A Tour of Lake Hartwell

1. “The Course”: This is Clemson University’s course. It’s a full six lane, buoyed course that ends right at their boathouse (where we launch). Luckily for us, all the college crews are off the water by the time we get on so most mornings we have the course all to ourselves. Unluckily for us, prevailing wind seems to be a 10-15mph cross wind. Still, “The Course” is a favorite for both race pieces and steady state, especially on the calmer mornings.2. “The L”: This refers to the stretch of water that hugs the shore along the last 500m of the course and veers away from it in an “L” shape. It has frequently been some of the only flat water to be found due to the allegedly abnormal windiness. “The L” is not particularly enjoyable to row and is usually a last resort.3. “The Neighborhood”: This stretch of water got it’s name because it leads to our GRP home(s) away from home. While this tantalizingly flat water may be just a stone’s throw from our front deck, it is a solid 8k row from the boathouse thus lending itself only to longer excursions.4. “Past the Neighborhood”: Not the most original name, but this is actually the main body of water. The majority of Lake Hartwell is off this map past “The Neighborhood”. It is commonly used for excursing (Coach Roock’s new favorite word) and one could in fact row to Georgia from here. That being said the motorboat traffic can be heavy at times, especially as the weather is starting to get up into the 70s.5. “The Middle Finger”: Undoubtedly the most creatively named area of the lake, the middle finger is a favorite location for an easy swing row on a moderately windy afternoon. It is usually pretty sheltered and doesn’t have a lot of boat traffic. The only downside is that it’s just over 2k long.6. “The Crossing”: I’m not sure that anyone else actually calls this area the crossing but that’s what I always think of it as. It is a very open and pretty short stretch just past the railroad bridge. Though short, it can be a very treacherous piece of water when the crosswind picks up. However, on many windy days one must attempt to cross this section in hopes of reaching the more protected waters of “The City Course” or “The Wakeboarding Spot”.7. “The City Course”: The second buoyed racecourse is owned by the city of Clemson, which hosts many college crews during their spring breaks. Though only three lanes wide, “The City Course” is much more protected than “The Course” and is thus a go-to for afternoon pieces or technique work.8. “The Wakeboarding Spot”: While it doesn’t seem quite wide enough to be ideal for wakeboarding it does boast an actual wakeboarding jump. (AKA: the mystery UFO). Pretty much guaranteed to be flat, this area of water has great potential other than the increasing likelihood of wake boarders due to the sunny weather.9. “The S Curves”: A rare spot for us GRPers, the S Curves were actually named by Clemson Rowers. The few times we have ventured up them I was lucky enough to be sitting stroke seat of a double and therefore had little responsibility as far as steering. It is another good location for long excursing, but perhaps not as good as “The Neighborhood” or “Past the Neighborhood” for mindless rows due to the winding nature of it.