South Bristol School’s eighth graders continue the towns maritime tradition as Bittersweet Landing Boatyard owner Mike Nyboe assists with the schools annual boat launch at the towns public landing, Thursday, June 16. The eighth grade class built two traditional style skiffs by hand, working with volunteers at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath during the school year. (Alec Welsh photo)
In what has become a near annual tradition, the South Bristol School and community turned out Thursday, June 16, to enthusiastically support the eighth grade class as the students christened two flat bottomed Yankee Tender skiffs; the fruit of the school’s celebrated collaboration with the Maine Maritime Museum.
Convening at Eugley’s Landing on the Thompson Inn Road, students and members of the public applauded as the eighth grade class christened the two skiffs, dubbed “PB&J” and before Bittersweet Landing Boatyard owner Mike Nyboe lowered them into the water.
Working with volunteers at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, the students built the two skiffs by hand over the course of the school year. As they have almost every Friday of every school year since 1995, South Bristol students travel to Bath by bus to participate in museum’s Discovery Boat Building Program. As they work toward launch day, following plans to build one or two boats, the students learn problem solving skills, how to safely use hand tools, apply math, and work as a team.
The program grew out of an idea by former South Bristol School Principal Pam Sperry, who championed experiential learning. The program has been around long enough to span multiple generations of South Bristol students.
SBS special education teacher Amanda Sykes was part of the program’s first class in 1995 and is the mother of SBS eighth grader Avalee Brightman-Uhl. Sykes spoke briefly before watching her daughter launch this year’s skiffs with her own class.
“My favorite part of this program was working as a team,” Brightman-Uhl said.
“This program is a great opportunity for experiential learning,” Sykes said. “I hope this program is still around when I retire.”
Instructors for the program Luke Small and Kurt Spiridakis also attended the launch. Spiridakis has been instructing the program for 14 years and Small joined the program in December.
“The kids do the measuring, and cutting the wood. They all had a hand in this project,” Small said.
South Bristol School Principal Charles Hamm was also in attendance for the launch. He cited the program as one of many reasons he applied for the position. Hamm spoke to the audience about attending the program one day this past winter.
“I was amazed at how quickly and confidently they all got to work. I was also impressed with their skill and abilities,” Hamm said. “I can’t think of any other school program that compares to its longevity, richness, and cultural importance.”
A third skiff built by the program in 2020 was used in this year’s launch to ensure all students could safely participate. All 15 students were lowered into the water on the skiffs they built this year, before immediately being pulled to the dock and divided into five students per boat.
Eighth graders Nikolai Brank, Porter Brewer, Avalee Brightman-Uhl, Mercy Buchwalder, Clara Connolly, Freya Drum, Sophia Drum, Blake Gamage, Joslin Gladu, Lewis House, Michael Mitchell, Jayden Orne, Maya Redonnett, Amelia Rice, and Branden Smith participated in this year’s program.
Small said one boat will be raffled off by SBS to pay for the students’ trip to D.C. The other boat will be sold by the Museum for $1,500, and will contribute to funding the program.
