About Us

Hiawatha Island Boat Club is a non-profit organization run by volunteers whose purpose is to support rowing in the Southern Tier of New York.

History

The first recorded rowing in our area was in 1875. After a long hiatus, rowing returned to the Southern Tier in 1992 with the formation of the Hiawatha Island Boat Club, helped in large part by the Historic Owego Marketplace purchase of Hiawatha Island. A portion of the Island's mainland access was designated for rowing; land was cleared and HIBC began operations. Binghamton University, which had begun rowing on the west side of Binghamton, was the sole user of the boathouse at the beginning and community rowing took hold shortly afterwards. AS HIBC and BU grew and acquired equipment they outgrew the original structure. In 2001, the Les Wagner Foundation donated the present site to HIBC. Construction of the current 5,000 square foot boathouse, funded by Les's Foundation, was completed in the fall of 2002. The dock area was also constructed by Mr.Wagner and the docks and ramps were a contribution of Binghamton University. The boathouse, docks, and adjacent area constitute the Les Wagner Rowing Center. The Susquehanna River affords rowers over three miles of calm and scenic waterway for training and racing.

Facilities & Equipment

The 5,000 sq ft. boat house structure houses HIBC and Binghamton University equipment in 2 bays. In addition there are restroom facilities and exercise areas. HIBC's fleet includes 10 single sculls, two double/pairs, a quad, a 4+ and 8s all of which are available to members. storage space is also available for member's private boats.