The Real Issue

Since the growth in rower numbers, pressure for University rowers to finish practice before morning lectures has lead to congestion and tailbacks on the river. As soon as one boat stops to receive coaching instruction, boats behind it have to stop as well. Congestion of this sort can occur anywhere along the river where a crew chooses to stop, and it is sheer volume of rowing traffic needing to get out that is the overwhelming cause of congestion, not a dozen stationary narrowboats that have no intention of moving during rowing practice. (Interestingly, on the website for the CamToo project, residential boats are only given a passing reference and are not mentioned as a cause of congestion or a navigation hazard, even in a document written as late as July 2004).

Novice crews naturally find it difficult to maneuver, but congestion on the river will be a fact of life until rowing numbers decrease or an alternative venue is built. It seems draconian to displace a community tied to Cambridge by jobs, friends and family in favour of a group of athletes who may as well acquire their skills in real world’ conditions.

two crews pass each other with a third on the bank

At the town bumps in June 2004, crews were perfectly capable of getting past narrowboats on Midsummer Common, even when two crews were passing each other with a third on the bank.