Programs and Workshops

Rowing
Adult Rowing in Boston and Hull
The best mental health activity in greater Boston can be found three times a week at Windmill Point, Hull. The uninitiated need only bring appropriate footwear (that which can get wet) and a good sense of humor to learn the time-honored skill of “pulling together.” As with all of the on the water programs, we row in Whitehall Fours, Pilot Gigs, barges, and Captain’s gigs, choosing a boat each outing to match the crew that shows up on the beach. Warning: open-water rowing can be habit forming.

For first time rowers, we suggest that you plan your first rowing voyage for a Saturday morning. Also, we recommend that you call to ensure that no impromptu activities have been planned for the day.  For more information or for daily scheduling questions call 781-925-5433.

Hull:  A few basics:
When:  Saturdays, 7:30am, year round; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30pm, seasonally
Where:  Windmill Point Boathouse, 180 Main Street, Hull
Cost:  $100 per year, plus HLM membership

Boston:  A few basics:
When:  Saturdays, 10-11:30am, April-October; Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00pm, beginning in June
Where:  Boston Rowing Center at the Barking Crab Restaurant, Fort Point Channel, Boston
Cost:  $200 per year, includes HLM membership

South Shore Youth Rowing
The outer Harbor is our playground in this year-round after school program serving middle and high school aged students on the South Shore. Participants come to Windmill Point, Hull twice a week to embark on voyages of discovery, every day choosing a different island or shoreline to explore, a different boat to row, a new way to know their friends.
Winter Season 2012
January 18 - March 24

South Shore Youth Rowing Winter Flyer
South Shore Youth Rowing - Registration Form
South Shore Youth Rowing - Clothing Checklist

Boston Rowing Center
Boston Youth Rowing

Combining on-the-water adventure and athletics with homework support, SAT and college prep, tutoring, and recreation, Boston Youth Rowing is an after school program (2:00-6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday) serving several hundred Boston kids, ages 10-21, every year. Boston Youth Rowing runs year-round out of the museum’s urban sites in South Boston and is open to any young person in Boston free of charge. Young people are welcome to drop-in or may contact us at  781-925-5433 or info@hulllifesavingmuseum.org.

Same Boat
We’re All in the Same Boat: Learn to row in Boston Harbor! “Same Boat” is a summer-long project focused on offering camps and programs throughout the city a fun, upbeat, different way to learn all about teamwork and personal development. This program serves boys and girls, ages 9-15, and is suitable for mainstream children as well as those with emotional, cognitive, and limited physical impairments. Groups come to the program twice a week for two hour rowing sessions, receiving complete skills and safety training. By advance reservation only. Program directors or caseworkers, please contact us at 781-925-5433 or info@hulllifesavingmuseum.org.

Resources
Ed's guide to being a Coxswain
Designated Worrier (DW) Procedures
Float Plan

Lectures
First Thursday Lectures present a diverse and engaging variety of topics, ranging from traditional boat building to sea glass collecting.  Learn more about Boston Harbor and New England maritime heritage. Lectures are held at the Point Allerton US Lifesaving Station on the first Thursday of each month from September-May.
Next Lecture: TBA

Bathhouse Lectures are co-presented monthly by the Hull Lifesaving Museum, the Friends of the Hull Public Library, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Upcoming

Dr. Joseph Warren:The Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill,
and the Birth of American Liberty
Dr. Samuel A. Forman
Thursday, February 9, 7:00 P.M
Dr. Joseph Warren is the definitive biography of the Revolutionary War doctor and hero. An American doctor, Bostonian, and patriot, Dr. Joseph Warren played a central role in the events leading to the American Revolution. Physician to the history makers of early America, political virtuoso, and military luminary, Warren comes to life in this comprehensive biography.

Samuel A. Forman is a man of many hats. He is a physician, Harvard University adjunct faculty member, businessman, and local historian. Educated in the history of the American Revolution and the history of Science, Forman has published and lectured on historical topics. He holds degrees from Yale, Harvard, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mary Jeanette Murray Bathhouse
Nantasket Beach
Free ~ Coffee ~ Desserts
*Donations gratefully accepted at the door
Books, provided by Buttonwood Books & Toys,
will be available for purchase at the event.

