Last fall, the club crew season was cut short by two weeks when Exeter’s Facilities Management Department discovered major structural problems in the retaining wall next to the docks. Instead of reinforcing the wall with pilings, the corrugated sheet metal alone held back the weight of the entire shoreline. Surprisingly, this inappropriate construction held for decades before any serious instability was noticed. Though the discovery abbreviated the fall season, any delay would have pushed the reconstruction process into the spring season, potentially disrupting the practice schedule.

With little more than a month until crews hope to get back on the Squamscott, construction efforts are well underway. A new retaining wall supported by a reinforced concrete slab (pictured left) will provide much greater support and stability. All in all, the construction is on schedule to be completed in time for the start of the spring season in the last week of March. Hopefully the ice will clear by then!

In the meantime, a number of Exeter rowers have been training in preparation for the CRASH-B Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championship this Sunday. The event will be held at the Agganis Arena in Boston, and is free to all spectators. Entrants from the Academy include Lane Pertusi ’09, Josh Sans ’09, Will Scheffer ’09, Nick Cushing ’09, Ryan Jones ’09, and coaches Sally Morris, Rebecca Moore, and Marshall Moore. For further information and complete seeding information, head over to the CRASH-B Sprints website. Planning to attend? Let others know on the forums.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Safir ’08.

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