Archive for June, 2012

Crews from three clubs, Boatie Blest, Newhaven and Portobello,  gathered on the Forth off Porty beach last Wednesday and performed  their recreated Oyster Dreg songs to a large crowd of onlookers,  gathered on the beach.  The songs were originally sung as local  fishermen towed small dregs (dredges) over the oyster beds, which once  lay under much of the south shore of the Forth from Newhaven to  Cockenzie.  It was only with the recent rediscovery of recordings of  the songs, made by American James Maddison Carpenter in the 1930s,  that it become possible to reinterpret the songs.  They are a bit of a  musical curiosity as they were intended not just as work songs but  also as lures to the gentle Oysters themselves.  They also take a very  odd pattern, with three beats of a call (often comprising local  gossip) followed by a two beat response.  This makes no sense when
rowing but add in a dreg towing behind the boat and it becomes much
more logical.
Boatie Blest crews got particularly involved in the project and turned  out in mid-19th Century fisherman’s costume complete with two oyster  dregs, one of which was a replica of the only known surviving dreg now  held in the collections of the Scottish Fisheries Museum.  The replica  was funded by local fish suppliers J K Thomson and made by P Johnson  and Co. at their Ratho Byres Forge.
The Portobello event was captured by Radio Scotland and a feature  appears on last weekend’s Radio Scotland programme Out of Doors.  The  show was broadcast live from the Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival and  is now available on iPlayer here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k2k93/Out_of_Doors_23_06_2012/
The Portsoy broadcast makes up the final hour of the programme.

Further report on Bob Walser’s website:  http://bobwalser.com/what-a-night/

Thanks to Chris Perkins for these great photos from Portsoy.  It is very encouraging to welcome new communities such as Helmsdale, Pittenweem and Gosforth to the Festival skiff races.  Conditions were challenging and the decision had to be made on the Sunday not to continue with the regatta. The success of Coigach, with a popultation of around 300, shows what a smaller community can do by getting involved with Scottish Coastal Rowing.  A big thank you to Topher Dawson and his team for stepping up to organise the races, and to the Festival for inviting us back.  More photos on the Scottish Rowing Flikr page (link to right of page). 

Here you go, the results from our day of racing at Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival:

First day of racing at Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival saw lively and entertaining conditions, with swell and a smaller cross sea mixed in for good measure. Unfortunately the Sunday porgramme did not survive the onslaught of high winds.  Report and results will follow.

 ****Update:  Event Cancelled Due to Extreme Weather ****

Who fancies a row in company in the Borders?  Eyemouth rowers are going to be escorting the Herring Queen into Eyemouth harbour for this year’s Gala Day on Saturday 7th July.  The local rowers would  love to have other skiffs along for the company, to make the occasion look spectacular and to promote Coastal Rowing. The rowers plan to have a barbecue once the boats are off the water. This should be a great day  out and gives visiting skiffies the chance to explore somewhere new in company, without the added pressure of competition.  The Herring Queen used to be escorted by very many fishing boats, but this spectical has declined a bit as the fleet has reduced.  The local skiffies would love help from their coastal companions to bring the procession back up to its former glory.

Clubs can either launch boats from St Abbs and come all the way down to Eyemouth, or go out from Eyemouth and meet the incoming queen and her flotilla.  Sea conditions may dictate which plan is best.  Expressions of interest to Alison Davidson please on gaelsblue@btinternet.com or
079 579 879 48 .

Unity off Eyemouth

If you missed the Golden Jubilee Pageant here is your chance to salute a young and smiley queen from your skiff, and much nearer to home too.

The Newburgh regatta scheduled for the 30th of June has been postponed.

The driving force behind the Newburgh skiff build, Sam Marshall, recently had serious surgery. He is now making a good recovery, but will not be able to apply the same energy to Newburgh RC as he was before.

Their first skiff is almost ready to launch, but will sadly not make it to Portsoy.

The club will re-schedule the regatta for a time later in the year.

In the meantime, we will wish Sam the best for a quick recovery and return to rowing.

Alec J

The big news from Queensferry was a first win for Newhaven Coastal Rowing Club.  The club’s  Wee Michael took  took the honours in the Mens 45 + category.  Anstruther and Portobello dominated the rest of the  six, mile-long events that started from the Hawes Pier near the Rail Bridge, around the south tower of the Road Bridge and back.  Competition on the Forth was fierce and friendly for some boats and for others it was just friendly and the taking part. Mark Meredeth of Queensferry explains: “  That must be the strong point of Scottish Coastal Rowing: uniting the really-goes with the just-rows.”

Like Queensferry’s first regatta last year the event was timed to coincide with the RNLI open day.  Helicopter rescue, tugboat fire-fighting water spray displays and hefty life-saving Newfoundland dogs kept spectators entertained.  Full results for the event are as follows:

Race: Mens Open Start 1030am

Race: Womens Open Start 1130am

Race:   Mens 45+      Start     1230pm

Race:   Womens 45+               Start     1330pm

Race: Mixed Open Start 1445pm

Race: Mixed 55+ Start 1545pm

The weather conditions were challenging on morale rather than on muscles. The racing was from Hawes Pier, round one of the supports for the Road Bridge, and back to the Hawes pier.   The iconic rail bridge did of course make a fantastic backdrop to the event.

A report and results will be posted here soon (I hope).  If anyone could send me three or four good photos of the racing I would be grateful.

Robbie W

It was great to see some new clubs turning out for the event.  Troon Coastal Rowing Club (in photos below) greatly enjoyed their first experience of a regatta.