March 27th - Practice on the Mighty Merrimack - Page 1

Today on the Merrimack. Temp: 42 degree, Wind: 5 mph, Water: Perfectly flat, Current: Gentle for springtime. Flotsom: Ice, 5 x 10 plywood, basketball, Various bits of tree wood. Beautiful rowing day.
The river is good, the rowers are good. We look on schedule for the first race an April 4th at 2 pm at the Andover Boathouse.
I followed Coach Hurley so most of the river pictures are the boats he was coaching today. I will try to go out again during a practice with one of the other coaches.
Crew is not a sport for the weak of mind or spirit. To row your heart out in the freezing early spring takes an uncommon level of "suck it up and get it done". You don't need eye ball co-ordination but rowing a boat is more like dancing a ballet with 7 other people using all your strength in the freezing rain. It needs every ounce of mind, body and spirit to achieve perfection.