A Fleet of Miniboats

It’s been a big year for small boats. GSO graduate students and staff guided Central Falls, R.I. students in building two ocean-going miniboats. The 5-foot long boats, driven by wind and currents and equipped with sensors powered by the sun, served as platforms for students to learn how to build a seaworthy vessel. The elementary school students built the boats using kits from nonprofit Educational Passages and learned several ocean science lessons along the way. The hard work paid off, as both boats crossed the Atlantic and were recovered, one off of the Azores and the other on a beach in the U.K. Best of all is that the journey isn’t over yet, both boats will soon be relaunched.