An Evening with Ron Della Chiesa
Thursday, January 19, 2012 7 pm

 The Charlestown Connection
Reading & Book Signing with author Tom MacDonald
Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7 pm
South Shore resident, Tom MacDonald read from his new thriller, the Charlestown Connection.

Unearth the Boston Harbor Islands with
Department of Conservation & Recreation Archaeologist Ellen Berkland
Thursday, October 13, 7:30
Celebrate Massachusetts Archaeology Month with a presentation on the archaeology of the Boston Harbor Islands. Ellen Berkland is a wealth of information about Boston Harbor's history, and, her enthusiasm for her subject is highly contagious!

Jones River Village Historical Society's Restoration of a Shiverick Catboat
Joseph Chetwynd
Thursday, March 3, 7 pm
Listen to the podcast*
Please note: The sound quality of this recording improves after the first 90 seconds of Mr. Chetwynd's talk.

The Summer Adventure Program offers six weeks of discovery and exploration for children ages 5-9.  Summer Adventure meets Tuesday-Thursday from 9:30-12, with a different theme each week.  *Registration for Pond Yacht Racers is $75 members, $90 nonmembers (due to a higher material cost).  Registration for all other weeks is $60 members, $68 nonmembers (scholarships and 10% sibling discounts available).  For information about summer 2012, please contact Victoria Stevens at 781-925-5433 or email victoria@hulllifesavingmuseum.org

Seascapes!
February School Vacation Week

Tuesday-Thursday, February 21-23, 2012
10:30 am-12:30 pm
 
Our February School Vacation Week Activity pairs classic children's sea stories with art-making.  We'll begin each day with a wonderful book, then children will use fun, hands on materials to translate the story their own miniature playset!
 
Pre-registration is required.  Limited to 8 children per day.  All materials and a morning snack will be supplied.  This is a drop-off activity.
Registration: $12/day members, $15/day nonmembers
Children may attend a single day or all three.

Group Tours
Children's Tours
Point Allerton US Lifesaving Station Interactive Tours
Point Allerton U.S. Lifesaving Station, constructed in 1889, was home to Captain Joshua James and his crew, America’s greatest lifesavers, renowned for saving hundreds of shipwrecked mariners from peril in Boston Harbor.

The tour begins with a brief history of organized lifesaving, emphasizing the contributions of volunteer lifesavers, continues on to the Galley where children learn about daily life at the station, then, on to the Boat Room to see the treasure of the museum collection- the storied surfboat Nantasket. Children will have the chance to view first hand the lifesavers’ surfboat and rescue equipment, while hearing true tales of amazing courage and heroic rescues.   The fun culminates in the museum’s loft where children of all ages enjoy “setting sail” on the climb-on boat, dressing up in period clothes, learning to tie a new knot, and standing watch in the museum cupola, with stunning views of Boston Light, Boston Harbor, and Fort Revere Park.

The Breeches Buoy
The Breeches Buoy rescue allowed lifesaving crews to carry shipwreck survivors safely to shore. A line firing gun sent a lifeline to the wrecked ship. Through this ingenious system lifesaving crews were able to send the breeches buoy to the ship. On shore, the lifesavers worked as a crew to haul the “whip line,” pulling the breeches buoy along the hawser, and the survivors, one by one, over the water to safety. Children’s groups can participate in breeches buoy reenactments from May through September, with children playing the roles of lifesaving crew and shipwreck survivors.

Teacher Resources

Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks supported by visiting the museum.

Adult Tours
Guided tours of the 1889 Point Allerton U.S. Lifesaving Station, including current exhibits, are available seven days a week by appointment.  Please contact Victoria Stevens at 781-925-5433 or victoria@hulllifesavingmuseum.org.

Adult Workshops
No adult workshops are currently scheduled.

