Weekly exercise, great company, beautiful views! Adults of all ages and all rowing abilities (including first-time rowers) are invited to join us on the lake for weekly open-water rowing, April through October in Vergennes and Burlington.
Open-water rowing, also known as coastal rowing or gig rowing is an international sport, with clubs in the USA, UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Bermuda, and more. A full-body exercise, a crew of sweep-rowers and a coxswain navigate over an open body of water – ocean, river, or lake. Our clubs row in 6-seater pilot gigs or 4-seater St. Ayle’s skiffs, built right here in the Museum’s boat shop.
Rowing clubs meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5:15pm to 7:45pm.
Browse through our current rowing club options below to find the best fit for you and then register for the season.
Rowing Clubs
Click on a rowing club title to read more.
Rowing for Racing Club
Tuesdays in Vergennes • Intermediate to Experienced Rowers
The Rowing for Racing Club is our advanced adult rowing club which meets every Tuesday evening at the Museum campus. Best suited for intermediate and experienced adult rowers of all ages (18-99+), this weekly club sets out for an aggressive 1.5 to 2 hour row each week and practice strength training, rowing techniques, and endurance. This club is a great way to exercise, socialize, and experience the beauty of Lake Champlain, while improving our rowing skills.
Full Season Membership Dues: $175/Season
Join all 3 Clubs: $250
Burlington Rowing Club
Wednesdays in Burlington • Open to All / Beginner to Experienced Rowers
The Burlington Rowing Club, or the Skiff Rowing Club, meets at Perkins Pier in Burlington, VT every Wednesday evening, weather permitting. Open to adult rowers of all ages (18-99+) and of all levels (beginner to experienced) this weekly club sets out for a 1.5 to 2 hour row each week in the museum’s St. Ayle’s skiffs. This club is a great way to exercise, socialize, and experience the beauty of Lake Champlain, while practicing skiff rowing and racing techniques.
Full Season Club Membership Dues: $175
Join all 3 Clubs: $250
Community Rowing Club
Thursdays in Vergennes • Open to All / Beginner to Experienced Rowers
The Community Rowing Club meets every Thursday evening, weather permitting, at the Museum campus. Open to adult rowers of all ages (18-99+) and of all levels (beginner to experienced) this weekly club sets out for a relaxed 1.5 to 2 hour row each week. We row the museum’s fleet of rowing gigs, either 6-seater pilot gigs or smaller St. Ayle’s skiffs. This club is a great way to exercise, socialize, and experience the beauty of Lake Champlain in with a relaxed group.
Full Season Club Membership Dues: $175
Join all 3 Clubs: $250
Season Registration
Ready to row? Please review the details below and then use the register button below to sign up for your chosen rowing club(s) for the season.
Registration gets you a full season pass for your chosen rowing club:
- The cost of a Full Season Membership for a single club is $175
- For all three clubs the cost is $250
- We have instituted a Pay-What-You-Can model this season for all our rowing. All registrants must only pay what they feel is appropriate and affordable for them, no matter what you pay (or if you even pay at all) you will still be registered for the entire rowing season!
- If you need help calculating a fair price for yourself, the museum values an individual night of rowing at $10. If you think you’d only row 5 times over the course of the whole season and therefore don’t wish to pay full price, $50 might then be a fair amount.
Please Note:
- All rowers must register prior to rowing with any museum rowing club.
- All rowers register for the entire season.
- You must still sign-up to attend individual rowing nights during the season through our scheduling app. This is separate from registration and merely indicates your intent to participate on a given night, which helps us prepare the correct number of boats, oars, PFDs, etc. A link to this scheduling app will be attached to your registration confirmation email.
- If this is your first time rowing with us and you would like to do a trial row, you may row once free of charge, but must fill out a physical liability waiver provided by our rowing club captains prior to getting on the water. If you would like to continue rowing after that you must register for the full season through our online registration form (linked below).
Weather
Weather is important! If there is a change of plans due to the weather, or any other reason, we will email every weekly registrant by 3:00 PM on rowing day. If you don’t hear from us, we’re going rowing! We use the National Weather Service Lake Forecast.
Rowing Prep & Safety Protocols
As of February 2023, all adult rowers are encouraged to be vaccinated. Non-Vaccinated rowers must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result before the start of each rowing session they attend. Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 or general respiratory illness is not permitted to participate in museum programs until symptoms clear up or a negative test result is received. Review the Museum’s full COVID-19 Safety Protocols here.
All rowers are asked to bring their own:
- Sunscreen
- Water Bottle
- Snacks (if needed)
- Towel
- Gloves
- Seat Pad or Cushion
Questions? Contact our Maritime Programs team for help at NickP@lcmm.org.
Rowing Events & Races
