Audacious & Phoenix are ready to launch when our docks go in -we’re still waiting...

Registered rowers will be the first to know.

Blue Hill Community Rowing welcomes all. There is no charge for rowing but donations keep us afloat.

This from a grateful rower: “Thank you for providing …the opportunity to not only get a great workout and enjoy our beautiful Maine waters…but for making new friends and creating lifelong memories.”

Watch St Ayles Skiff 10th Anniversary film for the origin and history of this craft.

What is Blue Hill Community Rowing?

BHCR Rowing is a community program aimed at exercise, building the skill, and the stimulation of a team sport. We go out with four rowers and a coxswain in a fixed-seat boat designed for coastal rowing, as opposed to a racing shell with a sliding seat, designed for flat water. Our boats are named Audacious and Phoenix. Rowers of any skill level are welcome. At this point it is open to anyone at least 14-years- old; there may be a program for younger people in the future. BHCR is an independent program hosted by the Kollegewidgwok Sailing Education Association (KSEA) at the Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club. Both KYC members and non-members can row with BHC Rowing.

Audacious and Phoenix are both St. Ayles Skiffs, a wildly popular design in Scotland. They are seaworthy little crafts, double-ended, 22’ long, with one oar per rower. Check out “St. Ayles Skiff” for some entertaining video (better with the sound off). The program runs from spring to late fall, whenever the docks are in at KYC. Concerned about colder weather? Don’t be. When some of us rowed through the winter with Come Boating in Belfast we shed layers after five or ten minutes.

Audacious and Phoenix are moored near the KYC dock in the outer Blue Hill harbor. George Stevens Academy and Ellsworth High School both have St.Ayles skiffs in the water or in the works and may collaborate with some of our events.

How to go on a row?

It couldn’t be easier. Just complete the registration form and waiver available here and send or email them back to us. Once you are registered, you will need to check the calendar to see when rows are scheduled and if a seat is available. There is no limit on how many times you can row. We meet at KYC about 15 minutes before the row time. You need a life jacket. If you don’t have one, a few will be available. Generally, we will not row if the wind is over 15 kts or the temperature below 20ºF. The cox will decide if any particular crew is ok for the conditions.

Most rows are about an hour, though there can be longer rows in Blue Hill Bay if a full crew and cox sign up. We can do a picnic row, a breakfast-in-town row, a funny hat row, or even an overnight row: it’s up to you. For any other questions please email BlueHillCommunityRowing@gmail.com.

What does the coxswain do?

The cox is in command of all things concerning the boat, steering, giving rowing commands, and, Noº 1, maintaining safety for the crew and boat. The cox will give any training necessary for the crew on the row. We aim at learning good technique from the beginning, whether a particular row is for different levels of exercise or for advanced race training. Rowers of any strength level can get the technique right, and it is much more fun.

Cox commands like “Come to oars,” “All together backwater,” and “Starboard side hold water” are much like the steering wheel, gear shift, and brakes on a car. They will be second nature to you soon. Commands are mostly the same for all coxed boats, but the words may vary slightly. The goal is to have as many rowers as possible qualify to be a cox, so coxes will have a chance to row.