Intro to Traditional Rowing

Enjoy the historic Rondout Creek in Kingston the way our ancestors did! Rowing has been pivotal to all working waterfronts for as long as people have taken to the water. Only in the last century was rowing replaced with motors as the main way to move people and goods around harbors and ports. Join us as we return to this tradition with a fun row on the creek. In this class students will begin their adventure into open boat rowing. The class will begin with on shore instruction covering the basics of rowing traditional boats. Topics will include boat selection, boat handling, maritime rules, trip planning and safety. The class will then head down to the Rondout Creek to launch boats. We will practice rowing in the vicinity of our waterfront with an instructor close by on the dock or in a safety boat. As skill and time allow we will then go for a short row up the creek and view the Kingston waterfront just as someone may have a century ago, from a boat powered only by its occupants. No experience is necessary or expected. Students should know how to swim, life jackets will be provided for everyone. Also available is a follow-up class, Traditional Rowing 2, which will get students out onto the Hudson River which is a mile from the museum's docks. Learn more at www.hrmm.org/learn-to-row