Summer 2019 Destination Rows

Destination Rowing Events:

CMI’s home waters are spectacular, whether it’s a row to Minot’s Light, around Strawberry Point to the flagpole on Smith Rocks, or up the coast towards Doctor’s Island and Hull, we’re very fortunate to call such a place home.  Nonetheless, it’s fun to mix it up and get out of our home waters from time to time, hence our roster of Destination Rows!

For these events, generally scheduled for Saturday afternoons, after the last of the Saturday morning program rows return (Sundays when Saturday weather interferes), we trailer the boats to different locations and explore someplace new.    

Destinations this year include the Boston Harbor Islands, the Charles River, and our annual Scituate Harbor Relay.  An alternative that’s been fun in the past and is still on the table this year is Hingham Harbor, Grape Island and the Back River.

Charles River:

Currently scheduled for Saturday, June 29 (June 30 weather date), this row launches at the Community Rowing boathouse in Brighton, and rows down the Charles toward the Harvard boathouse and potentially beyond, depending on timing and rowers’ ambitions.  The course then reverses to cover the last mile to mile-and-a-half-ish of the Head of the Charles Regatta’s course – bridges and all, albeit without being chased by a swarm of collegiate 8’s.  It’s a great opportunity to see the course as only rowers can, and we’ll be leaving the lobster boat wakes in Cohasset.  

Scituate Relay:

This row, actually a whole set of rows, is interwoven with the regularly scheduled Saturday and Sunday program rows on the weekend of July 21 and 22.  Interested crews will row pairs of boats from CMI to Scituate Harbor, and the crews scheduled in the next time slots will meet them there and row the boats back to CMI.  Some of the folks in Scituate have seen us before, but human-powered craft from up the coast are still something of a novelty there, and this can add to the fun.  To account for the staggered timing of the regular schedule, some crews may need to row either a half hour earlier or a half hour later than usual to make the whole dance work, but it’s always been fun.     

Boston Harbor Islands:

This row, scheduled for Saturday, September 21 (Sunday, September 22 as weather alternative) launches across from Hull High School.  In the past, we’ve explored George’s Island and Peddock’s Island.  This year, depending on conditions (winds, seas and powerboat traffic), we’re considering a row to Little Brewster Island (Boston Light) and its environs.  It’s under 3 nautical miles from launching near Hull Gut, or a 30-40 minute row at a leisurely pace, and once we’re there, there are several different islands to explore from the water, or land and explore on foot.  The timing might be ambitious, but a stop at fort Warren on George’s Island on the way back is not out of the question…   

All rows are weather permitting.  Because we need to load boats onto the trailers at CMI, unload and launch at our destination, and reverse the process to get home, these rows generally take the full afternoon, but they’re a great way to see someplace different from the water and share the fun that is rowing. 

Emails will be sent out closer to each of the dates for those crews interested in signing up.