Red Dragon Canoe Club

About

The Shipman Mansion at the Red Dragon Canoe Club will have an Open House the first weekend of each month, April through November. 10-2 on Sat and 1-4 Sun.

Story

The Red Dragon Canoe Club is a family-friendly sailing/paddling club located on 6 beautiful acres along the Delaware River. It offers paddling trips, sailing opportunities and lots of fun for the whole family.

The Shipman Mansion, located at RDCC, is a circa 1869 Second Empire Victorian Mansion that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mansion is currently being restored by The Shipman Mansion Foundation and is available as a rental venue. The Mansion houses a number of antique racing canoes and other historical artifacts and is open for tours on the first weekend of the month, April – November, on Saturday 10-2 and Sunday 1-4. More information about The Shipman Mansion can be found at www.shipmanmansion.org.

RDCC, as one of the oldest boating clubs on the Delaware River, was founded in 1883 by Woodward Norgrave. The origin of the name is not documented, but the red dragon is a well-known Welsh emblem and Welsh connections are prominent in eastern Pennsylvania.

The Club occupied two locations while in Pennsylvania, the latter being in Wissinoming where pilings for the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge now stands.

As the name implies, the original focus of the Club was primarily on canoeing, hunting and fishing. The members traveled as far afield to Canada on hunting, and fishing expeditions. They had many adventures on these trips, including one where they ran afoul of an Indian tribe and were held hostage.

Eventually, interest in canoeing waned, and members turned to small sailboats, with frequent large and colorful regattas on the Delaware River. There is a documented case of a member bringing a catboat to the Club as early as 1903.

Today, the Club offers a number of sailboats that may be used by members. Efforts are being made to boost its sailing program and the Club is interested in attracting new members to its social and boating activities. If you are interested, please see the membership information under www.reddragoncanoe.org.