This evening was the summer solstice and I had the good fortune of it also being both high tide and fairly calm water. I ventured out onto the bay in my single. At first the power boat traffic had stirred up the water, but I soon found a study rhythm.
Since it was high tide it dawned on me that I could row all the way to the dam in Mill Neck creek and back, an 11K round trip. I was rewarded with some near perfect sculling conditions at the back of the creek and on the row home, the sky looked like the photo above. (Note, the photo I borrowed from @elisasantorowitzenburg.)
During the row I pondered many of the points mentioned in Jim Joy’s latest article, The Modern Trunk Swing. The concept as I understand it is for the sculler to have a near continuous trunk swing through out the drive and the recovery. When I do this well, the shell runs near level and the boat has an entirely light feel to it, with one stroke blending into the next.
On the way back, even in the rough patches of water on the bay, the shell still felt light and the strokes felt continuous. I hope you take a few minutes to read Jimmy’s article and ponder the points that are discussed.
