Keelboat Sailing Program |
The Keelboat Sailing Program is an all-volunteer program which has two Cape Dory Typhoons (19-foot sailboats), one Cape Dory 25 (25-foot sailboat), and two inflatable skiffs which are available to club members qualified as Captains. The adult fleet is available from June to early October and the keelboats can be reserved through our online reservation system.
We welcome new sailors and strive to create an environment which fosters community between sailors. If you are new to the boat club or are interested in joining and want to learn more, feel free to contact Corey or Mike or Liz. We also offer workshops on subjects such as radio use, knot tying and navigation and a series of Adult Sailing classes for beginners.
In the spring, Captains volunteer a few hours or more to prepare the vessels for launch. In the fall, volunteers are needed for the haul-out and preparation for winter storage. Throughout the sailing season Captains share maintenance responsibilities along with the Co-Chairs. Captains serve for a week or two as the Captain of the Week, which involves an hour or two of time, checking that outboard gas tanks are full or making minor repairs to the boats.
Members who want to further hone their skills have taken advantage of classes at the Midcoast Sailing Center and The Apprenticeshop in nearby Rockland.
Program Co-Chairs
COREY STONE has been rowing and sailing in Rockport Harbor since age ten and his parents were Rockport Boat Club members for many years. When he joined the club in 2020, he was thrilled to find others who shared his addition to messing about in boats. He has particularly enjoyed the fellowship of working with fellow members to expand and maintain its keelboat fleet. During the summer, when not on one of the club's Cape Dories, he can often be found sculling, kayaking or canoeing somewhere nearby. Contact bcoreystone@gmail.com
MIKE RENNICH has been sailing since he was in college. He trailer-sailed his 22 ft keel boat on the upper Chesapeake before joining the Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) in Baltimore. At the DSC he was the boat manager for two different cruisers, maintaining them, and teaching others about their operation. He recently moved to Maine and is now getting the chance to sail another great cruising ground: the Maine coast. He looks forward to more great sailing adventures, just messin’ about on boats, and helping others do the same. Contact: mike.rennich@gmail.com
LIZ CUNNINGHAM learned to sail on an Outward Bound sailing expedition in the Gulf of Florida. Her first tastes of sailing in Maine came through the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School and her studies at College of the Atlantic. After graduating she was an instructor for the Cal Sailing Club of the University of California, Berkeley and crewed as a foredeck on J24s in races on the San Francisco Bay. She loves to help others discover the joys and challenges of sailing and enjoys working on boats. She brings to this her lifelong engagement with experiential education, ocean conservation and community-based initiatives. Contact: liz@lizcunningham.net
Captain Skill Requirements
To qualify as a Captain, members must have a checkout with one of the Adult Sailing Co-Chairs. Once completed successfully, a member is added to the roster of Captains and gains access to the reservation system. To inquire about becoming a Captain, contact Corey or Mike or Liz.
The skill requirements to be certified as a Captain are:
- Knowledge of points of sail and names of essential parts of the boat
- Ability to sense wind direction and currents
- Tack, heave-to, and jibe safely
- Comfortable helmsmanship with the specific handling characteristics of the boat
- Four basic knots: Cleat hitch, bowline, figure eight, clove hitch
- Operation of the outboard motors
- Successful man overboard drill with floatation device
- Casting off and pickup up a mooring
- Ability to read a chart well enough to identify hazards
- Ability to recognize the harbor channel
- Ability to delegate tasks to a crew member and sequence them well
- Ability to use the marine radio
Reservation System
In order for one of the boats to be used, a qualified Captain must be on board with a club marine radio or their own marine radio. Life jackets must be worn at all times. Use of the boats is restricted to the western shore of Penobscot Bay between Rockland harbor and Camden harbor. Exceptions may be made for organized club events.
To login to SuperSaas Reservation system to schedule a boat use the links below:
Rocky Cape Dory Typhoon Reservations
Natasha Cape Dory Typhoon Reservations
Mandolin Cape Dory 25 Reservations
