Diners at the Black Dog Tavern got an extra treat on a recent Saturday morning. With their waffles and eggs Benedict came a view of the Cassie being launched from the beach in back of the cafe by an all-woman crew. The rowers, all members of the Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club, take to Vineyard waters year-round. The majority of members are over 50; some are in their eighties.
Odds are that some of that morning’s brunch patrons knew a bit about the Cornish pilot gig. The classic wooden boat had been built in a concrete shed just yards away from where they dined, with use of the space donated by the Douglas family. Dozens of men, women, and children gave up their Saturdays to build the pilot gigs Cassie and Grace under the direction of local wooden boat builder Ross Gannon.
Readying the Cassie for launch, under the watchful eye of coxswain Jude Villa, were rowers Terre Young, Doris Godfrey, Robin Moriarty, Lyndsay Famariss, and Ulrike Wartner, each bedecked in the Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club’s signature bright-blue jackets. Launching a 32-foot boat is no easy task, but one Jude oversaw with military precision, getting rowers and multiple pieces of equipment — including some very very long oars — aboard safely. I have been rowing since the age of 5. Even so, the length of those oars terrified me. I considered it a minor miracle that the equipment, rowers, and those long oars all got aboard and on the water without injury.
Coxswain shore duties completed, Jude hopped aboard, and took a standing position for the duration of the trip around the harbor. From there, she says, “the coxswain steers the gig from the stern of the boat. I give the commands to the rowers, and ask them to do certain moves with their oars if I need help steering or turning the gig in a different direction.”
Watching Jude lead her rowers from a standing position reminds one of many classic paintings of historic happenings, with the leader similarly positioned: Think “Washington Crossing the Delaware.”
The Cornish pilot gig comes with plenty of its own centuries of history. The design was not invented when Ross Gannon first spotted the gigs being built by students in Maine, where the Gannon family spends each August. Nor was the design invented when the gigs were built on-Island in the Douglas shed at Five Corners. Cornwall is where the boat’s design originated, centuries back. Its adventures could easily fit into one of Daphne du Maurier’s historic novels set in Cornwall.
First designed for speed in ferrying mariners out to vessels too large to navigate the tiny coves of Cornwall, it then turned lifeboat — a function it continues to serve today. Then came a stint of gunrunning and tax evasion, as the boats carried goods from France to England in the 18th century.
Now the classic boats provide fun and exercise for enthusiastic members of the Martha’s Vineyard Rowing Club.
In their own words, here’s what keeps the Cornish pilot gig rowers rowing:
Terre Young
“When I worked for Hospice of MV, I would cross the bridge on my way to the hospital, and see the rowers, all year round, out on the water. I promised myself I would join when I retired, and that was the first thing I did. What keeps me coming is the camaraderie of the rowers. We are all good friends, willing to make certain that we know the weather, wind, and that we have all seats filled. I absolutely love being on the water, and the exercise is right for me!
“I am also responsible for bringing new people into the club, giving them a soft orientation and their first rows, so I have a special place in my heart for these new rowers, and of course, experienced rowers too.
“I want readers to know that Andy Nutton, executive director of Sail MV — a charming British gent — keeps us on the water! With their funds and our dues, they maintain the boats and help us with any situation. We would not be here without the board members supporting our amazing times on the water.”
Doris Godfrey
“I moved full-time to the Island in 2008. Before that, I would often see Cassie or Grace on the water with a team of women rowers, and would think, I’m going to join them! I learned later that while it’s mostly women, several men also row. You rely on one another, and help each other. From that, lasting friendships develop.
“It’s a process to learn how to row in a pilot gig, and even more of a process to learn how to use the stroke rower to stay in sync with all the rowers. However, the cox and the other rowers are patient and helpful with new rowers. When rowers are in sync, rowing is easier for all, and we glide through the water. Whether we are maneuvering through a crowded harbor in summer or by ourselves on a beautiful winter day, it’s an incredible experience.”
Robin Friedrichs-Moriarty
“I joined the rowing club because the physical nature of rowing appeals to me, and I am attracted to the ‘group effort’ aspect of the sport. There aren’t MVPs or winners and losers on the boat: it’s a real team. I keep going back because we do get better and that makes us all feel good!”
Ulrike Wartner
“I joined the rowing club 9 years ago after moving here to be a year-round resident and after admiring the beautiful gigs for years as they were tied up in front of the Black Dog. I was hoping it would be a good way to be on the water often and be part of a group of similar minded people. It indeed was and is.
“What keeps me going and coming back, even when it is 25 degrees outside and blowing 15 knots of wind and I am in my cozy bed? The fact that there are 6 others waiting for me and that I know once we put the oars in the water and the cox tells us to ‘make way together’ and the boat slides off the beach it will be the best moment of that day. To row in unison: Listen to the cox, follow your stroke, listen to the sound of the pins clacking. If needed, row with your eyes closed.”
Lyndsay Famariss
“I think the reason I got involved with the rowing club is very similar to other rowers’ stories: I had seen them row on the harbor for years, and I was always curious about trying it. My family hails from Cornwall, so this seemed like something I should learn how to do. I keep coming back because it’s hard to top the feeling I get from rowing with a group of friends in a beautiful, timeless wooden boat on our gorgeous harbor. As much as it can be difficult to leave a warm house on a winter’s morning to step into a simple boat on the frigid water, the view from the boat is always stunning, and whatever weighs on my mind prior to rowing is forgotten by the time we get back to shore. It’s such a treat to see the Vineyard from this perspective and to be reminded why we love this island.”
Watch Cornish pilot gigs race on television
You can see some classic Cornish pilot gigs on television, in this writer’s all-time-favorite PBS series: “Doc Martin.” My heart was broken by the recent termination of the 10-year series about a quirky Cornish GP. To see the gigs racing one small Cornish town’s lifeboat team against another, check out “Blade on the Feather,” “Doc Martin” season 8, episode 7, of February 7, 2019..