Sailing & Rowing
Education Through Recreation
1. Is NCCSR not for profit? Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions are tax deductible. 12. What is rowing? Rowing is an exciting and fun-filled sport that provides an excellent outdoor cardio workout. Rowing boats are called “shells”. Shells are long and narrow and are designed to move very quickly through the water. For this reason they don’t have a lot of stability on their own. Rowers balance the boat by working together and making sure all of their oars are moving together and hitting the water at the same time. This takes practice and patience to learn, but once it is mastered, rowing is a very rewarding sport. There are two kinds of rowing, sweep rowing and sculling. 13. What is sweep rowing? A “sweep” boat can have anywhere from two to eight rowers in it, plus a coxswain. In a sweep boat each rower has one oar that he or she holds with two hands. These oars are about 12.5 feet long, but they are made of carbon-fiber, so they are relatively light. The boat is divided into Starboard (oar blade out to the right of the coxswain) and Port (oar out blade to the left of the coxswain) rowers. 14. What is sculling? Sculling shells can hold from one to four rowers and do not have a coxswain. Scullers row with two oars, one in each hand. The boat is stabilized by the rower or rowers moving the oar blades together and hitting the water, or “catching”, at the same time. 15. What is a coxswain? The coxswain wears a lot of hats. He or she is primarily responsible for the safety of the crew and equipment on the water. Considering that rowers can be traveling backwards at between 12 and 13 miles per hour, the coxswain’s job is very important! The coxswain is also responsible for motivating the crew and making sure they are working together. In competition, the coxswain executes the race strategy that has been agreed on by the crew and the coach. Experienced coxswains are able to recognize issues in the boat and provide feedback to the rowers. Many coxswains learn to row so they can better understand the needs of their crew. 16. When can I use the center’s equipment? If you are a Season Pass holder, you may use the rowing equipment during center hours, provided it is not in use. Anyone who wants to take NCCSR shells on the water must pass a proficiency test that is administered by one of the masters rowers. 17. I have my own shell, can I store it at the NCCSR center? Unfortunately we cannot provide personal boat storage at the center. The equipment at the center is available to anyone who holds a season pass. 18. What are the future plans for the rowing program? We are a brand new program with a few shells today, but the center plans to build a 50x75 foot boathouse on site. This house will have two bays and store boats five rows high. The center is also building a longer dock that will be used to launch sailboats and rowing shells. We have very exciting plans and hope you can come help us build our program!
2. Is NCCSR a club with membership guidelines? No, we are not a club. The public is invited to take classes and purchase seasons passes.
3. Does the Center rent boats? No. Sailing and rowing require minimum skill levels for safe operation. A Season Pass and minimum skills test will be required for unsupervised operation.
4. Do I need to know how to swim to take a class? Yes.
5. Can I keep a privately owned boat on the property? No. The only boats that will be stored on the property are boats owned by NCCSR and related youth and masters programs.
6. How do I register for a class? The registration process can be accessed at our website on the registration page.
7. What are your office hours? Our May office hours are 9 AM - 4 PM Tuesday through Friday. and Saturday 7:30 AM to Noon. Closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial weekend. While these are office hours, classes are often held outside these hours.
8. Will there be programs for the disabled? Yes.
9. Will any of the programs be offered for free? Occasionally there will be much abbreviated sessions designed to introduce the public to rowing or sailing and they may be free.
10. How is NCCSR Funded? The county provided the property for free and our programs and donations must fund all capital projects and normal operating expenses.
11. Is NCCSR part of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department? No. We have entered into a public private partnership to operate a community sailing and rowing center.
19. Do you row at Blythe Landing? No, all rowing programs are operated out of the Lake Norman YMCA.
20. Do you sail at the Lake Norman YMCA? No, all sailing programs are operated out of Blythe Landing.
Copyright . NC Community Sailing and Rowing. All rights reserved. Phone: 704-947-7245 (SAIL)
15901 NC 73 Highway Huntersville, NC 28078
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