Absolutely! You can have up to three rows to try it out, after which we’ll ask you to join. To arrange a trial session, you can click here or e-mail brrowing.membership@gmail.com
We row all year round at times that suit our members. We’re currently running regular weekend sessions, with additional ad-hoc sessions through the week subject to demand. You can view scheduled club rowing sessions in our calendar. This is constantly under review, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch even if the current times don’t suit you.
Lots of people come into rowing with little prior experience – our sport is accessible, inexpensive, and doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Our experienced coxes and rowers will guide you, and even people who haven’t rowed before will have the basics figured out very quickly.
Not usually, unless it’s raining. We operate off a floating pontoon, so we don’t need to go into the water to launch, board, or recover the boat.
Someone will meet you at the harbour gate to let you in. The session will be led by one of our experienced coxes who will provide you with a lifejacket, help you make sure it’s fitted correctly, and give you a safety briefing. You’ll help the crew launch the boat; the cox will show you where to sit, and how to set up your oar and footrest. Some new rowers are happy to simply go with the flow and give it a try; others prefer a bit more instruction – just let the cox know what you’re most comfortable with and he/she will be happy to accommodate. The most important thing is that you have a safe and enjoyable first outing!
Comfortable, loose-fitting layers are the order of the day. Even when it’s warm ashore, it can be a lot cooler out on the water. Conversely, you can find yourself working up quite a sweat after rowing for a while, even on a chilly day!
Bring something to drink, and any emergency medication that you may require whilst out on the water (e.g. inhalers for asthma). Depending on the weather and time of year, sun-tan lotion, a sunhat, and sunglasses may be required – we’re very exposed to sunlight out on the water. If you’re concerned about blisters, a pair of cycling gloves will help.
We’ll provide you with a lifejacket, though you can bring your own if you prefer (as long as it has been suitably serviced and is fit for purpose). We recommend the automatic inflatable type – foam buoyancy aids of the type used in kayaking and dinghy sailing tend to get in the way while rowing.
Most of the competitive rowing that we encounter in mainstream media uses long, narrow, low-freeboard boats intended to go very fast in a straight line in fairly flat water. Coastal rowing is quite different and we’ll go out in much more varied conditions. The design of our boat derives from working craft used historically in Shetland – it’s therefore a very practical, general-purpose craft with a lot more stability than river rowing boats. The seats are fixed (rather than sliding), and the oars can’t be feathered.
The St Ayles Skiff is quite a capable boat for its size, but we won’t go out if wind, visibility, and/or sea conditions are unsuitable. Sessions are sometimes cancelled, and your cox will give you as much warning as he/she can. Occasionally we do have to make the call on the day.
No! We’re a community rowing club, not an Olympic sports team. Racing can be a lot of fun, but so are expeditions, island picnics, and simply pottering about on the water. We like to do a bit of everything, and you can choose what sort of activities you’d like to take part in.
At present, members must be aged 18 or over to join the club (though this may change in future). Young people aged 15-17 may be allowed to row if they have a parent/guardian in the boat; we do not charge a membership fee for them. It is occasionally possible to accommodate younger children as a passenger, but this is dependent on various factors so you’ll need to discuss with your cox.
Unlike sailing dinghies, canoes, paddle boards and racing shells, boats like our St Ayles Skiff are not prone to capsize and such incidents are extremely rare. Our coxes will never take you out in dangerous conditions. Furthermore, we operate a policy whereby any member of the crew can request a return to shore if they’re unhappy about the conditions. If in doubt, discuss it with your cox.