Cohasset Maritime Institute rowers find
community and healing on the water.
Written by Laura DeSisto
Photography by Kjeld Mahoney
On any given day, except in the harshest of weather, you will find teens and adults of all ages plying the waters near Cohasset Harbor in coastal rowing boats, which they’ve launched from a small, wooden shack that is home to Cohasset Maritime Institute or CMI. The boats each hold a crew of four rowers and one coxswain, who sits at the helm facing the rowers, calling out instructions, course guidance and encouragement.
CMI was the brainchild of beloved, now-retired Cohasset High teacher Jack Buckley, who established the program in 1994 as an experiential learning opportunity for non-traditional students in Cohasset’s Alternative School. The program included youth rowing and marine research.
Once Cohasset Public Schools eliminated the Alternative program, CMI transformed into a non-profit centered on rowing for all ages. As the ranks of rowers grew, CMI’s board felt the need to search for its first Program Director and in 2022, they hired Frank Townsend, a Hull native who rowed at the University of Rochester and later spent 30 years teaching Latin and coaching rowing, most recently at Tabor Academy in Marion.
“I am really happy to be back to my home on the south shore,” says Townsend. “And I feel lucky to be involved every day in an activity I am so passionate about.”
As Program Director, Townsend oversees over 250 rowers, from rising sixth graders all the way to octogenarians. New participants first join the “Learn to Row” program - 4 sessions that introduce the basics of rowing.
“I would say 9 out of 10 new participants get totally hooked and end up joining or forming a crew,” says Townsend. “You are out enjoying the water, beautiful views and fresh air. You are getting exercise and getting fit. Then there’s the connection to the other rowers. Each crew of four becomes its own community. There’s just so much to love about it.”
While newer rowers typically stay within a small radius around Cohasset Harbor, the more experienced crews venture out as far north as the Hull border and south to Scituate through Bailey’s Creek.
“The total time on the water is 1.5 hours and the distance is six miles,” says Townsend. “One of the favorite rows is out to Minots Light and back again.”
With Townsend at the helm, CMI has expanded its rowing program, including helping rowers stay fit and hone their technique in the off season. Under the guidance of CMI coaches, participants row on one of 16 indoor rowers at Cohasset Recreation.
While much has changed since Buckley founded CMI in 1994, Townsend notes that the spirit of inclusiveness at the core of the program is still very much alive.
“We firmly believe that anyone who wants to row, should be able to – even if it requires us to provide extra assistance,” he says. “For example, in recent years, we have had four or five adolescents on the autism spectrum who have rowed with us.”
When longtime CMI rower Lisa DiTullio was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, she happened to see a segment on TV about the west coast-based Survivors Rowing Network, an organization for cancer survivors.
After learning more about it, she pitched the idea of CMI joining the organization and offering a rowing program designed specifically for cancer survivors. Townsend was onboard immediately.
“When I was first diagnosed, I just knew that I wanted to do something positive and didn’t want to sink into a deep, dark hole,” says DiTullio. “Rowing has always been such an uplifting experience for me and I wanted to share it with others in my same situation. There’s also compelling evidence that exercise is critically important to cancer patients.”
DiTullio herself joined the inaugural Row Forward crew and immediately felt a bond with the other members. “What goes on in that boat is nothing short of magical,” she says. “If one person is weak that day, the others pull through for them. If someone wants to talk, we listen. There’s connection and joy, despite the reality of what we are going through.”
Before joining Row Forward, Bill D’Agostino of Scituate had never rowed, but quickly took to the sport. “Although each one of us has had an experience with cancer, we focused our attention on rowing,” he says. “Being out on the water is exhilarating.”
DiTullio says that Row Forward admits new participants on a rolling basis rather than a strict timeline to allow for more flexibility around cancer treatment. She encourages you or anyone you know who may be in treatment or remission to reach out and learn more by emailing her at lad9391@gmail.com.
For more information, visit Rowcmi.org.
