Where tradition meets movement.
Youth and adult rowing, boatbuilding, and community connection.
Community Rowing
Community Rowing is the core of our rowing program and offers activities that range from casual and social events to challenging adventures on the water.
Community is key, and our community of rowers creates an ever-evolving program to best suit each individual’s needs and desires.
New participants are always welcome, and no previous experience is necessary! All new rowers are given gentle, yet substantial, high-quality coaching to develop a sound foundation in all aspects of rowing.
Join us today!
Community Rowing members: sign in to schedule a row here!
New to DV Rowing? Please visit our New Rowers page.
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![A group of people rowing a boat on a body of water.]()
Adult Community Rowing
Guides and nurtures the core community rowing program—welcoming newcomers, offering gentle, high-quality coaching, and organizing casual to adventurous rows.
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![An unfinished wooden boat on supports in a workshop surrounded by tools, workbenches, and notices on the walls.]()
Boat Building
Oversees the hands-on boatbuilding program where volunteers mentor youth and community members in crafting seaworthy wooden boats from the keel up.
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![Boats with inscriptions such as 'Redwing,' 'American Stand,' 'First Constitution,' and 'Ossasset Maritime Institute' are resting on a grassy shore near a body of water, with houses and trees in the background.]()
Race Training
Manages and coaches the Race Training Program, which welcomes adult rowers of all fitness levels—focusing on inclusion, technique, camaraderie, and opportunities to compete regionally
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![Group of six people rowing a boat with an American flag, on calm water with houses on the shoreline and trees in the background.]()
Westport River Regatta
Coordinates every step of the annual Regatta—from logistics, registration, sponsorships, swag, food, venue planning, to timing, music, prizes, and post-event follow-up.
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![A group of people wearing hearing protection and gloves working together to assemble a wooden piece in a woodworking shop, with tools and equipment around.]()
Youth Rowing Program
In partnership with Westport Recreation, this summer program for students entering grades 6–11 teaches rowing, navigation, water safety, coxing, and teamwork—building confidence, leadership, and lasting community ties.
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![American flag waving on a boat on the water with a distant shoreline and building under a clear blue sky.]()
Special Events
Plans and runs unique seasonal rows like the July 4th Row, Moonlight Rows, “Head of Westport” or “Row to the Let”, adding memorable experiences to the rowing season.
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![A person wearing a neon green vest with 'HERE TO HELP' printed on it, a white cap worn backwards, sunglasses, and holding a small American flag, standing outside near a road with a grassy area behind.]()
Fundraising
Drives fundraising efforts to support no-cost youth educational programs, building community support and financial sustainability.
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![A medical professional wearing a white coat and stethoscope holding a red ribbon, symbol of HIV/AIDS awareness.]()
Special Rows
Organizes excursion-style rows—like ROW (Recovery on the Water), a supportive rowing program for individuals whose lives have been touched by cancer—combining adventure, community, and tradition.
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![Many scattered white paper calendar pages with black numbers and days of the week on a brown wooden surface.]()
Scheduling
Oversees all row scheduling using Sign-Up Genius, maintaining fair and efficient access to rows and coordinating coxswain and boat assignments.
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![Multiple rowing shells with oars lined up on a dock by a body of water.]()
Coxswains
Trains and manages coxswains who steer the boats, arrive early to prepare docks and boats, and support about 15 rows per week during our active 6-month season.
Dharma Voyage Community Rowing
Guest Rower Policy 2025
These guidelines aim to strike a balance that allows members the benefit of sharing their passion for rowing with family and friends while protecting members’ current opportunities to row.
To this end:
● Members may invite two (2) guests per year to join them in a scheduled community open row. Guest rowers may not join endurance rows or Skills Training Sessions.
● Prior rowing experience is not required. To minimize the impact of an untrained guest on others in the boat, the guest rower will take the bow seat and the host member rows the number 2 oar.
● Limit: one guest per scheduled row.
When hosting a guest, it is the host member’s responsibility to:
1. Enter Guest in Sign Up Genius:
● A guest rower may be added to Sign Up Genius if there are still open seats ONLY AFTER 12PM and BY NO LATER THAN 6PM the day before ascheduled row. This allows members first priority to fill empty seats and boat steerers to know which boats to bring to the dock.
● When signing up a guest, enter “Guest” as first name and use the host’s last name and email address.
2. Be sure you receive a confirmation email indicating that the sign up was successful.
3. Carpool with your guest. A guest may not use a Dharma Voyage Hixbridge Landing parking pass.
4. A Waiver of Liability signed by the guest must be handed to the coxswain before the row begins (Copies in orange box at landing).
Dharma Voyage Personal Group Row
Guidelines for Dharma’s Coxswains
A DV Community Row “Well-Seasoned” Coxswain may request use of a boat for a specific date and time between dawn and dusk on a first-come, first-served basis—except during regularly scheduled Dharma Voyage programs.
How to Request a Boat:
Send your request to the Row Scheduling Coordinator Don Dufault at ddufault52@gmail.com, including the desired boat, date, and time.
Membership and Liability:
The coxswain must ensure all rowers are current members in good standing. Personal group rows are primarily intended for members rowing outside regular program times. Occasional guests are allowed but must sign a DV Liability Disclaimer before boarding. Completed disclaimers should be placed in the Liability Forms folder within the storage box.
Before the Row:
The coxswain must report the following details to their designated onshore contact (designee)** before departure:
Boat being used
Number of occupants
Planned direction of the row
Tide direction
Wind direction and estimated speed
After the Row:
Upon return, the coxswain must check back with their designee to confirm the boat is secured at its mooring and the punt is returned to its land base.
Logging and Safety:
Prior to a guest row, the coxswain should record the names of all rowers, the coxswain, and the designee’s phone number in the Personal Group Row Log Book located in the rowing box.
If any issues arise with the boat or equipment, report them promptly to the Maintenance Coordinators. Contact numbers are posted in the orange box.
The coxswain is responsible for:
Ensuring the boat is equipped with all required safety gear
Returning the safety box to the orange box
Keeping the boat reasonably clean and properly secured (“put to bed”) as per Community Row standards
Definitions:
Well-Seasoned Coxswain: A coxswain who regularly participates in Dharma Voyage rows, is familiar with the punt and locking procedures, capable of safely managing the boat to and from the mooring, comfortable with dock operations, and knowledgeable about tides, wind, and river conditions to ensure the safety of all rowers.
Designee (“Designated Worrier”): An onshore contact responsible for monitoring the row and alerting assistance if the boat does not return as expected.