About Us
About Casco Bay Community Rowing
Our Mission
We deliver experiential learning programs on the water through fixed seat team rowing, creating life-changing opportunities for teens and adults of all abilities and income levels. Pulling an oar as part of a team opens the opportunity to explore the ocean environment, expand leadership skills, discover interpersonal insights and uncover personal potential.
Our Story so Far
Casco Bay Community Rowing (CBCR) started in 2024 inspired by the leadership of Pete Feeney and with the support of Bowdoinham Rowing (BR) and Sailing Ships Maine (SSM). Sea Cadet leaders Valerie Coulombe and Robert Demchak recruited nine high school aged Sea Cadets from all over the US to begin building our first fixed seat rowing boat in April of 2024 under Pete’s leadership. The Sea Cadets glued and stitched the boat together while Val and Bob cooked the meals and supervised the cadets who slept on cots at the Merrymeeting Hall Community Center next to the boat shop in Bowdoinham. Pete rallied a troop of local volunteers to finish the boat, christened Presumpscot, to get her ready for launch in March of 2025. Casco Bay Community Rowing for youth and adults was launched with Presumpscot!
We were inspired to provide youth and adult fixed seat rowing programs on Casco Bay, Maine by those who have gone before, including Muriel Curtis and Station Maine Rowing of Rockland, Maine, Ben Booth of Dharma Voyage in Westport, Mass, and Nick Patch of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
We view fixed seat rowing as an opportunity for anyone and everyone to get on the water and experience the satisfaction of building skills along with the joy of being part of a team while rowing. The boats we use are ocean-capable and can accommodate up to six rowers, one cox and two observers at a time. Unlike competitive sliding seat crew rowing, beginners can jump in and enjoy rowing their first time in a boat.
In 2022, some of the Bowdoinham Rowing members expressed an interest in traveling to competitive rowing events around New England. In 2025, they will be borrowing our gig on a regular basis to attend competitive adult rowing events throughout New England. (Competitive rowers can join Bowdoinham Rowing in 2025 if they are interested in racing.)
Looking ahead, Casco Bay Community Rowing is looking for volunteers to join us as rowing members and cox trainees. Being a cox is one of the best ways to serve the community while also getting plenty of exercise and time on the water. We seek 12 coxes in training. If you are interested, please reach out to info@cascobaycommunityrowing.org.
As we seek members to row and cox, we also seek volunteers interested in joining our advisory committee which currently consists of Alex Agnew, Pete Feeney, Lani Peterson, Dave Hoch, Pat Phillips and Carmen Poff. Our long term vision is to expand fixed seat rowing opportunities throughout coastal Maine by building more rowing gigs, educating students in both boat building and rowing, and growing community through shared time together on the water. An adult and student rowing program in Freeport is the next step in this expanded effort. If you would like to start your own fixed-seat rowing club, please reach out to Pete at pete@bowdoinhamrowing.org. He would love to help you with this process.
