MEET THE MINIBOAT FLEET
S/V Sunset Sailor
Assembled by 5th graders at Pacific Ridge Elementary.
Christened and delivered to the Columbia River Bar Pilots' boat Astoria on St. Patrick's Day 2025.
Launched during favorable winds just before 8:00PM on 5/4/2025 from Columbia River Pilot Boat Astoria,
ten miles from the Columbia River buoy.
UPDATE 6-17-2025
S/V Sunset Sailor was relaunched into the Pacific Ocean! Sunset Sailor grounded in early May in southern Oregon and had been undergoing repairs with students at Hatfield Marine Science Center. The crew of R/V Sally Ride relaunched our miniboat as well as one from Hatfield Marine Science Center about 30 miles off the Washington Coast (47 04.20 N, 124 54.84 W).
It is equipped with a new sail! This sail was a combination effort of all three miniboat classrooms from school year 2024-2025 and includes a nod to S/V Flames Unite, our miniboat that washed ashore in the Philippines earlier this year.
UPDATE 6-24-2025
After being in the ocean for about three days Sunset Sailor was picked up by a fishing charter onboard Cormorant and brought into Westport, WA. Museum Crew took a ride to pick up this miniboat as well as its co-launch buddy Heperia that was built by Hatfield Marine Science Center. Hesperia landed in Ocean City, WA. Both appear to be in good shape after their short adventures and are in our care until their relaunch.
Assembled by 5th graders at Pacific Ridge Elementary.
Christened and delivered to the Columbia River Bar Pilots' boat Astoria on St. Patrick's Day 2025.
Launched during favorable winds just before 8:00PM on 5/4/2025 from Columbia River Pilot Boat Astoria,
ten miles from the Columbia River buoy.
UPDATE 6-17-2025
S/V Sunset Sailor was relaunched into the Pacific Ocean! Sunset Sailor grounded in early May in southern Oregon and had been undergoing repairs with students at Hatfield Marine Science Center. The crew of R/V Sally Ride relaunched our miniboat as well as one from Hatfield Marine Science Center about 30 miles off the Washington Coast (47 04.20 N, 124 54.84 W).
It is equipped with a new sail! This sail was a combination effort of all three miniboat classrooms from school year 2024-2025 and includes a nod to S/V Flames Unite, our miniboat that washed ashore in the Philippines earlier this year.
UPDATE 6-24-2025
After being in the ocean for about three days Sunset Sailor was picked up by a fishing charter onboard Cormorant and brought into Westport, WA. Museum Crew took a ride to pick up this miniboat as well as its co-launch buddy Heperia that was built by Hatfield Marine Science Center. Hesperia landed in Ocean City, WA. Both appear to be in good shape after their short adventures and are in our care until their relaunch.
S/V Tidestrider
Assembled by Jewell School’s 5th grade class, with art that is a tribute to their school’s Blue Jay mascot. Deployed in the North Pacific 4/13/2024 by NYK’s Pyxis Leader. |
S/V Grizzly Bear
Assembled by Barnes Elementary students, as a tribute to the school’s Grizzly Bear mascot. Deployed 1/10/2024 by the Coast Guard Cutter Alert off of the coast of San Diego. Recovered in Imperial Beach, relaunched NW of the big island of Hawaii 4/6/2024 by Pascha’s Jean Anne. |
S/V Puffinstuff
Assembled in the Barbey Maritime Center, Puffinstuff’s puffin theme was voted on by our social media followers, it’s hold filled and sail painted by local parents and students. Deployed 10/11/2023 by NYK’s Sakura Leader in Bower’s Basin of the Bering Sea. |
The CRMM Miniboat program is a standards-aligned adventure for a class to assemble a small boat and gain ocean literacy through project-based learning! Focused learning areas are Science, Physics, Math, Art, and History; other benefits include facilitated teamwork, creative problem solving and connection with people where the miniboats land.
Miniboats by the Numbers:
Over 58000 Nautical Miles traveled by CRMM miniboats
493 Student Interactions in the 2023-2024 school year
37 CRMM sponsored miniboats
22 Landings by CRMM sponsored miniboats
11 sessions to complete a miniboat
7 Oregon and Washington counties qualify –
Oregon counties: Clatsop, Columbia, Washington or Multnomah.
Washington counties: Cowlitz, Pacific, or Wahkiakum.
4th,5th, 6th grade classrooms encouraged to apply
$0 cost for chosen schools to participate, thanks to our sponsors and grantors
To apply for the program click here
To see the standards for 5th grade click here
To see an overview of the 10 weeks of miniboat classes click here
Miniboats by the Numbers:
Over 58000 Nautical Miles traveled by CRMM miniboats
493 Student Interactions in the 2023-2024 school year
37 CRMM sponsored miniboats
22 Landings by CRMM sponsored miniboats
11 sessions to complete a miniboat
7 Oregon and Washington counties qualify –
Oregon counties: Clatsop, Columbia, Washington or Multnomah.
Washington counties: Cowlitz, Pacific, or Wahkiakum.
4th,5th, 6th grade classrooms encouraged to apply
$0 cost for chosen schools to participate, thanks to our sponsors and grantors
To apply for the program click here
To see the standards for 5th grade click here
To see an overview of the 10 weeks of miniboat classes click here
This program made possible through these partners