Rowing

[ginbottle]

As some of you will know, my husband and I are newish to all this and although we are learning, there is a lot to take in, so please bear with me, when I ask some rather silly questions. At the moment we have a small, old boat, with an outboard motor. I would prefer a rowing boat, as I was brought up by the sea and love to row. However, I just want to ask...is the river Thurne easy to row on? I'm not as young as I was, so my arms would not be as strong! Being a tidal river, I was wondering if I might struggle? I consider rowing to be a great form of exercise and really, really want a rowing boat! Any advice, please?

[riyadhcrew]

The current on the Thurne is not that strong and you could always check the tide times to help you in which ever direction you are rowing.

[ginbottle]

Thanks, riyadhcrew! I thought it seemed quite a gentle river, just right for me! Many years ago, my husband and I rowed down a river to the pub, took about 20 minutes.  We had a drink, or two and headed back...the return journey took us around 4 hours, as the tide had turned and we were rowing with all our might and getting nowhere! It was pitch dark by the time we finally landed back where we had left our car!  won't do that again!

[Gracie]

Yes, that's happened to us too, nothing to do with the tide though

Grace

[Baitrunner]

Not sure how big your rowing boat is going to be, but you could always get a small electric outboard to help if tide gets too strong. 

Or if you can, time your trips to make sure the return journey is with the tide. 

My fishing dinghy is 12ft, with 2 blokes, our fishing gear and a 4hp on the back it is dead easy to row. It does have quite long oars though. Can be awkward in narrow dykes. 

[imtamping2]

You will be fine rowing , as said there is not much tidal flow around potter, in fact it is very difficult to work out which way the tide is flowing sometimes.

You will also see people rowing most days.

 

[Gretzky]

The current may not be strong on the Thrune but be careful around Potter Heigham bridge, I have seen several rowing boats trying to go though the bridge against the tide, even one with a couple strong looking lads in it not be able to make it though! timing the tides is the key!

[marshman]

What they all fail to mention is that there are rowing boats, and rowing boats!! Some move much more easily than others and if you have a short fat one, then that will row much less easily than a long thin one - for obvious reasons! Much will also depend on your skill and despite the optimism of some of these posters you will find the tide on the Thurne DOES flow quite quickly - indeed it flows south of Potter Bridge probably as fast as the Bure up towards St Benets. Or IMHO for whats that worth!!! Its ok just looking at it from atop a 40hp diesel but its a different kettle of fish closer to the water.

Try tacking even one of Hunters finest up that stretch against the tide and its pretty hard work - the gains can be tiny unless its a reasonable breeze and a stiff breeze and a tide against you would reduce your rowing pace to a snails unless you have a rowing skiff! However tides do ease so check the tide tables and do not expect an easy time at peak flows.

To put it another way, they are plenty of much better places to row in Broadland!! Any of the Broads, upstream of Horning, almost all of the Ant north of Ludham Bridge and indeed the Thurne itself on Horsey or Hickling Broads.

I hate to contradict any of my learned posters but I once tried quanting a yacht from Candle Dyke to Dungeon Corner against the flow and was completely and utterly shafted - no flow? You must be bloomin' joking!!!!!!!

[Timbo]

57 minutes ago, marshman said:

tide on the Thurne DOES flow quite quickly

It certainly does, somewhere there is video footage of yours truly posing in a 14' Tiger Touring Canoe...I say posing, I was actually paddling for all I was worth against the tide and going backwards...in style...but still backwards.

[quo vadis]

I tried rowing once, lets just say it was not a complete success

[MauriceMynah]

I was told to learn to row,..... oar else.

[NeilB]

Hard work against the tide, enough to give you a stroke.... 

[JennyMorgan]

In my younger days I thought nothing of rowing from Oulton Broad to Geldeston and on one occasion rowed from Oulton to Great Yarmouth and the back along the coast to Oulton Broad via Lowestoft. Easy, anyone could do it, just use the tides rather than fight it. As the saying goes, go with the flow.

By the way, for river rowing these boats are excellent, I have one, over thirty five years old now:

http://www.salterssteamers.co.uk/16ft-double-skiff.php

[Timbo]

Oars and strokes? Stand a good chance of catching a crab! 

[ZimbiIV]

Rowing every day,

usually over who's turn it is to wash up!!

paul