously devoted to it, I get that. Being in a boat in the middle of the ocean is an amazing experience.

It doesn't matter that I'm not impressed with the skill or the athleticism required. I generally compare the crossings to how long it took the french swimmer to cross the atlantic which was quite similar. For fun I go back and check to see how the little toy playskool pirate ship is faring in it's round world voyages. The rowing effort required is arduous but no more so than the lettuce pickers who are out 10 hours a day in the Salinas Valley.
I'm certain it's a great life experience, good for them.

However. But. Most of the accomplishment is weather dependent, much like many very tall mountains, on nice days it's a tough ascent but imminently doable, we used to run up Whitney. But if weather comes in it's deadly.

When open ocean turns on you, as cleverly as they are constructed, they are often requiring rescue from either coastal authority or commercial /recreational craft. So? Often they need rescue as well, sailboats head out and lose a mast, engines and nav tools fail, happens a lot.

The difference is that sailboats, fishing, other commercial craft are part of a rescue culture. The nearest boat will help distressed craft. I read the other day about a restored square rigger effected an open ocean rescue recently.

These rowing craft are incapable of rescue. they have space, they have limited ability to meaningfully move against current or weather. I'm ok with people risking their own lives for some sort of notoriety, but intentionally putting one's self at risk puts others at risk who have to go get you.

I would fully support these open ocean rowing craft if they would have at hand a rescue craft. Yes, that's expensive. In the 70s, when a SoCal yacht club sponsored races across Catalina Channel from LA to Catalina Island, each boat was required to have a chase boat.

This is consistent with our rowing culture attempting to be a safe one in practice.

On Monday, August 14, 2023 at 1:23:05 PM UTC-7, sully wrote:

>
> I've been on the verge of a rant for a few years now.
>

Ummmmm FB would indicate rants on a monthly basis on average, sometimes more, at times quarterly. But years? Nah. ;^)

I don't disagree with most of what you've written. I haven't given them much thought. It doesn't bother me that much. Maybe it should. I dunno.

KC

On Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 6:06:11 PM UTC-7, KC wrote:
> On Monday, August 14, 2023 at 1:23:05 PM UTC-7, sully wrote:
>
> >
> > I've been on the verge of a rant for a few years now.
> >
> Ummmmm FB would indicate rants on a monthly basis on average, sometimes more, at times quarterly. But years? Nah. ;^)
>
> I don't disagree with most of what you've written. I haven't given them much thought. It doesn't bother me that much. Maybe it should. I dunno.
>
> KC

Well it's not a problem for me if they want to go do so, I object to the rowing community at large giving them credibility. there are ways of doing long endurance events without putting others at risk.

My daughter risked her well being as a surf lifeguard in norcal for ten years. It's an incredible job and she put herself at risk a few times saving the lives of people who had done something stupid. "danger: stay off the rocks" sign they walk past, for example. Nobody celebrates the courage of those people.
Nobody celebrates the courage of someone driving 100 miles an hour down a busy freeway before the fatal accident.

But bozo leaves the gym to go row out across the atlantic, storm upends their boat and coastal rescue deploys in dangerous conditions, or a commercial boat changes their route at their great expense and threat to help them out.

"WOW, what heroes! "