Commodore's Review
Saturday, September 20

Parade of Boats

Join us on Saturday, September 20, to help celebrate the Schuylkill Navy's 150th anniversary. From 9:00 am to noon, we will host a Commodore's Review to "turn out the fleet." Our goal is to get every boat from every club onto the water, rowing past the reviewing tents at the Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden just upstream of the Viking Statue at the far end of Boathouse Row. Schuylkill Navy officers, club presidents, and other dignitaries will be on hand to review the procession. The last Commodore's Review was held in the late 1950s.

Our goal, again, is to get every boat from every club onto the water. This includes club boats, private boats, and high school and college boats. Rowers may have to row more than one boat to get them all to pass in review. We encourage everyone to row in club or school uniform with club or school blades. We also invite the dragon boats, canoes, and kayaks to join our celebration.

Boats will row upriver on the west side, thru the Girard Avenue bridge, turn around by the Three Angels, and row back downstream thru the Girard Avenue bridge. Once thru the bridge, crews should steer to the east side (Kelly Drive) and pass close to the reviewing stands.

The Commodore's Reviewing Chair

Boat traffic along Boathouse Row will be pretty busy, and we plan to have marshals on each dock and on the water. We ask each club to designate at least two dock marshals, one to control boats coming and going from the boathouse to the dock and another to control boats launching and returning.

The first crews should launch by 8:45 to get the review started by 9:00. We ask each club to schedule its own boats over the 3 hour period.

We invite each club president as well as the entire rowing community to join the Schuylkill Navy officers and other dignitaries at the reviewing tent.

In addition, between the Viking Statue and the reviewing tent at the Sculpture Gardens we will have another tent with boats set up for public display and ergs for the public to try. Coaches will be available to teach those interested in trying the ergs. Gold medals will be awarded to children and students who master the perfect stroke!

Cake Cutting and Boathouse Tours

At 1:00 pm, boathouse presidents will host a gigantic cake-cutting at the reviewing tents. Past Olympians and those rowing in this year's Beijing Olympics will be available to sign autographs. We hope you can join us for this historic 150th anniversary event.

From 12 noon to 3:00 pm, guided tours of the boathouses will be available. This will be a rare opportunity for the public to take a peek inside our boathouses. We encourage each club to consider which areas of the club it wants to make available and how to make the visit a memorable one for visitors. Each club will be responsible for its own tour guides.

There is a $10 charge for adults and $5 for students for the tour. Children may attend for free when accompanied by an adult. Wristbands can be purchased at one of our ticket tents at Pennsylvania Barge Club (#4) or by the Viking Statue (both are on Boathouse Row). Tours are free to anyone who rows in the Commodore's Review; just pick up a wristband at one of the ticket tents.

Kelly Drive will be closed the day of the event to provide extra parking and a better, safer experience for everyone. We ask you to park diagonally along the river side of Kelly Drive. Parking passes will be posted on our web site.

Dedication of new historical marker - Schuylkill Navy

In recognition of the Schuylkill Navy's 150th anniversary, a Pennsylvania historical marker commemorating the Schuylkill Navy will be erected on the front lawn of #4 Boathouse Row, home of the Pennsylvania Barge Club. A dedication ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 11, 2008, at 11:00 am. We hope you will join us.

The officers of what was formerly known as the Philadelphia Rowing Society voted to change their name to the Pennsylvania Barge Club several months ago. This brings back a club that dissolved circa 1950, having lost most of its membership to the two world wars.