For many years I have been rowing a cedar shell. I have no idea of its actual age, but the gentleman I inherited from was coxswain for Harvard in 1928. In any case, last winter I decided to store it in my basement (the house is 1770, so it is not completely dry, and the heating boiler is down there). I hung it from the ceiling. Mid way through the winter I went to check on it with a thought to new varnish, I found it had a crack in the hull. I decided things could wait until spring. At winters end, I went down and found it cracked to pieces, essentially broken in the middle. I had previously stored it in an unheated barn, with no problems. I have replaced it with a mahogany plywood single and am now starting to think about winter storage. Does anyone have any idea what could have happened?
