Frequently Asked Questions
General
While rowing is regarded as low impact, you need to be prepared as well. You should be able to perform the following:
- Lift 30 lbs. over your head; twice is good
- Do a deep knee bend; twice is good (your legs are an important part of the stroke)
- Get up from a sitting position on the floor; your hands can touch but not your knees
If you start a program, please consider rowing as only one component of your physical conditioning. It's always a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
Usually not, but rowing is still a water sport. Novice team boats can be splashy but it is rare to have a boat flip.
Yes, we do row in the rain! Instructional programs meet as scheduled, rain or shine. In severe weather conditions, including lightning, strong wind, heavy fog, high water, or storms are present, the Coach may make the decision to stay off the river.
Always dress in layers. Make sure you are able to shed layers easily as you begin to warm up. Your rowing clothes will get dirty. Clothing should be both comfy and snug. Like cycling clothing, it should allow you to move freely, but should not be baggy. Synthetic fabrics are better than cotton. Bringing a dry change of clothing and a towel is recommended.
Our Program
Knowing your experience level and goals will help determine which program to join. For most, our Learn-to-Row programming is a great place to start, both for those who have never rowed before and are trying the sport for the first time AND for those who are coming back to the sport after time off. For those with some experience and looking to workout with others, the competitive team may be the place to start. Feel free to reach out to our coaching staff to get a better idea of the best fit for you.
Our team practices and competes in boats of all sizes. The MCRA fleet consists of singles, doubles, quads, fours, and eights. Depending on availability, team goals, and upcoming racing, participants get the opportunity to experience both styles of rowing and try boat sizes they may have never rowed before.
Maine Coast is a growing club. Our Membership is 70 strong, the Juniors program consists of about 30 boys and girls, our Competitive Masters program has 25 men and women. Our summer Learn to Row programming brings in between 40-60 participants between our Juniors and Masters.
Juniors
Our spring season runs from early March to early June. Practices are 3:30 to 5:30pm at the beginning of the season. They change to 3:30 to 6:00pm when we are able to get on the water, usually at the beginning of April. We meet every weekday, with weekend regattas beginning in mid-April.
Our summer sessions are 8:30 to 10:30am, every weekday. Optional weekend regattas are usually in late July.
Our fall season runs from late August to November 1st. Practices are from 3:30 to 6:00pm every weekday. We have four regattas that occur roughly every other weekend throughout the fall.
Yes! We have rowers from as far away as Cape Elizabeth and Gardiner. Please contact the Juniors coaches at juniors@mcrarowing.org if you have questions about accommodating travel, carpooling, or schedules.
Regular attendance at all workouts is expected and athletes will be encouraged to attend at least one regatta during the season. Most rowers, including novices, attend all regattas. Rowers should have a current physical and must pass a basic swim test before going out on the water. Finally, we rely on our Juniors to help with fundraising activities as well as boatyard cleanup and maintenance.
Families support our Juniors team through the Parents’ Booster group, which organizes transportation, food at regattas, fundraising, and more.
The MCRA Juniors program is a co-ed team, we practice at the same time. Our boys and girls start and end practice together, stretching, running, and completing some workouts together. We occasionally row mixed co-ed boats.
The fall season ends November 1st and winter programming starts mid January. We encourage and support rowers who participate in winter sports. There may be informal Captain Practices held during our break in programming.
Yes, we understand that students have a lot of commitments. While attendance is the biggest predictor of success and our most competitive athletes train for all five days, we will work with those who are looking to attend fewer days.
At this time, our juniors program takes athletes from 8th to 12th grade.
Rowing Terms
Rowing on the ergometer (“erg”) or rowing machine is the most fundamental method of training for a rower. Made of a slide, flywheel, screen, and handle, an erg is the closest thing a rower has to mimicking a workout on the water while indoors. Erging and erg tests are how rowers track their strength and progress.
When facing the front, or “bow” of a boat, “port” represents the left side of the boat’s orientation and “starboard”, respectively, represents the right. The back of the boat is the “stern”. Because rowers only hold one oar while sweeping, they have an assigned “side”, port or starboard, also known as their position. Because rowers are seated facing the coxswain with their backs to the bow, a rower must learn that their position is the opposite of the front-facing orientations of left and right (a port rower, for example, will have an oar facing the right instead of the left).
Head races are fall rowing competitions, while sprint races are spring events. In head racing, boats compete against the clock on a 5000m course with staggered starts. Sprint racing occurs on a short course, usually 1000 to 2000m, where upwards of 6-8 boats are in lanes and begin the race at the same time.
Sweep rowing and sculling are the two forms of rowing, distinguished by the number of oars each rower uses. In sweep rowing, each rower uses a single oar. Crew sizes are often larger, with rowers alternating sides, and boats typically require a coxswain to steer and command the crew. In sculling, each rower operates a pair of smaller oars, one in each hand.
In sweep rowing, the main boat sizes are eights, fours, and pairs. As the name suggests, eights hold eight rowers (and a coxswain), fours hold four (and a coxswain, usually), and pairs hold two. In sculling, the main three boat sizes are quads, doubles, and singles (four, two, and one rower in each, respectively).
Coxswains
The coxswain is an integral part of a team boat, and a good coxswain can be a team’s secret weapon. The coxswain steers the boat, runs the workout, provides technical guidance to rowers, and motivates the rowers when needed. We always need coxswains!
You can be both! Reach out to our coaching staff if you want to learn more about coxing in our program.
Locations and Travel
Our summer and fall seasons occur at our boatyard located at 96 Water St., Brunswick, ME. Our winter and spring indoor training occurs at the Brunswick Recreation Center. Our Juniors team trains on the New Meadows at Sawyer Park during the spring outdoor season.
While we are growing the rowing community in Maine, we travel to the greater New England area for the majority of our competitions including but not limited to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.
P.O. Box 36, Brunswick, ME 04011
mainecoast@mcrarowing.org
@mcrarowing