intheboatshed.net

Rowing in Venice is under siege

Giacomo De Stefano has made this short but striking piece of Youtube film to boost awareness and to encourage Venetians to preserve the ancient and elegant tradition of rowing in that city. Rowers are fast disappearing, he reports, yet the boats are an important part of his country’s history and culture, and he’d like this video to be passed on virally.

I hope he and his friends succeed. I don’t know Venice, but I must say that this distinctively different style of rowing has an appeal of its own – and seems very effective.

Peter Freebody in his workshop

I said I’d post again about Channel 4’s Classic Ships series when I had a moment to do so, and so I will. This programme is another exellent half hour including film of Alaska on the River Thames, legendary Thames boatbuilder and restorer Peter Freebody talking about the boats he works on and about developing a rowing craft somewhere between the Thames skiff and the Thames dinghy, and some splendid footage of the silent steam craft on Lake Windermere - including a demonstration of the Windermere steam kettle, which can boil a gallon in seconds.

There’s also just a glimpse of a waterman manoeuvering a Thames lighter using nothing more than a couple of sweeps. Impressive stuff.

I don’t know what restrictions may apply to watching Channel 4 On Demand programmes, but if you can see this, it’s a must! Click here.

Ben Crawshaw’s series of short videos recording his astonishing trip in Onawind Blue get better and better – if that’s possible.

The latest sees him rowing and sailing up the eastern Spanish coast from the Ebro Delta to Cap Salou in light winds – at times he’s nearly crushed by exhaustion yet at others he’s so jubilant he’s close to flying. Unmissable, moving stuff, I’d say, though encouraging someone else to do the same thing would be just about the last thing I’d do…

For more on Ben, Onawind Blue and trows light and otherwise, click here.