Echo Rowing

Echo Enthusiast

Dear Lorna,

I have been having incredible times with my new friend.

One weekend we rowed in the Charles River, once in Glouster Harbor, often I row in our beautiful North River here in Marshfield, and this past weekend Roger and I went rowing in Squam Lake and the next day Lake Winnepesaukee.  (I did not realize there was a rowing regatta the day before.)  I've now had a bit of experience with 12-15 knot wind and I feel comfortable rowing.  What a comfortable and stable craft.  I have not had a moment's discomfort.

Sincerely,

Peg and Roger Crawford

A 2nd place finish!

Echo Enthusiast Don Libbey emailed us about the Slocum River Regatta that took place this past weekend. Thanks Don.  Congratulations on your 2nd place finish!

While it was dreary and raining on the morning of Saturday, September 15th, over 70 rowers and paddlers braved the elements (the rain did let up for the races) on the Slocum River Estuary's 2+ mile course in the Second Annual Slocum River Regatta  in Dartmouth, MA, Southern New England's Fall Rowing & Paddling Festival. (www.slocumregatta.org) 

The regatta proceeds benefit the Lloyd Center for the Environment (www.lloydcenter.org). The regatta is well organized, volunteers were plentiful and cheerful (despite the rain), and the launching area on the beach of the Demarest Lloyd State Park is easy on boats and racers.

The races went off as scheduled starting at 9:30 AM with sliding seat single racing shells, followed by double racing shells, recreational shells, whale boats, kayaks, pilot gigs, and fixed seat row boats.

 

The races included some familiar faces from the Snow Row and Head of the Weir.  Friends and family have a pretty good view of the start and finish of the races from the Observation Deck at the Lloyd Center.  Lunch and an awards ceremony followed the races.

Despite my less than stellar navigation of the course (including passing the only orange buoy on the course to port instead of starboard (resulting in a time penalty!), I was able to row my yellow Echo to a second place finish in the Recreational Sliding Seat Master's Division (yes, hard to believe I am
50!).  I have some pre-race photos of the launch area, which I can try and send, but none of the actual races.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the Last Great Round Gerrish Island Race & Cruise scheduled for the end of the month.

Regards,
Don Libbey

Trip to Adirondacks

Took the Echo to the Adirondacks for three days, camping at Eighth Lake Campground with great conditions as you can see from this sunset picture.

Yes I did row with the sunset, a magnificent pink, mackerel blanket that shrouded the hill to the west, water silky smooth only the sound of an occasional loon.

 

Up next morning early even though it was near 40F (and this is in August?).

The next day we were on Forked Lake -

Again perfect conditions. I got hypnotized while paddling with a kayaker who was telling me of flying into lakes in Arizona and Mexico for remote camping and forgot to glance over my shoulder (he neglected to warn me) so ran right into a granite rock sitting a foot out of the water. Hit it hard after a full stroke and was thrown out of the seat and foot straps. Pulling myself together I noticed I was still afloat and after checking found minimal damage. I said a silent prayer to Doug Martin and continued to wander the lake. All is patched over now, a true tribute to the strength of the design and manufacture of the Echo. The perfect boat for this somewhat clutsy rower (I use the red warning flag on the bow to get noticed and keep off flies - no high tech purist rower this guy).

 

Love the boat.

 

Bob Auchincloss, Pleasant Valley NY

My Echo shell is longer than my car!

Here's a great picture from Echo Enthusiast Bill Phillips - his Echo Rowing shell is longer than the car!

A Different type of Blackburn...

Hi Lorna, Ted, Doug and other Echo Folks,

May you have a successful event up there in Vermont.

I miss the crowd and the events of past years, such as the Blackburn. This year I chose to do my own  event-as Gloucester is a long way from here. Bonnie Jean and I launched at Camden to do a loop to Rockland, Rockport, then back to Camden. No fog up here. It was a lovely Friday the thirteenth with a light southerly and the tide rising. I estimated 4 hours at a leisurely pace, taking time to see the sights and rubberneck all the sailing boats. With courses and distances plotted along with water bottles and skin protection I slipped into boating heaven.

Past excursions have shown seals and harbor porpoises along with the seabirds. No sign this time of the marine life, but osprey and other birds were abundant. The leg south highlighted the schooners Angelique and a three master as well as half a dozen of the local 2 masted day boats. There was to be a parade of sail for the schooners in the afternoon inside the breakwater at Rockland before anchoring for the night. I wondered if they would be taking in the North Atlantic Blues Festival held in Rockland this weekend.

After a stop at the Rockland town dock and a short walk, back to the Bonnie Jean for the second leg. GPS showed 9.5 mi. in about 2 hours; seas hadn't built much in the morning. Heading for Rockport, my homeport, I skirted the ledges awash at high tide and marked by can buoy 1- not a safe place in the fog, comfortable in the clear day. Rockport was a lovely spot for viewing all those grand wooden boats, many maintained by Rockport Marine, where I was headed. Andre the seal has gone to seal heaven, but there is a statue to honor him, and seals are seen there, even in the winter. Rockport Marine showed some delightful sailing yachts and the folks there were quite friendly. Mariah manages the launch schedule, as well as working in the yard and around the dock, being cheerfully helpful. Set a launch date and time for our little sailboat and back on the water for leg 3.

Following the eastern shore we came across the Ilawani, a circumnavigator in harbor for the talk last night about their 3 year circumnavigation. Unmistakably heavily built gaff cutter moored to the great steel buoy abeam Beauchamp Point. The stories that boat must have! Cut between Indian Island and the southern end of Beauchamp Point to catch the curling seas for the downwind ride- Windsurfing!! Got a bit damp on a few of them, but it was fun! The Echo Islander gives such confidence and pleases much in the bargain. Two Camden schooners came by to see what was going so fast- we left them in the wake as the GPS wound up to 10 MPH on a wave crest.

