Facilities



The Grafton Rowing Club boatshed can be found at the river end of Prince Street in Grafton, below the memorial boulevarde. The shed contains boat storage, a kitchen, barbecue area, ergometer area, toilets and showers. This building, constructed in the early 1930s, is the third rowing club shed built on this site and was, at various times, shared by the rowing club with the flying boat service and the water brigade.



Grafton Rowing Club maintains a large fleet of boats of all types, including eights, fours and quads, pairs and doubles, and single sculls. Boats of various experience levels are available to suit beginners, recreational, training and racing purposes. The club also owns a large collection of rowing and sculling oars for use in the various boats. A number of school boats and privately owned boats are also kept in the boatshed.



Grafton Rowing Club operates a number of power boats for use in coaching purposes but also as safety and support boats as needed, during both training and at organised events.



The doors to the six boat storage bays can be clearly seen in this photo. These gable-ended extensions and roller doors were added in the late 1990s and allow boats to be stored perpendicular to the river and carried straight down to the water. These extensions also allowed more boats to be stored in the boatshed. The small, square structure on top of the left end of the building is the judge’s stand and is in line with the finish line of the regatta course.



Despite the extra boat storage space afforded the club by the gabled extensions, boat space is still at a premium. One solution to this is the use of mobile racks to house single sculls.



The use of club boats, oars, and other equipment is included in the club membership, with boat and oar allocations determined by the club captain. The equipment is expensive and has to be maintained, so there is an expectation that club members wash boats out after every row, follow correct boat handling procedures, and assist with boat maintenance from time to time.



Several ergometers are available for club member use in technique coaching and fitness testing. The large mirror allows the rowers to monitor their own technique during ergometer training sessions.



Most club boats have a name – some are named after people associated with the club, past or present; some bear a supporter’s name; some have an aboriginal word as their name, usually with some relevance to the river or the surrounds; some boat names refer to the river itself; but all have some relevance to the people and the spirit of the club and the town.