Sure, you’ve probably worked the oars in a rowboat, and maybe a canoe or kayak, but have you ever done so in a Cornish pilot gig? Well, some 20 members of the Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club do just that, heading out not only year-round but often multiple times a week.
The large boats, running about 32 feet long, are impressive and sturdy-looking. I learned that Cornish pilot gigs were originally used in the 19th century to venture out on the high seas to rescue sailors, or deliver pilots to incoming sailing vessels. But here on the Island, members row between the Chops or in the Lagoon for the sheer fun of it. The club’s two boats were born from the efforts of Ross Gannon, who upon seeing pilot gigs under oar in Maine, thought, Why not on the Island? For two years, starting in 2004, almost 50 men, women, and youth volunteered weekends under the direction of Gannon and Benjamin to build, plank, and finish Grace and Cassie. Nowadays, Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club is now part of SailMV.
On a recent chilly Saturday morning, I got to speak with members on the beach in front of the Black Dog Tavern about why they joined, and what kept them coming out week after week. Marilyn Wortman, who has been with the group the longest, recalls, “When a friend in 2005 phoned and said they were building a couple of boats, I went down to build Cassie, and immediately started rowing in Grace. I couldn’t get enough of it. I love being on the water and with this group of rowers.”
The theme running throughout the conversations was teamwork. First, there’s the physical aspect of it. Six rowers go out together, with the person in the “stroke position” setting the pace, and with the coxswain navigating and correcting the oars if someone is out of sync. Jude Villa, the club’s president, who started in 2006, explains that for rowing, it doesn’t matter how strong you are; the important part is to follow the stroke and stay together. If you don’t, you can injure yourself and possibly others. “You have to pay attention to how your oar is in the water,” she says. “If it gets caught by going way under, it’s called catching a crab, which is dangerous. It’s important that your oar isn’t going too deep, that your paddle is in the water, and that it stays perpendicular.”
Working together clearly builds an emotional bond as well. It was just this that drew Terre Young to the club: “I used to work for years at the hospital, and I watched the rowers coming and going on my commute. I thought, when I retired, I’m getting in that boat … and I did. That was almost seven years ago. What I missed most when I left my job was being part of a team, and that’s what this is, and I love that there are amazing people with all kinds of personalities and quirks, and we’re friends. We have fun.”
Marge Dolan initially rowed back in 2006 when she lived full-time on the Vineyard. She says, “Then I got busy working in Boston, and took a break for about 15 years,” she says. “When I retired, I returned and got back into it. It’s something that is so unique to this place. I love being on the water, but also with an amazing group of people. The doors that are opened through this one little portal have been fascinating for me as somebody who has returned here year-round. People have connected me to other volunteer opportunities. It’s opening up the breadth of this place. It’s a physical workout, it’s a social connection, it’s a thing special here, and that’s why I love doing it.”
Ulrike Wartner started out as a summer resident, and regularly ate at the Black Dog, where she always saw the boat, and couldn’t stop thinking about how much she wanted to be in it. Wartner says, “When we moved here full-time seven years ago, I signed up, and I really enjoy it — the exercise part, and that it gets me out of bed early in the morning, no matter what, because if you’re part of a team, you show up. It’s great to have a sport that you can’t do by yourself, but you really have to work together.” She also makes a particularly interesting point about the activity: “There are very few places in the world where you can have this experience. You can on the Southern coast of England in Cornwell, and there are rowing gigs in Maine, and that’s about it. It’s very different from motor or sailboats, and from kayaking and canoeing. It’s a very special, traditional watercraft.”
Members span generations, from their mid-30s to mid-80s, and are eager for new folks to try it out. When you do, Young reassures, “I give them lots of opportunities to learn, bringing them in early, ahead of the row. I go through the commands, having them do all the things that the coxswain will tell the rowers.” You get two free introductory rows, and if it’s a good fit, you join by paying dues: $125 for Sail MV plus $100 for the club. “Then they start off as subs, and when there is a regular seat open in the boat, it’s theirs!” Young says.
Members row all 12 months. And they are intrepid, always venturing onto the water unless it’s blowing over 15 knots or under 20° outdoors. In the winter, dressing in layers and sporting good waterproof boots is key. Everyone also heartily agreed with Dolan’s comment, “I enjoy the cold weather. You feel like you accomplished something when you get back onshore. ‘Wow, I was mighty,’ which is a feeling you don’t get from watching Netflix. It’s a really year-round activity, and these folks make it easy to get started. It’s an hour, it’s reasonable, and we get to support a really important nonprofit organization.”
For information about the Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club, contact Sail Martha’s Vineyard at 508-696-7644.
