Rowers launching from Pettipaug are responsible for their own
safety! Evaluate the River conditions and your own physical condition
each time you launch and during your row.
Normally we row unescorted, without the protection
of coaches and launches. The Connecticut River is large and
if you row alone and an issue arises (boat malfunction,
medical problem, collision), you may need to deal with it
yourself.
The water can be extremely cold in the spring.
To get a sense of this, kneel on the dock and plunge your
forearm in the water for 30 seconds. Hypothermia can also
be an issue after even when the water is warmer if immersion
is long. A pool thermometer for checking the water temperature
is kept in the Pettipaug Rowing locker (lower right next to the Commodore
Room door, combination 767).
The spring snowmelt and later
rainstorms can release lots of debris into the River, some
of which may be nearly submerged and therefore difficult
to see. Hitting it can damage your boat so that it is unrowable
and/or no longer floats, or even flip it.
Power boats, especially
bass boats and jet skis, routinely speed. A collision would
be very serious - for you. It is essential that you watch
and listen for them, and move out of their path. Do not rely
on them seeing you.
Weather: check the forecast before leaving
home. Particular concerns include wind, fog, and lightning.
Rowing in heavy fog, especially crossing the river in fog,
is not recommended: you may know exactly where you are, but
power boats tend to go too fast in fog and may run you down.
Also, fog can change with time and location on the river.
PFD's (Personal Flotation Devices):
Connecticut
law requires that you WEAR an inflatable PFD between Oct. 1 and
May 31 (See CT
Boater's Guide, p18-19). The Mustang Belt Pack inflatable
PFD can be worn while rowing with the pack spun around to the
small of the back (See Landfall
Navigation).
A PFD offers flotation should you need it. For example, if (a)
you are partly incapacitated due to injury or sudden illness,
or (b) your boat is damaged and you are stuck in hypothermic
water. Its additional flotation reduces the need to tread water
and so decreases your rate of heat loss in hypothermic water,
which lengthens your survival time. Obviously you can leave it
uninflated if its bulk when inflated would be a hindrance.
It is wise to carry a PFD in your boat during the summer months.
More on Cold Water:
Cold water is very dangerous
yet appears harmless. Just the shock from falling in can kill
you in several different ways even before hypothermia sets in:
Row in a 2x, which is less likely
to flip than a 1x
If
you do row in a 1x, row with a "buddy" for
safety (a good idea even during the warm months)
Stay near
the more populated west shore, avoid the middle of the river
or the east shore
If you flip in cold water, the Blockley Cold Water Survival
document recommends that you turn the boat upside down, leave
the oars in place, slither your body onto the overturned hull
while you are still able to do so, and paddle it to the shore.
You will lose far less body heat to the air than you would if
you stayed in the water. If you try to get back into the boat
and fail you may exhaust yourself to the point that you can no
longer get on top of the hull.
Here is a useful video about dealing with a flip:
Cell phones:
Bringing a cell phone enables
you to dial 911 and get help more quickly. Waterproof, floating,
speak-through cases are available at www.aquapac.net or
for the iPhone.
Traffic pattern:
Going upstream follow the shore
(either the east or the west shore), returning downstream stay
far enough offshore to allow a shell to pass easily between you
and the shore.
