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Music on the Water
Wednesday July 29 - Saturday August 1, 2026
Immerse in a week of rowing and singing while camping together on Greens Island, Maine. This will be a joyous time of learning three-part harmony singing on land and on the water while rowing and sailing our Bantry Bay gigs and other small wooden row boats. We will build a tight community while learning new skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere. Singing while hauling sails or pulling oars is an age-old boating tradition, which has supported both the timing of the work, and has made it a lot more fun, too. Our oars create a wonderfully percussive sound while rowing which will strengthen our sense of rhythm. Singing together greatly supports the timing of our rowing strokes. Rowing while singing helps us to breathe more fully, and create a fuller sound with our voices (we will find our inner foghorn). No prior musical or boating experience necessary! Our song leaders, Bennett Konesni and Elsie Gawler will invite you into a joyful, and welcoming musical experience on and off the water.
With guidance from AC USA leaders, participants will be invited to rotate through a range roles throughout the week to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
Instruction, all meals, and safety equipment will be provided. There are always a handful of open spaces in the boat for those who need a break from rowing and would prefer to ride-along.
Typical Daily Schedule:
Activities will be adjusted in accordance to the weather and needs of the community.
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row (and sing)
7:45-8am Morning Dip (required for all participants on the first day, then will be optional for the following days)
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea (all are expected to be present at all meal times to check in/stay updated with the plans)
9:30am Clean up, group chores, and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row, sail, and sing
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row, sail, and sing
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, stow equipment).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, and songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to their tents.
No prior experience necessary. Instruction, and meals provided. This program is on Greens Island and starts and ends in Rockland, Maine. We will take the ferry to Vinalhaven, and a short power boat ride to Greens.
We will take the ferry from Rockland, Maine to Vinalhaven at 10:30am Wednesday June 29, and then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. We will return to Rockland via the 2:45pm Vinalhaven ferry on Saturday August 1st. The ferry is 1 hr and 15 min long.
More detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Maximum group size 24 people. Ages 15 - 70+ and all experience levels.
Wednesday July 29 - Saturday August 1, 2026
Immerse in a week of rowing and singing while camping together on Greens Island, Maine. This will be a joyous time of learning three-part harmony singing on land and on the water while rowing and sailing our Bantry Bay gigs and other small wooden row boats. We will build a tight community while learning new skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere. Singing while hauling sails or pulling oars is an age-old boating tradition, which has supported both the timing of the work, and has made it a lot more fun, too. Our oars create a wonderfully percussive sound while rowing which will strengthen our sense of rhythm. Singing together greatly supports the timing of our rowing strokes. Rowing while singing helps us to breathe more fully, and create a fuller sound with our voices (we will find our inner foghorn). No prior musical or boating experience necessary! Our song leaders, Bennett Konesni and Elsie Gawler will invite you into a joyful, and welcoming musical experience on and off the water.
With guidance from AC USA leaders, participants will be invited to rotate through a range roles throughout the week to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
Instruction, all meals, and safety equipment will be provided. There are always a handful of open spaces in the boat for those who need a break from rowing and would prefer to ride-along.
Typical Daily Schedule:
Activities will be adjusted in accordance to the weather and needs of the community.
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row (and sing)
7:45-8am Morning Dip (required for all participants on the first day, then will be optional for the following days)
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea (all are expected to be present at all meal times to check in/stay updated with the plans)
9:30am Clean up, group chores, and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row, sail, and sing
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row, sail, and sing
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, stow equipment).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, and songs and tunes.
9-10pm Folks typically head to their tents.
No prior experience necessary. Instruction, and meals provided. This program is on Greens Island and starts and ends in Rockland, Maine. We will take the ferry to Vinalhaven, and a short power boat ride to Greens.
We will take the ferry from Rockland, Maine to Vinalhaven at 10:30am Wednesday June 29, and then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. We will return to Rockland via the 2:45pm Vinalhaven ferry on Saturday August 1st. The ferry is 1 hr and 15 min long.
More detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Maximum group size 24 people. Ages 15 - 70+ and all experience levels.
Sign Up and Payment Information:
Atlantic Challenge USA Sliding Scale:
The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access our program. If you have greater financial means and are able to contribute more, you will be allowing greater accessibility to other participants to join our program.
Baseline Rate ––$600
Supportive Rate –– $720
Reduced Rate –– $480
Atlantic Challenge USA Sliding Scale:
The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access our program. If you have greater financial means and are able to contribute more, you will be allowing greater accessibility to other participants to join our program.
Baseline Rate ––$600
Supportive Rate –– $720
Reduced Rate –– $480
To Sign Up:
Payment questions: Please email Erin Ferree to discuss payment plans or financial aid questions.
Cancellation:
In the event that you must cancel, please do so by sending an email no later than 1 month before your program starts. Cancellations received on or before 1 month prior to your start date will be refunded the cost of tuition minus the $100 deposit. Cancellations received within 1 month of the start date will be refunded 50% of tuition minus the $100 deposit.
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of emergency, insufficient number of registrations, or other situations. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal. Please arrive by 9:30 - 10am on Wednesday July 29. We will take the 10:30am ferry, arriving to Vinalhaven at 11:45am, then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. We will return by the 2:45pm ferry from Vinalhaven to Rockland, arriving on Saturday August 1, at 4pm.
- Use the Sliding Scale Table above to calculate your tuition. We offer financial aid and work-trade opportunities for anyone who would like to attend our programs but the total cost of tuition would prevent them from doing so.
- Fill out a Registration HERE.
- You will be notified by email once your application and deposit have been received and to confirm your place in the program. If a program is already full, you will be put on the waiting list and subsequently notified when there is an opening.
- Final payments must be received 1 month before your program start date, example: If your program starts on June 23rd, you need to have paid in full by May 23rd, 2026.
Payment questions: Please email Erin Ferree to discuss payment plans or financial aid questions.
Cancellation:
In the event that you must cancel, please do so by sending an email no later than 1 month before your program starts. Cancellations received on or before 1 month prior to your start date will be refunded the cost of tuition minus the $100 deposit. Cancellations received within 1 month of the start date will be refunded 50% of tuition minus the $100 deposit.
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of emergency, insufficient number of registrations, or other situations. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal. Please arrive by 9:30 - 10am on Wednesday July 29. We will take the 10:30am ferry, arriving to Vinalhaven at 11:45am, then a short power boat ride to Greens Island. We will return by the 2:45pm ferry from Vinalhaven to Rockland, arriving on Saturday August 1, at 4pm.