Page 55 - Discover SPRING 2022

Smith Mountain Lake is the home of the operating in their vicinity, please:
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CREW team,
• Give them a very wide berth and never cross
hosted high school crew training, and a growing
their bows.
number of Masters rowers. There can be 40
young athletes training on our lake daily during • If in doubt, just STOP before you wake a shell
the spring Sprint Race, summer camp, and fall and let them pass. You will be surprised just
Head Race seasons (March through November). how fast single, double, four or eight sweep, and
As lake users and power craft operators, we need sculling shells move under synchronized human
to give them our consideration and protection. power. Stop and take in the symmetry and
beauty of this true team and life-long sport.
Liberty University Crew and their high school
summer sessions generally practice in the • Don't get between the coaching launch and
vicinity of Mitchell's Point Marina, Craddock the rowing shells.
Creek light house, and channel markers C1
• From the Liberty Head
through C6. They practice in
Crew Coach, "The most
the early mornings and late
hazardous encounters for us
afternoons during the week, and
are when powered craft do
Saturday mornings during the
not realize our speed and cut
fall, spring, and early summer.
across our bows. When power
Their 26-54 foot long, 11-20
boats are not predictable and
inch wide shells are crewed
do not follow the Rules of the
by anywhere from one to nine
Road. We have also had very
young athletes. "Early morning"
close calls when fishing boats
means before sun rise, with
do not have their position
rowing shells showing correct
lights on." Rowing shells are
bow and stern lights, and with
without motors, and by law
one or more coaching launches
all motorized craft must give way to them. As
in escort. Masters rowers are lake-wide, and
the signs say, "Watch Your Wake and Share the
generally travel solo or in pairs in single person
Lake".
shells, training early mornings along main
channel shorelines and in the longer creeks.
• If you do wake out an escorted rowing shell
stop, stand-off and render assistance as the
Rowing shells are built for speed. They are
coaches direct. If you wake out or otherwise
not very maneuverable at any speed, and are
endanger an unescorted shell, turn back and
susceptible to wake damage, which can result
render assistance. The goal is simple: prevent
in serious injury. "Waking them out" at racing
putting young students and the young-at-heart
speed can eject a rower from the shell (the act
abruptly into the lake while damaging multi-
called "catching a crab"). Large wakes can
thousand dollar carbon fiber shells.
swamp them. Water temperature then presents
hypothermic risk. It also terminates their Follow the Liberty University Crew Team on
practice after traveling 45 minutes one way to Facebook and Instagram, as they finish indoor
SML. training, and get ready to go back on their home
waters of Smith Mountain Lake.
This message is all about protecting our "Crew"
Thank you all! SMLWSC
and enabling their success on SML. When
os by K
at
Photos by Katelyn Joy Jonohue
Phot
hue
lyn Joy Jono
e
www.discoversmithmountainlake.com 53