Go! Go! Beach Maru (Go! Go! 金浜丸)

Richmond Elementary School (Oregon, US) & Kanehama Elementary School (Japan) - Columbia River Maritime Museum

Updates:

1st Voyage

  • About the boat and participants

    Hull #008 was built by the students of Richmond Elementary School in Portland, Oregon and was named GO!GO!金浜丸  (s/v Go! Go! Beach Maru) by the students of Kanehama Elementary School in Hachinohe, Japan.  She is part of the Transoceanic Classroom developed by Educational Passages and the Columbia River Maritime Museums Mini-Boat Program.

    The Oregon students placed letters and locally significant gifts in the cargo hold for the Japanese students to open upon its arrival in Hachinohe. The students in Japan will place letters for their new American friends in the cargo hold to be opened on arrival onshore in North America.

    The Columbia River Maritime Museum would like to thank:

    • Consular Office of Japan in Portland, Oregon
    • Mr. Kimura, Hachinohe Board of Education
    • Ms. Ogawa, NHK World
    • Mrs. Kasuga, City of Hachinohe
    • Mr. Nakamura, Ookuki Branch of Minamihama Fishermen Cooperative
    • Columbia River Maritime Museum Mini-Boat Program Sponsors
    • Educational Passages
    • The City of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan
    • Kida Eiji-  Kanehama Elementary School
    • Ayako Uemura, Principal of Kanehama Elementary School

  • December 18, 2017 – Delivering the boats across the Pacific

    The Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Education Director delivered the GO!GO!金浜丸 to Kanehama Elementary School. The Japanese students opened the cargo hold to find gifts from the students of Astor K-8 School.

    The students at Kanehama then got to work decorating their side of the sail and epoxying the name on the transom.

  • December 19, 2017 – Launching Ceremony

    All the participating Mini-Boat schools in Hachinohe, Japan gathered at Okuki Elementary for a very special launching ceremony attend by government officials, members of the community, and national and international press.

  • December 20, 2017 – Launch Day

    She was placed in the water by Mr. Nakamura’s (head of Okuki Branch of Minamihama Fishermen Cooperative) crew 20km into the Pacific Ocean where the offshore currents converge.

  • December 26 - Quiet after 6 days at sea

    After enduring 24 hours of ice, 22ft seas, and 70 knots of wind she last reported at 40 35.4′ N 146 13.2′ E on December 26 at 1:14GMT. We fear, like so many vessels before her, that she is now resting at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. At Sea 6 days. Traveled 246 miles (396km).


The Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Miniboat Program was developed in partnership with Educational Passages and the Consular Office of Japan in Portland. Students in the Pacific Northwest build unmanned sailboats equipped with GPS transmitters, one to launch from the coast of North America and the other to send to their partner class in Japan for launching. While the boats are at sea, students on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean will track their movements. Using real-time data on ocean currents and weather, students will share their predictions on where the boats will go next, and hopefully create lasting friendships.

The mission: to get the boats to cross the Pacific Ocean.

The outcome: through hands-on activities and meaningful opportunities, students are enlightened and empowered.