The Boys in the Boat

In January, Ulbrickson makes an announcement to all the members of the rowing team. The boys will be put into set crews and race against one another. The crews will change periodically until Ulbrickson finds the perfect combination to race for the Olympics in Berlin. It is up to each boy “whether he would be there or not” (150). An “all-out war” began in the shell house, with the boys pitted against one another. Roger and another future Olympian, Shorty Hunt, are placed in a boat with Joe. The other future Olympians—Don Hume, Johnny White, Stub McMillin, Chuck Day, and coxswain Bobby Moch—are in different boats.

During a rare sunny Seattle day, Joe takes Joyce for a canoe ride on Lake Washington. The next day he visits his father at work. They chat, and Joe asks if he can see his half-siblings. Harry refuses but notes that he and Thula sometimes go out of town, implying Joe could see them then.

In early April, the boys travel to Oakland for the Pacific Coast Regatta, where they will race against Cal and others. Ulbrickson decides that the sophomore boat, Joe’s boat, will race as the varsity team, “despite their repeated defeats” (165) against the other Washington boats.