Welcome to the St. Catharines Rowing Club.
On this page, you will learn a little about the Rowing Club, rowing, regattas, and a how to get involved.
SOME HISTORY
The St. Catharines Rowing Club (SCRC) was founded in 1903 and incorporated as a Not-for-Profit organization, in 1977.
2024 marks the 121st year of consecutive rowing in St. Catharines!
The first clubhouse was built in 1904 at the south end of the course, close to where the starting gates are now located. The Island, then known as Read’s Island, was purchased, and renamed Henley Island in 1955. Several other boathouses have been built, moved, relocated, and demolished over time.
SCRC shares the Island and the rowing course with Brock University Rowing and Ridley College Rowing Club / Ridley Graduate Boat Club.
Our current 10-bay boat house was built in 1966. The smaller boathouse, home to our workshop and to Brock and Ridley was built in 1986.
...more history
WHAT IS ROWING?
The Sport of Rowing: racing long, skinny boats, sometimes called shells, using oars (never call them paddles)
There are two types of rowing:
BOATS
Boats can have as many as eight rowers and a coxswain or coxie, for a total of nine or as few as just one athlete.
Rowers sit on sliding seats which move on wheels along a 27" track. Most boats have adjustable foot stops and shoes. You will hear rowers refer to boats by their size and the number of rowers in each boat.
THE BOATS WE USE AT SCRC:
Sculling boats - two oars for each rower
1x
Single –1 athlete
2x
Double –2 athletes
4x
Quad – 4 athletes
4x+
Coxed Quad *- 4 athletes and a coxswain
*Only sculling boat that includes a coxswain
Sweep boats – one oar for each rower
2-
Pair - 2 athletes, no coxswain
4-
Four – 4 athletes, no coxswain
4+
Coxed 4 - 4 athletes and a coxswain
8+
Eight – 8 athletes and a coxswain
OARS
Oars - are mounted in swivel oarlocks attached to a rigger. Sweep oars are longer - 12-13 ft - and heavier than sculling oars which are 9-10 ft long.
RIGGER:
The rigger is bolted onto the side of the boat and holds the oars.
WHO IS IN THE BOAT:
COXSWAIN:
Sweep boats shown as 4+ and 8+ have coxies, sculling boats, except coxed quads and sweep boats shown as 2- and 4- do not.
Only the coxie can talk during the race.
The coxie can be the opposite sex of the crew and must weigh a minimum of 45kg. for crews aged up to 19 years and 55kg. for all others. Coxies weighing less than minimum weight must carry weight (bags of sand!) to bring their weight up to the minimum.
On this page, you will learn a little about the Rowing Club, rowing, regattas, and a how to get involved.
SOME HISTORY
The St. Catharines Rowing Club (SCRC) was founded in 1903 and incorporated as a Not-for-Profit organization, in 1977.
2024 marks the 121st year of consecutive rowing in St. Catharines!
The first clubhouse was built in 1904 at the south end of the course, close to where the starting gates are now located. The Island, then known as Read’s Island, was purchased, and renamed Henley Island in 1955. Several other boathouses have been built, moved, relocated, and demolished over time.
SCRC shares the Island and the rowing course with Brock University Rowing and Ridley College Rowing Club / Ridley Graduate Boat Club.
Our current 10-bay boat house was built in 1966. The smaller boathouse, home to our workshop and to Brock and Ridley was built in 1986.
...more history
WHAT IS ROWING?
The Sport of Rowing: racing long, skinny boats, sometimes called shells, using oars (never call them paddles)
There are two types of rowing:
- Sculling where each rower has two oars, and
- Sweep Rowing where each rower has just one oar.
BOATS
Boats can have as many as eight rowers and a coxswain or coxie, for a total of nine or as few as just one athlete.
Rowers sit on sliding seats which move on wheels along a 27" track. Most boats have adjustable foot stops and shoes. You will hear rowers refer to boats by their size and the number of rowers in each boat.
THE BOATS WE USE AT SCRC:
Sculling boats - two oars for each rower
1x
Single –1 athlete
2x
Double –2 athletes
4x
Quad – 4 athletes
4x+
Coxed Quad *- 4 athletes and a coxswain
*Only sculling boat that includes a coxswain
Sweep boats – one oar for each rower
2-
Pair - 2 athletes, no coxswain
4-
Four – 4 athletes, no coxswain
4+
Coxed 4 - 4 athletes and a coxswain
8+
Eight – 8 athletes and a coxswain
OARS
Oars - are mounted in swivel oarlocks attached to a rigger. Sweep oars are longer - 12-13 ft - and heavier than sculling oars which are 9-10 ft long.
RIGGER:
The rigger is bolted onto the side of the boat and holds the oars.
WHO IS IN THE BOAT:
COXSWAIN:
Sweep boats shown as 4+ and 8+ have coxies, sculling boats, except coxed quads and sweep boats shown as 2- and 4- do not.
Only the coxie can talk during the race.
The coxie can be the opposite sex of the crew and must weigh a minimum of 45kg. for crews aged up to 19 years and 55kg. for all others. Coxies weighing less than minimum weight must carry weight (bags of sand!) to bring their weight up to the minimum.
