Boat damage and repairs happen – what can we do to mitigate?
Crashes, prangs, nicks and scratches happen to rowing boats.
We row on waterways containing debris. We fail to land our craft carefully, and carry them carelessly, hitting riggers, doorways and other boats.
Boat damage is a constant issue for boat owners and clubs.
Protect your own equipment first
Many choose to add covers, mats, towels or other ‘defensive’ wrappers to their boats when they are on the rack. I’ve got a tennis ball over the rigger pin and others use foam pool noodles and rubber stoppers.
Adding protection may encourage a lack of care from other boat uses who think that because it’s covered, they don’t need to keep an active watch.
Our club tries to enforce a rule of no talking when carrying boats in and out of the boathouse. You can hear the person who is doing the commands.
Has anyone’s club managed to implement a culture for reporting boat damage that works? We have tried to convince people time and time again that they won’t be blamed, we just need things reporting but to limited success. Boats are frequently damaged in ways that the people doing it must have known and we find out down the line when someone notices it….so frustrating.
Discussion on Masters Rowing International Facebook Group
How to encourage damage reporting from club members?
Nobody wants a broken boat preventing them going out rowing.
These are the reasons club members don’t take responsibility for reporting issues
- ignorance – I didn’t know it was broken
- amnesia – I forgot to report
- avoid responsibility – It wasn’t my job to report
- ignore – I didn’t do it
We have to do better.
Rowing Business Listings
Find reputable Boat Repair services from the Rowing Directory.
