Lead by Heiner and Jan Sussebach of Westminster, Vermont, 11 rowers from the RV Wandsbek Rowing Club in Hamburg, Germany came to Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) to try rowing in our pilot gigs. The club normally rows in sliding seat boats so the gigs were a new adventure!
The group assembled on site where they were met by Lisa Percival (LCMM Community Rowing organizer). After hellos and a brief explanation of the flags on our gaff-rigged flagpole, the group proceeded to the boatshop where Nick Patch (LCMM Director of the Longboat program) gave a brief review of the program and the boatshop. Afterward, the group then went down to the lake for a vigorous and lengthy row on Lake Champlain in strong winds and high waves. They loved rowing in a fixed seat gig so much that they urged us to stay on the lake for another hour and to row to the New York side!
It was a great international outing, with German songs being sung by the crew, snacks being shared and promises being made for more adventures together, here and in Germany.
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If your organization or club would like to get into our boats and row (a great team building exercise), please contact Nick Patch at nickp@lcmm.org or 802-475-2022 x113.