The Tack Family Boathouse

After over 25 years of storing our rowing shells outside, of fixing broken ribs and skegs in 'less than ideal' conditions, of endlessly replacing rowing shoes untimely rotted out by constant rain and sun exposure, of tramping down to the river and setting up for morning practices without electricity or running water, and of generally overcoming all sorts of obstacles many of our better funded rivals know nothing about, William and Mary Rowing is proud to announce that it is finalizing plans for a new Boathouse in conjunction with Friends of Williamsburg Rowing (our nonprofit 501(c)(3) fundraising branch), and James City County, at our current rowing venue within the Chickihominy Riverfront Park.

MANY thanks to Henderson Construction for helping us with the Boathouse project, generously offering their time and expertise, and for doing the project at cost. Thank you very, very much!

Boathouse Specifics

The Boathouse is 72 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 14 feet high at the eaves with electricity and a concrete floor. It has three bays: The Linda Knight Bay (named by Victoria Dyer), The Brittany 'B-Dub' Williams Bay (named by Deborah Williams), and The Class of 2006 Bay (named by Beth Magill). It is utilized primarily by the William and Mary Rowing team, but will also house local community rowing boats (WBC), as well as future local high school rowing equipment.

William and Mary Rowing is a club sport at the college and funded through rowers' dues and fundraising, and a stipend from the school's Recreational Sports Department. What that means is that the team doesn't have a multi-million dollar intercollegiate athletic department covering our expenses. However, that doesn't mean that the team doesn't take its training and competition seriously. William and Mary Rowers train year-round, only their commitment doesn't stop during practice, they also have to run the logistics of the team (regatta transportation, high school summer rowing camp, etc.), organize team fundraising, do individual Rent-A-Rower fundraisers, and often work a job or two during the school year in order to afford their team dues. All while maintaining good grades, a social life, and more often than not be involved in other school activities as well.

Not an easy thing to do I can tell you. But it's a beautiful thing. Because William and Mary rowers represent a rarity in today's world, they are student-athletes in the truest sense of the word. They have no athletic scholarships, and no lucrative endorsements or professional league waiting after graduation. But with some good friends, good competition, and great life experiences, all of us here at William and Mary Rowing consider ourselves that much the better for it all.