History Lesson of the Day

This week I have been a neglectful blog keeper and coach. As many of you know, my full-time job is working in Housing and Residential Life at Bucknell University. I oversee 10 different residential buildings, supervise the Resident Assistants, counsel students, teach classes, and a lot more. This week is our final week for room selection, so I have been working until 10 or 11pm at night. I was lucky enough to be able to coach on Tuesday morning. Someone asked me, "Why would you ever get up that early to coach?" I simply responded, "Because it is the best part of my day." I love the students that I get to work with at Bucknell and the things that I get to do in my full-time job, but rowing has always held my heart.

One of my goals in the upcoming weeks is to tell you the story of the Susquehanna boats. As a team member from 2001-2005, I often joked that I was the team's oral historian. I love story-telling and think that every team needs to know where it came from in order to know where it is going. While I have some crazy stories, I promise you that I don't exaggerate.

I wanted to start with the story of "Annalia," but quickly realized that Annalia's history is based on the other boats of the Susquehanna fleet, as well as the members of the team.

Fall 2001 Fleet:

• 2x - Double Trouble
  
• Vespoli DL4+ (Bow Loader) - Edna M. Sheary
• Vespoli DM4+ - Charles B. Degenstein
• 2001 Vespoli DM4+ - Unity - delivered fresh in the wrapper that fall
  
• Vespoli DS4+ - Synergy
• Vespoli DL8+ - Shane's B.O.W.
• Poccock 8+ - Joel Cunningham/Athena/the Poccock/Clifford

At Head of the Occoquan that year, we picked up Meridian (1997 Vespoli DM8+), which we purchased used from a high school rowing program. Believe it or not, rowing in Meridian was considered a privilege that spring, and she raced well.

The plus sign (+) stands for plus the coxswain, instead of being a "straight" boat or minus (-) without the coxswain. Sculling boats (two oars per person) have an "x" after the number of rowers.

Vespoli is an American boat company started by rower and coach Mike Vespoli. Vespoli uses a classification system of two to three letters to describe the hull type and recommended size of the crew. "D" stands for the "D-Hull" designed by a naval architect and hydrodynamics expert, and was born from the most comprehensive rowing research that had ever been done at the time. Fours are classified as small (S), medium (M), and large (L), while the eights have an additional extra-large (XL) category.

• S 4+: 135-160lbs S 8+: 125-155lbs.
  
• M 4+: 160-185lbs M 8+: 155-185lbs.
  
• L 4+: 185-220lbs L 8+: 175-205lbs.
• XL 8+: 195-225lbs

Vespoli recently introduced the "E-Hull" which was designed by the naval architect who's boat won America's Cup. They are more similar in nature to Resolute shells now, also designed by an America's Cup winner architect.

As you may have noticed, only two boats remain in the Susquehanna fleet (Unity and Meridian). Edna belongs to the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association (CPRA). More to come later!