On Water

Non-Regatta Days

These rules apply to the section of the Barwon River between Queens Park bridge and the end of the rowing zone as defined by the signs and buoys on either side of the river adjacent to Landy Field. (Refer Melways 451 D4 – Queens Park bridge and 452 B9 – Landy Field)

1. Boats will be launched and landed facing upstream.
2. Boats will travel upstream as close as practicable to the NORTH bank. (Rowing sheds side).
3. Boats will travel downstream as close as practicable to the SOUTH bank.
4. Between the Moorabool St (also known as Barwon Bridge) and the 1500 metre start line, no crews are to travel more than three abreast downstream and two (2) abreast upstream.
5. Between the 1500 metre start line and the Shannon Ave bridge, no crews are to travel more than two (2) abreast downstream and single file upstream.
6. Upstream of the Shannon Ave bridge, crews/scullers are to travel in single file when rowing both downstream and upstream. Overtaking permitted where safe to do so.
7. Downstream of the Moorabool St bridge, crews/scullers are to be single file when rowing both downstream and upstream. Crews proceeding downstream are to turn between Corio Bay Rowing Club and Landy Field and are to come into the landing facing upstream. Crews rowing upstream are to use north arch only of the Moorabool St bridge.
8. Crews/scullers working downstream shall have right of way.
9. Slow moving or stationary crews/scullers must keep close to the bank and move out of the path of faster moving crews/scullers.
10. Crews/scullers turning shall give way to all other crews/scullers and turn only when it is safe to do so.
11. Crews/scullers are not to row in the ski boat access lane as defined by the line of yellow and white buoys commencing from the west side of the ski boat ramp and extending east to Landy Field.
12. Crews must not proceed downstream beyond marker buoys and the signs defining the rowing/ski boat zones adjacent to Landy Field.
13. Crews must be off the river by midday on Sundays.
14. All crews must have a bow and stern light between sunset and sunrise as per Rowing Victoria and Marine Safety Victoria guidelines.
15. Crews are not to row at full speed downstream of the Moorabool St bridge.
16. At all times, crews are responsible for their own safety and that of those around them, even when doing set pieces of work in the correct lane.
17. Coaching Boats.
    1. One coaching boat per “boat shed” is to be on the water at any given time unless between the hours on 10.00am to 3.00pm on weekdays only, when more than one coaching boat is allowed. Public holidays are classed as Saturdays.
    2. In regards to schools/clubs on rowing camps in Geelong, the same rule shall apply, that is one coaching boat per club/school on the water at any given time, unless between the hours on 10.00am to 3.00pm on weekdays only, when more than one coaching boat is allowed.
    3. No coaching boats are to be used during regattas.  Coaching boats are not permitted to “idle” through a regatta, unless specific on the day permission is granted by the regatta referee. 
       
       The GRA encourages the use of coaching boats in a manner that such use creates minimal disturbance to other river users. Common courtesy should be shown to other river users by the operators/drivers of coaching boats.  
18. Megaphones. Please use common sense when using megaphones in the early mornings as the Barwon River passes through residential areas, especially upstream of the Shannon Ave bridge (also known as Prince’s Bridge). It is recommended that megaphones are not used prior to 9.00am on weekdays and 10.00am on weekends. Use of walkie talkies should be considered in lieu of megaphones.
19. “Traffic Rules – Training” apply for all days other than regatta days. For regattas, the course buoys are installed prior to the day. When buoys are installed and the day is not a regatta day, then “Traffic Rules – Training” shall apply and crews are to use the buoyed lanes as follows:
    • Lane 1 - (closest to north bank/rowing clubs side) Slow   moving/stopping crews upstream.
    • Lane 2 - continuous rowing upstream.
    • Lane 3 - continuous rowing downstream.
    • Lane 4 - continuous rowing downstream,
    • Rowing transit lane - slow moving/stopping crews downstream.
    • NOTE: At the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta, the Friday        immediately prior to this regatta is a deemed as a regatta day.
20. Crews/scullers are not to row in the ski boat access lane as defined by the line of yellow and white buoys commencing from the west side of the ski boat ramp and extending east to Landy Field.
21. Crews/scullers are to boat/deboat from any landing as quickly as is practically possible. Boats are not to be left in the water any longer than is required for crews to boat/deboat. Crews/scullers should attend to items such as filling of water bottles, sunscreen application, coach's briefing/debriefing, etc, with their boat on the rack.

 

Addendums:

Alternate rules apply for regatta days – please refer to “Traffic Rules – Racing” in the regatta program and the display of the rules in the boat shed at regattas.

Barwon River may be closed for non-rowing event such as canoeing or waterskiing – refer notice boards in local club/school boat sheds and on external notice board located in boat shed area at front of Geelong Rowing Association boat shed.

Slow moving or stationary crews/sculler, should remember that coxless boats may not be aware of another crew/sculler in their path and that one or more early, loud and clear verbal warnings to the coxless boat that there another crew/sculler in their path, may avoid a collision.

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