Exuma Youth Rowing Development
Donation protected
In 2015, we started Skullers Rowing Club with an aim of changing the lives of Exumians. Providing an inclusive professional training environment, we've seen great growth over the past few years and have represented The Bahamas at several international regattas. In 2019, we expanded our vision and launched the Junior competitive division of the Skullers Rowing Club.
Below is our story and we hope it will inspire you to become a member of the Skullers Rowing Family. We invite you to become a supporter today by making a contribution to join us in building the future of the club for the Exuma community.
In the Fall of 2019, thanks to the generosity of several local businesses, friends and family, we were able to construct our first two coastal singles that are designed to cope with the unique environment in which we train. It was a great experience for the junior club members ranging in ages from 14-17, to construct a boat entirely from start to finish. Building on this accomplishment, the kids demonstrated their enthusiasm and commitment by training hard in preparation for their first international competition. With passports ready and airline tickets in hand, unfortunately their first scheduled competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, and our competitive season came to a screeching halt.
But we didn’t let that stop us!
In June of 2020, we hosted our very First Annual Intra-squad Exuma Beach Sprints Regatta., with plans to host future local, national and international coastal competitions. So while our first ever competitive junior squad was denied their international debut at the Miami International Regatta, we move forward with purpose, and we hope to come out of it stronger than ever with your help!
These two boats (of our own design and manufacture) have served as the workhorses of our club. Thanks to the generosity of local business, Valiant Marine Salvage, we are going to be adding another 3 of these to our fleet. We have tested these boats in some of the most extreme conditions you can get and our kids were able to battle 40+mph winds and huge swells.
In August, we were donated a well-loved Vespoli 4x/+ (Coxed Quad/Four) by our sister club, Nassau Rowing Club, out of Nassau, Bahamas. This gift is significant because now, for the first time ever, our team has the ability to practice in a team boat. This will immensely improve the experience and quality of racing by our crews as they travel for international racing experience.
The benefits of this gift are already paying huge dividends and we are grateful to give these beautiful old boats a new home.
Not all is rosy, however. After we moved our operations from the cove near Fish Fry on Great Exuma to a new location on Little Exuma island, we had our coaching launch motor stolen. While this was a blow, we are thankful to the Exuma Sailing Club for allowing us to use their small outboard skiff motor until we can raise enough funds to replace it.
We will continue to move forward with purpose.
Moving forward we are seeking to purchase two used 2x's from the Hollywood Rowing Club out of Hollywood, Florida (manufactured by Drew Harrison Racing - now known as WinTech racing) and all the shipping/customs costs to go along with them, as well as two classic Schoenbrod Sieger singles to fill out our fleet.
While the growth of this past year has been amazing... it comes with more expenses, including but not limited to:
●Insurance
●Security cameras
●NK Speedcoach's & coxbox for the quad and other racers (to provide better performance data and team selection)
●Maintenance materials (epoxy/paint)
●Spare parts
●Solar lights to mark the marina channel/bridge span’
●Navigation lights for all boats
●Life vests
●Sculling oars etc.
●Materials for renovation of our new boathouse grounds (we appreciate the generosity of the Fowler Family for allowing us to use the property for the Skullers Rowing Clubhouse!)
Another objective we aim to achieve is to be able to provide travel scholarships/stipends to assist our athletes to attend international competitions.
We want to thank all those who have helped us over the last year: Splash Bar & Grill, Precision Drafting, Smitty's Pharmacy, Chester Cooper, Tropic Breeze Bar & Grill, all the persons from our previous fundraising campaign, and everyone who dropped their change in our jugs during our bottle drives.
There are sponsorship opportunities available, and if you are interested in becoming a Title or Contributing sponsor, please contact me directly for more information.
The development of our sport and exposing our island kids to increasing avenues for activity, college recruitment and inclusive social environments is a true community effort.
We are grateful for all of the love and support thus far and we hope that you will consider supporting our evolution and becoming a part of the Skullers Rowing family.
Thank you!
Michael Knowles
President & Head Coach
Skullers Rowing Club
Exuma, Bahamas
Follow us on IG @skullersrowing
#weareexuma #weareSRC
Rayne Bowe & Andrew Bowe learning the "stitch & glue" technique of boat-building.
Rayne Bowe (Team Captain) working with new recruit Haden Mason in our coastal singles.
