We had an un-REEL experience last week at the Big Rock Tournament’s 67th annual event in Morehead City, NC – where fast fish and tiny tech intersect in the currents. This world-renowned sport fishing challenge attracts anglers to catch the biggest fish…but some charters have found themselves hooked to miniboats instead!
As a charity recipient of the The Big Rock Foundation in 2024, we received a grant to bring the Miniboat Program to Carteret County, NC. Beaufort Middle School took on the first project and sailed past our expectations. With a limited timeline and a small crew of ~10 students and 5 teachers, we were proud to launch the eye-catching M/B Chargers by the Sea during the Big Rock Tournament on June 13.
Before it was launched, the BMS students got to show off their boat in front of hundreds of Big Rock fans both in-person and live on TV for the world to see! Then, Captain Dale Britt and crew of Weldor’s Ark launched the boat on day #5 of the tournament in the quest of catching a big blue.
We also got to catch up with some of our other friends:
Including:
- Shifting Gears crew, including CP Perry who found the miniboat SS Aims Infinity back in the 2023 tournament
- Captain Kelsey from Manteo Middle School’s Croatoan’s Revenge
- Captain Bill and the Job Site crew, who picked up the miniboat Upper way back during the 2017 tournament and then relaunched it
- Jacqui Degan who led the Cape Fear Community College miniboat program for years
- Erica Jones and the Carteret Education Foundation, whose support has been unwavering these last couple years (and who helped get the students on Big Rock TV!)
- Crimson Cyclone’s finder, Matt Letchner, who has a very unique story connected to Dale Britt that was published in the local Beachcomber 2024 Magazine
- Dale Britt of Weldor’s Ark, who launched the Crimson Cyclone back in February 2024, but also launched the first ever Big Rock Miniboat this year!
Thank you to the Big Rock Foundation and all the crews who keep our miniboat adventures alive!
Get Involved:
June 8, 2025
The 1st BIG ROCK Miniboat
With funding from the Big Rock Foundation, and support from Carteret Education Foundation, the Educational Passages Miniboat Program was brought to Carteret County during the 24-25 school year. At Beaufort Middle School, students worked over weeks to prepare and build their miniboat, which they named as Chargers by the Sea. Their vessel is also high-tech as it has a suite of sensors to collect ocean science data, not just location (think Message in a Bottle 2.0!).
The crew of Weldor’s Ark is set to take the boat out to sea before lines go in the water during the 2025 Big Rock Tournament on Friday or Saturday – but all can follow along!
Join the Adventure! Where do you think it will end up?
We’ve had miniboats land in 36 countries around the world, so anything is possible. Email us and share your prediction! Please provide your name, how many days at sea you think the voyage will be, and the latitude and longitude of the voyage end.
A Brief History of Miniboats in Carteret County
Although the Chargers by the Sea is the first to have been built in Carteret County, it’s not the first to have made connections here… the Shifting Gears crew picked up the SS AIMS Infinity miniboat while fishing Big Rock 2023! After sharing the project on Big Rock TV, they relaunched the boat on the last day of the tournament. Then in December 2023, another miniboat landed on Pine Knoll Shores: the Crimson Cyclone. It was soon after relaunched by Dale Britt and the crew of Weldor’s Ark, with a very unique story connected to a Message in a Bottle that was also published in the Beachcomber 2024 Magazine.
Read more about the history and connections in the Outer Banks in our blog post Miniboat Magic in the Outer Banks.
