On Saturday, Brady Rinard and Preston Lawhon competed in the wooden boat building challenge. Although we did not place in this contest, the boys had a valuable experience. All of the other competitors were either professional wood workers or had practiced making boats prior to the competition. We had only received our plans two days prior. Brady and Preston have a boat they will finish in the days and weeks to come.
On Sunday, Brady, Preston, Brody, and Tyson had their corrugated boat on display beginning at 10:00 am. Other boats slowly made their way to the staging area across the street from the marina. A huge crowd gathered around the boats on display. Our entry, named the “SS West Virginia” in honor of the military vessels of the same name quickly became the crowd favorite. All day, the boys enthusiastically answered questions about how they designed and built the boat from cardboard. Everyone in attendance was impressed. They were told by several spectators that their boat was the, “…best they’d seen in years!”
The competition on the water began at 2:30 pm. The current in the river near the dock was fairly swift so the announcer was calling each heat back to the dock as they approached the halfway mark to the original turn around point. Our boat quickly outran the competition. As the announcer called for them to return at the halfway point, the boys decided to paddle all the way out past the tape and return to the dock. Not only did they go twice as far as the other competitors, they still reached the dock first!
Awards for this competition are given in categories and are decided by a panel of judges from the maritime museum. The performance of the boat on the water is only one part of the matrix. After the scores were tallied, Brady, Preston, Brody, and Tyson were awarded the Visionary Award for the totality of their efforts. The chief judge was especially impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm as they engaged with the many spectators. Trophies for the race are kept at the maritime museum and names of the winners are added to them yearly.
This has been a tremendous experience for our students and a great way for them to incorporate their skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and math!
