South Skye & Lochalsh Coastal Rowing Club

A big thank you to all club members who were able to join us for our safety training day – it was a packed and productive session, with great energy and involvement both on land and on the water.

To help us make the most of the day, we asked participants to review training videos from previous sessions with Topher Dawson of Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club and the SCRA.

If you haven’t already, or want to refresh your memory, you can still catch those videos here:
🔗 South Skye & Lochalsh Coastal Rowing YouTube Channel
Top tip: don’t miss the Man Overboard videos – they’re essential viewing!

🛟 We were warmly welcomed by Lisa at the start of the day, setting a positive tone for what followed. We covered a lot, starting with key safety procedures for both on and off the water, including a walk-through of what’s in the boat and how to use it, such as flares, VHF radios, and emergency actions – thanks to Frank for leading that part. Lauren guided us through how to assess wind and tide in local conditions, followed by detailed instruction on boat handling, including launching, boarding, managing oars and fenders, moving around the boat safely, and proper retrieval and stowing of the trailer.

🧑‍✈️ We also looked at the roles and responsibilities of the cox – what to do before launching, how to brief the crew, give clear commands, share responsibility, and maintain good communication on the water. The theory of Man Overboard procedures was covered using video and diagrams, with clear guidance on what to do and why it’s so important.

After lunch, we headed to the pier for a hands-on session and practiced safe launching procedures. We then put all the theory into practice with live demonstrations, including controlled starts and stops, turning drills, and a full Man Overboard exercise – with huge thanks to Helen for jumping in to help us learn in real time.

We packed a lot into one day, and your participation made it a real success. Whether you were leading, rowing, learning, and observing – thank you for contributing and helping us all build confidence and safety awareness.

Special thanks to Fiona for putting the event together for us – it was a well-organised and valuable day for all involved.

Stay safe, stay prepared, and keep practicing! 🙂

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South Skye & Lochalsh Coastal Rowing