Races

Crash-Bobs: Hull’s Indoor Rowing Races

Saturday, January 28, 2012
8:30 am - Noon
Liffman Challenge, 10:30 am start
Hull Lifesaving Museum
$5 suggested donation

Initially conceived as a local warm-up for the World Championship CRASH-Bs in mid- February, the Crash-Bobs has taken on a life of its own, now attracting dozens of hard-corps pain seekers to Hull in the deepest depths of winter. The day’s ergometer races come in many shapes and sizes, and include both 2000 and 5000 meter pieces, as well as relays and sprints for distance. Individuals and teams compete in race categories that recognize the very young (we had one six year old), the more “mature” (82 is our age to beat), and those of all emotional ranges in between.

The centerpiece of the day is the notorious Liffmann Challenge, a biathlon combining rowing and hill running. The course is comprised of a 5000-meter erg pull immediately followed by a 2.5 mile run or bike sprint through Hull’s hilliest neighborhood.

Drop-ins are welcome for the individual events, but those participating in the Liffmann Challenge must pre-register by phone (781-925-5433) to reserve an erg seat. Contact Ed McCabe for more information about the Bobs or to reserve a seat in the Liffmann Challenge.

2012 CRASH Bobs Results - Thanks to all for a wonderful day!
2011 CRASH Bobs Results
2010 CRASH Bobs Results

33rd Annual Snow Row

Saturday, March 10, 2012
Race Start: 10:30 am
Coxswain's Meeting: 10:00 am
Registration:  9:00 - 10:00 am
Location: Windmill Point Boathouse, 185 Main Street, Hull, MA
Fee: $20 racers; Spectators free
Registration Form

HLM’s signature-rowing race, the Snow Row, will be on Saturday March 10, 2012 at the Windmill Point Boathouse, Hull. The Snow Row covers a 3 3/4 mile triangular course starting off the beach at Windmill Point, continuing around Sheep Island, past the Peddocks Island day marker, and back to shore. Huge crowds gather on the beach beside the museum’s Windmill Point Boathouse to share in the wild, LeMans-style start, unpredictable weather, and one-of-a-kind gathering of gorgeous boats and athletes. Entirely within view of the Boathouse, the event is as much of a thrill for spectators as for participants. A Harbor Express high speed ferry, with boarding at Pemberton Pier, follows the race course, affording spectators an even closer view of the event. It is also a rare opportunity to see, up close, rowers of all ages and their stunning array of wooden pulling boats -- peapods, dories, wherries, whitehalls, ocean shells, kayaks, pilot gigs, captain’s gigs, and Irish currachs. For the tenth year, crews from Cornwall, U.K. will be coming to New England to participate. Youth and adult crews and rowers from all over New England, New York, and along the East Coast will join them.
The race has five boat categories: workboats, livery boats, coxed boats, ocean kayaks, and ocean shells. A few notes to all race participants: 1) all boats must carry PFDs, bailers, and whistles, 2) all coxed boats must pre-register and begin the race bow on the beach, and 3) the HLM Race Committee reserves the right to cancel the race or keep individual boats from setting forth due to weather conditions or rower skill level.
After watching the excitement of the Snow Row’s one-of-a-kind start, come to the Lifesaving Museum, a mile from the boathouse, which will be open throughout the day with free admission. For more information, please contact Lory Newmyer or Ed McCabe at the Hull Lifesaving Museum, 781-925-5433 or info@hulllifesavingmuseum.org.

Snow Row Results: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
2011 Snow Row Finish Order
2011 Snow Row Results by Category
2011 Snow Row Photos Courtesy Adolfo Leung

Head of the Weir River Race
 
Saturday, November 5, 2011     
Start: 10:00 am
Registration 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Cost: $20 per person
Registration Form

