Classic Boat Club e.V.

The Classic Boat Club e.V. is a small organization with the aim to promote rowing in historic rowingboats. To do so we have a large collection of wooden rowingboats we row ans regularly maintain and restore to also keep this craft alive. We take part on events like the “Rheinmarathon” or visit traditional boat festivals around Europe for example the “Thames Traditional Boat Festival” in Henley, GB, the “Temps fête” in Douarnenez, FRA.
In Germany wooden rowing boats are underestimated by the “normal” rower. They are heavier, slower and need more care. If you row a wooden boat, there is this general preconception, that you can not afford to row a newer, “better” boat. We try to show them the beauty of those vessels and the enormous skill the boat builders a hundred years ago had. Old boats are often more suitable to their job than modern ones.
Our collection constantly grows because rowing clubs need the space to store new boats or private owners pass away. We save the boats for future generations, because other ways they would get burned or used as cupboard.
Our collection consists of many rowing boats from around Europe. Mainly from Germany, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands but also a venecian Gondola from Italy.