Rowers count the coast of Covid-19 shutdown

By David Lee

Coastal rowing is the fastestgrowing sport in Scotland and the sport celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2020 - highly appropriate in the designated Year of Coasts and Waters.

In these strange times, however, no-one is rowing. Although the specially-designed coastal rowing boats - called St Ayles Skiffs - are pretty sizeable (22ft long), it’s hard to get five people in there and maintain social distancing. Especially when you are rowing fast, breathing hard and sweating profusely.

It’s hard to explain to the non-converted why coastal rowing has ‘exploded’ onto Scottish waters and spread throughout the world. At the end of 2010, there were just six boats (four in the Firth of Forth and two in north east Scotland), and now there are almost 200 boats globally - mostly in Scotland, Northern Ireland and north east England.

The rules of most organised sports just don’t apply to coastal rowing. It is a truly inter-generational sport - at the third coastal rowing world championship in Stranraer last year, the youngest competitor was 12 and the oldest 88. There are more rowers between the ages of 50 and 60 than any other age group, there are more women than men, rowers compete in the gender they identify with, the rowers build and maintain their own boats, and nobody in the coastal rowing community is paid. It is all done on a completely voluntary basis.

So what is it that has so many people hooked? Put simply, four rowers (with one oar each - two oars on each side of the boat) are guided by a Cox through whatever conditions the sea has delivered up that day. So you might go out on a freezingcold winter morning on a glassy, calm-as-a-millpond sea, or a sunny summer’s day might throw up a day of waves and swell. Even in local waters, seals are often spotted - and occasionally, once very memorably, dolphins dancing in the Forth

“Part of the attraction is that you never know what you will get when you go out,” says Gaynor Allen, Chair of Eskmuthe Community Rowing Club in Musselburgh. “There is something so special about being out on the water, looking back towards where you live, feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face, working as a team to move the boat through the water - gliding over the surface or bouncing over the waves.”

A skiff making headway under the Forth Bridges at Queensferry

Clubs regularly travel all over Scotland (and beyond) for regattas and social rows in the company of fellow coastal rowing clubs. Although the competitive element is strong, and can be fierce at times, the friendships made are equally strong.

Eskmuthe has two boats moored at Fisherrow Harbour. The first is Honesty (named after The Honest Toun), the second boat, Steedie Falconer, was built in 2015 by club members with no boat-building experience, using a basic kit supplied by Jordan Boats.

For information on Eskmuthe Rowing Club email eskmuthe@ gmail.com and the club will arrange a session when rowing resumes.

Other clubs close to Edinburgh row from South Queensferry, Newhaven, Portobello, Port Seton, North Berwick and Dunbar.

www.eskmutherowingclub.org.uk