The Hull Lifesaving Museum's 24th Annual Head of the Weir River Race is a celebration of the estuary at the height of its fall beauty and the fabulous array of the region's open water rowers. As many as 60 boats jockey for position racing out the narrow estuary and onto open water, traveling from West Corner (on the Hingham/ Hull/ Cohasset line), past Bumpkin Island, across Hull Bay, to the museum's Windmill Point Boathouse at Hull Gut. A highly contested 5-½ miler, the Weir draws coxed youth and adult rowers in gigs, single and double livery and workboats, currachs, and ocean shells, as well as experienced kayakers. In the "head of the river" format, boats kick-off the starting line at one-minute intervals, and times are collated at the finish to determine the race winners. The Weir is an exceptionally exciting race and a great spectator event, featuring over 150 of the region's finest rowers from all over New England and New York. Best spectator views are from the bridge on George Washington Boulevard (10-20 minutes after the start), at the tip of Hull's Sunset Point, or at the Windmill Point Boathouse finish line. Spectators should show care crossing the road on George Washington Boulevard, watching for fast moving traffic.

Registration, required for all participants, will be 8:00 am - 9:00 am at the race starting line behind the Hull Public Works building at the Hull Town Line on Route 228. The coxswains' meeting is at 9:15 am, and race start at 10:00 am. All coxed boats must contact the race organizers before the day of the race. There is no parking available at the race starting line; the put-in for trailered boats is at Nantasket Pier, one mile from the starting line, where car and trailer parking is available. For more information or questions about participating, call Ed McCabe, the Hull Lifesaving Museum's Maritime Program Director or Lory Newmyer, Executive Director, at the museum (781-925-5433).

2011 Head of the Weir Finish Order
2011 Head of the Weir Results by Category
2011 Weir Photos Courtesy Patti Abbate & Kim Wolfe
2010 Head of the Weir Finish Order
2010 Head of the Weir Results by Category
2010 Weir Photos Courtesy Adolfo Leung
2010 Weir Photos Courtesy Lucy Wightman Photography

2nd Annual Boston Harbor Youth Championships

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Boston Rowing Center at the Barking Crab Restaurant
10am - 2 pm
CANCELLED

Boston Harbor's enthusiastic youth rowers will come together near the end of an intense fall rowing season to compete to be the best in the harbor!  Athletes from all over Boston - from public schools, alternative schools, residential programs, and the South Shore Youth Rowing progoram converge on the wonderful Fort Point Channel watersheet to sprint around marks and under bridges in a day of high-energy, high-fun competition.  Races take place out of HLM's boston Rowing Center, at the Barking Crab Restaurant.  Please come be a part of this great, new tradition!

Icebreaker: Northeast Regional Youth Open-Water Rowing Championships

Saturday, November 19, 2011
Windmill Point Boathouse, Hull
9 am - 4 pm
$20 per person

The Icebreaker draws 200 of the region’s best youth open-water rowers – from Boston Harbor, Lake Champlain, Martha’s Vineyard, Maine’s North Haven and Vinalhaven, New Haven and Avery Point, CT, New York City, Plymouth, and Scituate – compete for the coveted “Key to the Harbor.” The young people, from middle school through high school, race throughout the day in a series of round-robin-style heats, culminating with a huge nautical mile race across the bay. The day offers great opportunities to see beautiful races, athletes, and vessels up close, so come cheer young people giving everything they’ve got during a day of inspirational athletics and sportsmanship. Please contact Lory Newmyer for more information.

2011 Icebreaker Race Results
2010 Icebreaker Race Results
2009 Icebreaker Race Results
2010 Icebreaker Photo Album 2010
Icebreaker Photo Album 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

2010 Head of the Weir Finish Order
2010 Head of the Weir Results by Category
2010 Weir Photos Courtesy Adolfo Leung
2010 Weir Photos Courtesy Lucy Wightman Photography

2nd Annual Boston Harbor Youth Championships

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Boston Rowing Center at the Barking Crab Restaurant
10 am - 2 pm
Free

Boston Harbor's enthusiastic youth rowers will come together near the end of an intense fall rowing season to compete to be the best in the harbor!  Athletes from all over Boston - from public schools, alternative schools, residential programs, and the South Shore Youth Rowing progoram converge on the wonderful Fort Point Channel watersheet to sprint around marks and under bridges in a day of high-energy, high-fun competition.  Races take place out of HLM's boston Rowing Center, at the Barking Crab Restaurant.  Please come be a part of this great, new tradition!