It is a light calendar week this week. Just the usual Friday Night Informal Racing out of Community Boating (5:30 TO 8:30pm) and Community Boating's Tiller Club's Sunday Morning Formal Racing from 9:30AM to 2:30PM. Of course, there is the usual crazy practice schedules for all of the rowing programs, an increase in canoe and Kayakers (which means folks not as familiar as you with the Charles), and an increase in powerboaters (including those coming off the ramp who are also not as familiar with the Charles as you).
A heads up....
** On Tuesday, July 12, from 2PM to 6PM, the Conservancy is again holding the City Splash swiming event down by the Esplanade. I believe that they use the old Emmerson Dock located close to the Hatch Shell.
Finally, I need to get up on my soap box.
To the best of my knowledge, the four that hit the kayak double has not come forward. Folks, that just ain't right. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident, but people not very familiar with the Charles had to find their way back to the Canoe Kayak dock with a big hole in the boat. Things could have gone much, much worse for them. If you are in a boating accident, there are a few things you need to do.
- Make sure that everyone is OK. Lots of folks think that they are OK, but they are not. So take the time to asses everyone's physical wellbeing.
- Stick together, especially if there is boat damage. Right and wrong can be settled later, making sure that everyone floats all the way back to where they need to go - which might be their home base, but might be the nearest dock to call for help- is the single most important thing to do. This includes coaches/other boaters who are not involved in the situation but come across it. Lend a hand, at least as far as the nearest dock. The consequences of ensureing that everyone gets back on land safely far outweigh anything else.
- I too live in fear of my Captain. But not owning up to an incident reflects poorly on you and on your entire organization. If you were in the four that collided with the kayak, call Mark at the Charles River Canoe and Kayak center.
We have had very serious accidents occur on this river and the only people we have to rely on is ourselves. Most of the time, incidents are handled very well by people on the water. There are people on this river that are alive today, literally, because of the quick actions and kindness of others. Lets model that behavior. You certainly wouldn't want someone to hit you, or your family member, leave them with a hole in the boat to fend for themselves and not ensure that they get to safety.
Please be sure that everyone in your organization is clear on what to do in an accident. We all depend on it.
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