Safety Drill on Sunday 28th September 2025

It’s that time of year again! Health and Safety are of prime concern when dragon boating. The helms arranged for a drill to test our ability to cope in an awkward situation. This year, they decided to ‘swamp’ the dragon boat by filling it with water while several volunteer crew members sat in the boat. This showed that, because of its design, the boat is difficult to sink.

We boarded “Dragon Fly” at our base, numbered off, and paddled in unison down to Christchurch Rowing Club. This is where the swamping took place, as it’s shallow water and suitable for such drills. Spectators watched, captivated, as Verdun and Bob gently poured buckets of seawater into our boat. After sufficient bucketfuls, Bob, the helm, asked us to gently paddle away from the shore.

It was quite astounding how much the water slopped around, and images formed in my mind about how boats easily capsize due to water movement as it swills from one side to the other. Bob was very gracious and kept reassuring us about safety, telling us to sit still while we paddled up the river a short distance and then backpaddled to the shoreline.

Unfortunately, all this time it was pouring with rain, and it was a relief when the boat was bailed out. This took much longer than filling the boat with water!! Several photo shoot opportunities later, we made our way back to base at a quick pace. We didn’t need a rest—we just wanted a hot cuppa and a piece of cake!

So, that’s it for another year—another tick in the box for Health and Safety. Thank you to all our supporters. You are worth your weight in gold, especially as it was so wet.

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