The Ring's Island Rowing Club has its headquarters on a rocky knoll called Ring's Island on the Salisbury bank of the Merrimack River. It was formed by Chris Farris, musician-chef-oarsman, several years ago. The town of Salisbury has loaned the one-time Ring's Island firehouse, Engine 2, for use as headquarters and boathouse. The club sponsors Sea Scout Ship 49, Boy Scouts of America. Membership in Ship 49 is available to young men and women ages 14-20.

Our club is focused around providing young men and women the opportunities to row and sail traditional wooden boats on New England waters and beyond. Presently, we have four Bank Dories (built by Triton High School students), a smaller Gloucester Gull dory, and a stretch Gull dory recently built by club members.

In addition to rowing for fun and exercise, practical lessons in water safety, seamanship, boat building, boat maintenance and oar making are taught. Learning takes place on day and overnight trips with the boats. Members participate in rowing races and other small craft gatherings from Maine to Maryland on estuaries and along shore waters of great beauty and abundant wildlife.

An individual membership is forty dollars annually. Family membership is eighty dollars. All members must contribute time and effort to the upkeep of facilities and boat maintenance. Liability coverage is provided through USRowing. Youth members aged 14-20 are provided with liability coverage through the Boy Scouts.

Please join us or just call to arrange a row on the Mighty Merrimack in boats that were once the workhorses of the Yankee fishing fleet. Alas, the schooners and the fish they sought are gone. Come pull oars with us and keep some of that tradition alive.

For further information contact us here.