Carolina Masters Crew Club was established in 1993 under the auspices of the University of North Carolina Crew Club. The goal of the Masters program is to provide a platform from which postgraduate UNC students and local rowers over the age of 18 can row both competitively and recreationally.  Currently our sweep program consists of 30 female rowers, 13 male sweep rowers and four coxes between the ages of 21 and 60. Carolina Masters also includes a group of 30 boat owners and scullers. Our most senior sculler is 83.

Carolina Masters row out of the Michael Nicholls Boathouse on University Lake, a three-bay boathouse that we share with the Women’s NCAA Rowing program and the Men’s Crew Club. University Lake is owned by the University of North Carolina. The lake is open to the public for fishing and boating, but the crew clubs have the only motorized boats on the lake. The lake is sheltered, so the water is smooth. Our winters are mild and the lake rarely ices. We normally row all year around. University Lake has 2700 meters of rowable water but is limited by a straight stretch of only 1000 meters. The Carolina Masters pride ourselves on our river turns.

Carolina Masters have had to overcome some obstacles in order to keep rowing. In 1996, Hurricane Fran sent two 100-foot pine trees through the middle of our boathouse. While living without electricity or showers and facing repairs at our own homes, we spent our days clearing broken boats and splintered pine boughs, rebuilding the roof of our boathouse. In 1999, a trailer transporting most of the boats we shared with the men’s club overturned and our shells were destroyed. Since then, the boats have been replaced. The masters now have our own eight, a four, a 2X/-, a Mass Aero single, an Appledore Pod and an Alden single.

Volunteers have always coached Carolina Masters. The members regulate our club, including setting up boats for practices and racing and taking care of administrative concerns and boat maintenance. We require our members to take turns coxing and driving the launch. We offer rowing lessons to the community every spring.