603 Explorer

Voyage 1

• About Us

  We are the 4th grade students from Stratham Memorial School in Stratham, New Hampshire! Our teachers surprised us with our very first miniboat-in-a-box kit and we are so excited about our project. Our crew consists of 77 fourth-grade students and our teachers. We each selected a team based on our individual skills and interests to build our vessel. Our teams meet once a week to collaborate and work on our part of the project.

  We voted on the name 603 Explorer because it represents our state’s area code and we want our boat to travel the world. We will share more with you as our miniboat project gets underway!
  
  A special thank you to David Brefini for building our boat’s stand.

• Build Progress

  Our crew is making great progress with our miniboat. The hull and deck are attached, the keel is ballasted and installed to the hull, and all the sanding has been completed. We also just finalized our sail and deck designs! We painted our vessel with anti-fouling bottom paint so barnacles don’t grow on her and weigh her down.
  
  We are excited for our shake down cruise and Bon Voyage party with our community on April 23rd!

• April 2026: Shake-down Cruise and SAIL-a-bration

  April 23, 2026 Update:

  On April 23rd, some of our crew mates and captains were able to visit the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory for a field trip with our finished miniboat.

  Thanks to Tara Hicks-Johnson, of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, and Educational Passages staff, everyone learned about seafloor mapping and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), while also conducting a shake down cruise of our vessel. The shake down cruise was a test launch to ensure 603 Explorer is prepared for the open ocean. The result? Ready for launch!
   
  After our field trip, we returned to school to gather with the rest of our crews mates, captains and school-wide community for a Sail-a-Bration! We got to introduce our project and miniboat to all grades and teachers and had a blast sending off our miniboat with cider, confetti and music.
  
  The local newspaper even showed up to say “bon voyage” to 603 Explorer and interview some of us! Read the Seacoast Online article: “Stratham Students Send ‘603 Explorer’ to Sea on GPS-Tracked Voyage.”

  Next, our Captain Mr. G. will be driving it down to North Carolina for an exciting launch opportunity soon!

  April 24-25, 2026: Update
  The very next day, after our ‘Sail-a-Bration’ party, Mr. G left with 603 Explorer in tow to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That is where Matt is, our deployer from Outerbanks Boil Company, and his friend Marcus, the captain of SALTY SOL. Together they will be deploying our boat out to sea for launch in the Oregon Inlet! On April 25th, Matt received our miniboat and is keeping it safe until it is time for deployment.
  
  Stay tuned for more updates!

• June 25, 2026: Launched into the Gulf Stream

  On June 25, 2026 M/B 603 Explorer was launched out of the Oregon Inlet by Captain Marcus Burnett and crew of the M/V Salty Sol.
  
  The next day on June 26, not even 24 hours at sea, fishermen aboard the M/V Carly A. noticed the miniboat and brought her back to land to contact us. After learning more about the project, they agreed to relaunch her that weekend to continue her journey.