Back to Camden and the log read 21 statute miles in 4 hours and 16 minutes- not too shabby for meandering. Guess the windsurfing upped the average. So this is my Blackburn, to replace last years.

Fair Winds
Jon Bahrt

Team Echo's own Ray Panek shares his story

In an interview with journalist Rachel Collins of the Portsmouth Herad newspaper, Ace-rower, Ray Panek  told his story about being on the water and the full body workout that he experiences in his Echo Rowing shell.  Ray competes in several recreational rowing shell races across the Northeast in his Ace rowing shell.

You can read the full article here:

Get off the Couch; Row, Row, Row Yourself into Shape

Article in the Portsmouth Herald  June 21, 2007

IROW “SOUTHWEST HARBOR” TOUR SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 9, 2007: Welcome Cook-out: Hamburgers and Hot Dogs *

Friday, August 10, 2007: Breakfast*
    Row: Up into “Somes Sound” for Lunch
    Lunch (Lunch costs not included)
    Row: Return to Inn
    Group Dinner Outing (Dinner costs not included)

Saturday, August 11, 2007:  Breakfast*
    Row: Around the “Bass Harbor Head Light”
    Lunch – Sandwich Lunch*
    Row: Around the “Cranberry Islands”
    Free Night – Dinner (Dinner costs not included)

Sunday, August 12, 2007:  Coffee *
    Row: To Breakfast
    Breakfast (Breakfast costs not included)
    Row: Around “Bar Island” and Return to Inn
    Free Afternoon (Lunch on your own/costs not included)
    Optional Hike in Arcadia for those interested
    TBD Evening Row in “Long Lake”
    Dinner: Grill Night: Steak Tips and Chicken *

Monday, August 13, 2007:  Breakfast *
    Row:
    Departure

The schedule above is subject to change depending on rowing conditions and weather.

*--Meals included in costs: 3 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners and Snacks

COSTS FOR THE FULL TOUR/FOUR NIGHTS PLUS MEALS - TAX NOT INCLUDED
Room rates vary depending on the size and view of the room
Names of rooms and rates listed below, check out the location at www.mooringsinn.com 

$390.00 – Monarch    $510.00 - Friendship and Red Jacket
$430.00 – Osprey      $530.00 - America
$470.00 – Theoline    $570.00 - Silver Spray, Spindrift and Dauntless

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION:  JULY 8, 2007

TO REGISTER CONTACT: Ray Panek at samandrayp@yahoo.com or call 603-373-8622

Echo & it's Health Benefits

I have been rowing my Echo for nearly two years here on the West Coast of Florida.  I rowed sweeps in  my first year of college 30 yrs ago and had longed to get back on the water.   Regular exercise and training has been a mainstay of my life as an adult so rowing has rapidly become a very important part of this practice.  Rowing has proven to be very gentle on my joints and, concurrently, very effective at building my cardiovascular reserve.  My resting heart rate has dropped significantly since I began my 3-4x/week sessions on the water.  As a side benefit, I have noticed that I have become stronger in my upper body in spite of  my having been an active weight lifter of many years.

Another quality about rowing that I feel compelled to share is that I have found that it dove tails quite nicely with my meditative practice.  I have believe that regular exercise helps one develop concentration and increased awareness of your body and its integration into the universe around us.  As a practicing Buddhist meditator I have been most fortunate in discovering how this wonderful exercise supports and nurtures a mindfulness practice.

The Echo has proven to be very suitable to the water behind my home.  From flat water to rough and windy, the Echo is stable, friendly and great fun!!  You folks at Echo rowing are sooooo supportive and helpful I feel I have made real friends.  Thanks for everything.

Paul Macchi  M.D.

Echo on Lake Powell

Photos taken on a trip to Lake Powell in mid-May (2007). This is about mile
38 (Rock Creek Bay area) of the 168 mile long lake. When full, Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah border has nearly 2000 miles of shoreline. More than the whole West Coast of the U.S.!

The morning and late afternoon solitude in this red-rock wonderland defies superlatives. It’s possible to row for miles and miles in the “shoulder seasons” and hardly see another boat. (On the other hand, in the summer season you’ll have quite a bit more company. But there’s enough water here to get away – and call a part of the lake your own.) Every new cove, every new bay, every new bend in the lake unfolds a constantly changing dramatic vista. Hundreds of beaches provide camping opportunities from wide-open expanses to secluded nooks just big enough to fit you, your tent and your Echo.

Access from Page, AZ (Wahweap, Stateline or Antelope Point launching areas) about 5 hours drive from Las Vegas; at many spots in the Bullfrog Bay area, about 2 ½ hours south of Green River, UT, or if you prefer the boonies, launch across the lake from Bullfrog at Halls Crossing Marina. Halls is about 2 hours west of Blanding, UT. Or there is a commercial car ferry that crosses Lake Powell and connects Halls Crossing with Bullfrog. If your Echo is car-topped you won’t have to pay extra!

One of those “have-to-go” places where seeing it from the waterline in an Echo makes it all the more dramatic!

- submitted by Don Elms

Another Echo on it's way...

Jack Tatelman and Dick Wallace pause for a moment at East/West Custom Boats,  as they pick-up Dick's new Echo.

They'll be ripping up the waves off Marblehead this summer, along with their buddy,Paul Mazonson