New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford Community Rowing is a club that started last June with Learn-To-Row Classes for youths and adult. While our future home will be at the end of Sawyer Street (across from the Market Basket), we currently launch from Popes Island. Competitive novice teams began last September, and we recently have begun our competitive spring season. In an attempt to bring rowing to everyone in the Greater New Bedford area, we are offering Learn-To-Row programs for anyone ages 13 and up. There will be several of these over the spring, summer and fall seasons, the first of which will be Sunday April 17th for a Learn-To-Row Day. The next one is scheduled for Saturday May 14th. Our Learn-To-Row Classes will begin the Monday after a Learn-To-Row Day.The Learn-To-Row Day is where we invite you to come out and spend 2 hours with us for $25. The first hour is spent going over our equipment and all it’s unique terminology, and then utilize rowing machines (called “ergs”) to teach the rowing stroke, which is different than whale boat rowing and other stationary seat rowing. In the second hour, we combine the Learn-To-Row people with our own rowers in one of our large boats called an “eight” (because it holds 8 rowers and the person that steers, the coxswain) and row around the beautiful New Bedford Harbor. It starts at 8:00 A.M. and snacks and refreshments will be provided!
We also offer Learn-To-Row Classes that meet for 2 hours, twice a week for 3 weeks and costs $65. The first class will begin Monday April 18th and meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30pm. We can offer a morning Learn-To-Row Class if we have at least 10 people signed up and that would also be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 am. The Learn-To-Row Classes go into more detail about the rowing stroke and how to move and balance the boat. It’s a great way to transition to the competitive team if that interests you. Ages 13-18 for youth, ages 19 and up for adult teams.
Anyone interested can sign up on our website: http://www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org/sign-up/learn-to-row-or-skills-development-classes/, or feel free to call or email the Director, Carolyn McGonagle at 508.717.4013 or carolyn@communityrowing.org.
