Storm - New Costal Skiff for Nordiska 2020

Dear rowing friends at Nordiska!

I’ve come up with the idea for Nordiska to test a coastal rowing boat on Lake Zurich during 2020 after having tested coastal rowing in rough ocean conditions (>1m waves) in Mölle, Sweden and enjoyed this very much. I have occasionally also sworn loudly when getting to Nordiska early in the morning only to find out the water conditions are too bad to go out. So why not combine fun with safety, and why not invite other Nordiska rowers in on the fun?

Lake Zurich is a quite large lake and therefore sensitive to even moderate winds which create unpleasant and sometimes even unsafe waves, which is the reason some other rowing clubs at Mythenquai have training facilities away from the lake at more calmer waters (e.g. Seeclub Zurich’s center at Eglisau). Coastal rowing boats are more stable than regular sports sculling boats and can therefore be used by experienced rowers also during winter or in waves, but on the rower’s own responsibility! The boat has been designed in Sweden by Mats Leo http://www.leocoastalrowing.com/. It is also a great boat for new sculling rowers to learn to row during good and warm water conditions. The boat model has won several gold medals in coastal rowing competitions over the last years; coastal rowing is also on the way to becoming an Olympic discipline. You’ll notice that the boat is enjoyable to row despite being heavier than a sports rowing boat. Hopefully having a C1X boat will allow us to be out on the water more, almost any time we like. No more excuses (pointing finger at myself). Since the boat is on a trolley, it is in some ways also easier to launch than regular boats, for those with back issues.

When using Storm, please consider the following items:

Launching and landing (NEW)
- The boat is launched directly from its trolley. It is too heavy to be carried by one person (close to 30kg) and not meant to be launched by one person lifting it in, so please don’t attempt this
- Use CNF/Kaufleuten’s pontoon (TWO pontoons away from Nordiska) for boat launch. Do NOT use Nordiska’s pontoon as this has a too high gap preventing the trolley to go down the pontoon without damaging the boat (allegedly to be fixed in 2020). We have permission to launch and land Storm from CNF/Kaufleuten’s (and GC's) pontoon until Nordiska’s pontoon has been fixed.
- Roll away the trolley from the pontoon after boat launch, placing it on the grass and thereby out of the way for other people and boats.
- Only gently lift the trolley at its handle bar; the fin on the other end of the boat (the stern) goes deep and easily scrapes the ground or any other objects. This is particularly important when exiting and entering the boat house with the trolley and when going up and down the pontoon with the trolley. Go slowly to minimize any issues.
- Launch procedure: the boat trolley/boat is rolled backwards down the ramp to the end of the pontoon. The trolley is then set with one wheel against the roller at the end of the pontoon; then lift the trolley’s handle end and let the boat gently slide directly into the water without touching the pontoon. Hold the cord of the boat.
- Use the cord to haul the boat back after launch - mind the pontoon’s corners when pulling back the boat.
- When landing with the boat, get the trolley back onto the pontoon and place it at the end with one wheel against the roller. Hold the cord and float the boat out to the end (mind other boats!). Carefully lift the bow of the boat up and high out of the water up onto the trolley while holding one foot gently on the trolley to prevent it from rolling away.

Preparation
- Make sure the plug at the end of the boat has been tightened before launching the boat.
- Mount the designated Storm rig.
- The boat is located immediately underneath a sensitive single scull boat; pay attention to not letting the rig hit the boat immediately above or it will very likely be damaged (the rig should in any case be removed from the boat when not in use).
- Use the oars with white, unpainted, blades. The oars are slightly shorter to account for a heavier boat
- Ideally use neoprene shoes or similar if rowing in cold water. Thick socks can likely also be used.
- Use a life vest
- Bring a sponge since some water may enter underneath the foot rest during the launch. The boat is self-bailing, so it can be completely drenched by waves and still be good for rowing.
- Check the swivels/gates and oar locks/latches as well as correct mounting of the rig, to ensure everything is set correctly and ready for safe rowing, in particular if going out in cold water
- There is no fixture for a lamp, however there is a lamp with suction mount in the cupboard which can be used (requires AA batteries)

Only row if you are experienced and know how to get back into the boat if you fall in. You can get back in from the side or from the rear of the boat, but only if you have tested it already on other boats and know how to do it. Again, your responsibility.

Have fun!

PS. Fun fact: If you’re close enough to big waves (e.g. Pfannenstiel wake or Wake boarder waves), you can actually surf the waves by going in the direction of the wave propagation. Use 2-3 smaller high energy strokes to get the speed up before increasing stroke length, then feel the speed. Don’t attempt this if the water is cold or you’re inexperienced!

PS2. If desired, I will be glad to assist and guide during the first time of usage. Contact me through Whatsapp directly (telephone number in members registery) to agree on a time to meet up or grab when I’m at the boat house.

PS3. Here’s an example of what it looks like rowing in some waves with the boat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbXf5iB6F20 (the Storm C1X designer is the rower)

PS4. It would be awesome if as many as possible tried using the boat. The first rower (other than myself), achieving 100km with Storm, wins a special price!