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Sailing Club of Washington
A volunteer run organization
 
About US

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, please email info@scow.org.


What is SCOW? Do you have a paid staff?

SCOW is a not-for-profit social club for people in the Washington, D.C. area who love to sail and want to share their love of sailing with others. We've been around since 1966 and have over 400 members, whose sailing skills range from novice to veteran of open-ocean crossings. We have no paid staff. Everything in the club is run by volunteers.


I don't own a sailboat. Can I still join SCOW?

Most of our members don't own boats. That's one of the main attractions of our club - SCOW owns five sailboats for use by our members. Members take a test and pay an annual skipper fee in addition to their membership fee to use our boats. Other than the annual skipper fee, there is no rental charge to use the boats. Many members, however, do own their own sailboats but belong to SCOW because they enjoy our many activities (see our calendar for a list of activities).


How do I become a member?

All individuals of 18 years or older are eligible for membership. We welcome sailors with vast experience - or no experience. To join, please complete and sign the membership application. 


Who can I contact for more information about the club or about joining?

Contact our New Member Coordinators at members@scow.org.


How can I check the club out in person before I join?

Non-members are welcome to attend our membership meetings, which are held on the second Monday of every month except December. During the summer, non-members are welcome to come by our regular Thursday evening Social Sails to join us for a picnic dinner and a short sail. But, because space is limited in some activities - such as our training classes, our evening sails on the Potomac River, and our Bay events - we only open those events to members.  (see Meetings and Events tab)


Can anyone attend the Wednesday evening races and Thursday Social Sails?
Definitely. In fact we encourage prospective members to come down the marina, meet the gang, enjoy the boats, and get a feel for the organization. Another great way to find out more about our organization is to attend our monthly meetings, held the second Monday of each month.


Can any member sail the boats?

To sail our boats, members need to qualify as a skipper.  This process includes both a written and water exam. For more information download the guidelines to Becoming a Skipper to help you get started or  skipper@scow.org.


Does SCOW offer sailing classes?

Yes, but classes are offered only to SCOW members (for information on our training program click here). SCOW does not offer training classes to the general public. If you are not a member of SCOW, the Washington Sailing Marina offers classes to the general public (for information on their classes, Washington Sailing Marina.


Do you rent your sailboats to the public?

No, they are only for use by members of the club. Members of the public can rent sailboats from the Washington Sailing Marina .


I sent an email asking for information and I haven't heard back yet.

All our officers are volunteers with families and full-time jobs. Yes, we have tried flogging and keelhauling our volunteers but it hasn't worked. Plus, like everyone, we occasionally suffer from crashing computers and errant emails. So, please be patient and if you think you've waited too long for an answer, send another email or contact our Commodore at commodore@scow.org who will see that your issue is answered.


Are you affiliated with the National Park Service or Guest Services, Incorporated?

The Washington Sailing Marina is part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is administered by the National Park Service. The Washington Sailing Marina is operated by Guest Services, Incorporated, which is the concessionaire selected by the Park Service to operate the Marina. Although we keep our boats at the Marina, SCOW is an independent club and is not affiliated with either the Park Service or GSI.
 
 
© Sailing Club of Washington