The 2020 Junior Competitive team after the first Intra-squad beach sprint regatta with Coach Mike
Delano Bowe battling 45 mph winds and swells in one of our coastal singles
MIxed group in our second practice session in the Helen T
(Helen T - fresh off the mailboat and being unpacked)
(Helen T - Rigged and ready to be rowed the 16k home from the port in George Town to The Ferry, Little Exuma)
(Helen T at rest in her new home)
Below is our story and we hope it will inspire you to become a member of the Skullers Rowing Family. We invite you to become a supporter today by making a contribution to join us in building the future of the club for the Exuma community.
In the Fall of 2019, thanks to the generosity of several local businesses, friends and family, we were able to construct our first two coastal singles that are designed to cope with the unique environment in which we train. It was a great experience for the junior club members ranging in ages from 14-17, to construct a boat entirely from start to finish. Building on this accomplishment, the kids demonstrated their enthusiasm and commitment by training hard in preparation for their first international competition. With passports ready and airline tickets in hand, unfortunately their first scheduled competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, and our competitive season came to a screeching halt.
But we didn’t let that stop us!
In June of 2020, we hosted our very First Annual Intra-squad Exuma Beach Sprints Regatta., with plans to host future local, national and international coastal competitions. So while our first ever competitive junior squad was denied their international debut at the Miami International Regatta, we move forward with purpose, and we hope to come out of it stronger than ever with your help!
These two boats (of our own design and manufacture) have served as the workhorses of our club. Thanks to the generosity of local business, Valiant Marine Salvage, we are going to be adding another 3 of these to our fleet. We have tested these boats in some of the most extreme conditions you can get and our kids were able to battle 40+mph winds and huge swells.
In August, we were donated a well-loved Vespoli 4x/+ (Coxed Quad/Four) by our sister club, Nassau Rowing Club, out of Nassau, Bahamas. This gift is significant because now, for the first time ever, our team has the ability to practice in a team boat. This will immensely improve the experience and quality of racing by our crews as they travel for international racing experience.
The benefits of this gift are already paying huge dividends and we are grateful to give these beautiful old boats a new home.
Not all is rosy, however. After we moved our operations from the cove near Fish Fry on Great Exuma to a new location on Little Exuma island, we had our coaching launch motor stolen. While this was a blow, we are thankful to the Exuma Sailing Club for allowing us to use their small outboard skiff motor until we can raise enough funds to replace it.
We will continue to move forward with purpose.
Moving forward we are seeking to purchase two used 2x's from the Hollywood Rowing Club out of Hollywood, Florida (manufactured by Drew Harrison Racing - now known as WinTech racing) and all the shipping/customs costs to go along with them, as well as two classic Schoenbrod Sieger singles to fill out our fleet.
While the growth of this past year has been amazing... it comes with more expenses, including but not limited to:
●Insurance
●Security cameras
●NK Speedcoach's & coxbox for the quad and other racers (to provide better performance data and team selection)
●Maintenance materials (epoxy/paint)
●Spare parts
●Solar lights to mark the marina channel/bridge span’
●Navigation lights for all boats
●Life vests
●Sculling oars etc.
●Materials for renovation of our new boathouse grounds (we appreciate the generosity of the Fowler Family for allowing us to use the property for the Skullers Rowing Clubhouse!)
Another objective we aim to achieve is to be able to provide travel scholarships/stipends to assist our athletes to attend international competitions.
We want to thank all those who have helped us over the last year: Splash Bar & Grill, Precision Drafting, Smitty's Pharmacy, Chester Cooper, Tropic Breeze Bar & Grill, all the persons from our previous fundraising campaign, and everyone who dropped their change in our jugs during our bottle drives.
There are sponsorship opportunities available, and if you are interested in becoming a Title or Contributing sponsor, please contact me directly for more information.
The development of our sport and exposing our island kids to increasing avenues for activity, college recruitment and inclusive social environments is a true community effort.
We are grateful for all of the love and support thus far and we hope that you will consider supporting our evolution and becoming a part of the Skullers Rowing family.
Thank you!
Michael Knowles
President & Head Coach
Skullers Rowing Club
Exuma, Bahamas
Follow us on IG @skullersrowing
#weareexuma #weareSRC
Rayne Bowe & Andrew Bowe learning the "stitch & glue" technique of boat-building.Rayne Bowe (Team Captain) working with new recruit Haden Mason in our coastal singles.The 2020 Junior Competitive team after the first Intra-squad beach sprint regatta with Coach MikeDelano Bowe battling 45 mph winds and swells in one of our coastal singlesMIxed group in our second practice session in the Helen T(Helen T - fresh off the mailboat and being unpacked)(Helen T - Rigged and ready to be rowed the 16k home from the port in George Town to The Ferry, Little Exuma)(Helen T at rest in her new home)
Organizer
Michael Knowles
Organizer
Kingston, PA