DMS Anita

Dudley Middle School (MA)

Updates:

1st Voyage

2nd Voyage

  • June 5, 2024 - Ready for Voyage #2

    The DMS Anita miniboat was prepared by students at Dudley Middle School in Massachusetts. Click on the titles above to explore more.

    In June, it was brought back to URI Graduate School of Oceanography for a second launch from the R/V Endeavor during the RITAS 2024 cruise June 7-9.

    June 5, 2024 – Ready for Voyage #2

    Some of the DMS crew delivering the miniboat to the ship:

     

  • June 8, 2024 - A World Ocean Day Launch

    The DMS Anita was launched back to sea from the R/V Endeavor on the afternoon of June 8, 2024 (World Ocean Day!).

  • July 6, 2024 - Recovered off the coast of Nova Scotia

    After less than a month at sea, the DMS Anita was discovered by Captain Andrew Fudge and the crew of the F/V Mary Bernice about 5 miles from land off Nova Scotia. Andrew called the number on the deck and after a quick chat, was able to keep it aboard and therefore save it from a rough landing! The boat will be brought to a nearby school once the crew returns to port from Halibut fishing (check out the size of the one they caught compared to the size of the miniboat!).

    We are so grateful to Andrew and his crew and excited that the adventure will continue.

  • November 2024 - DMS Anita visits Lockeport Regional High School

    The DMS Miniboat Crew shared an update on November 22, 2024: DMS Miniboat Update | Smore Newsletters for Education which included an update from Nova Scotia.

    The Lockeport Regional High School also shared a similar update about receiving the miniboat:

  • Voyage 2: Complete

    The DMS Anita‘s second voyage brought the boat up to Nova Scotia, Canada. Click on the titles above to explore more, and below for its next adventure.

3rd Voyage

  • October 2025 - Return to Massachusetts via the R/V Endeavor

    September 12, 2025 Update:

    DMS Anita’s adventure continues as it leaves Lockeport Regional High School in Nova Scotia, Canada back to its original school, Dudley Middle School (DMS), in Massachusetts, USA.

    September 19, 2025 Update:

    Stacy Lynch, miniboat captain extraordinaire from Dudley Middle School (DMS), keeps us up-to-date with her newsletter “Locked and Loaded!”


    Help us wish a safe journey and welcome DMS Anita back home, upon the research vessel Endeavor.

    October 1st, 2025 Update:

    Stacy and a select group of DMS eighth grade students were invited to tour the R/V Endeavor and reunite with their miniboat on University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Narragansett Bay Campus.

    After they toured the ship inside and out, they were invited to tour the Graduate School of Oceanography’s(GSO) Marine Geological Sample Lab and the Research Aquarium. 

    What a great way to reinforce the knowledge gained during their miniboat build, introduce them to the maritime workforce first-hand, and get them excited to repair and relaunch M/B DMS Anita for a third voyage.

  • October 2025 - "The Albatross" podcast episode features the DMS Anita

    October 10th, 2025:

    M/B DMS Anita and the legendary R/V Endeavor are both featured in their very own podcast episode: The Albatross.

    Press play, close your eyes, and imagine this:

    A remarkable adventure spanning two ocean voyages, unexpected landings, global connections, and a bittersweet homecoming aboard the ship’s final cruise. Guided by a symbol of endurance and exploration, this story celebrates how one classroom’s dream grew into a global journey of ocean exploration and inspiration.

  • November 2025 - March 2026: Massachusetts Community Cherishes Their Miniboat

    November 14th, 2025 Update:

    Since her return home from Canada upon the R/V Endeavor, DMS Anita’s Captain and Crew have been teaching their local community about their miniboat and sharing their brand new storybook, “The Adventures of ANITA.” To support the students and their project, consider buying a book today, available on Amazon in both English and Spanish!


    Read more about their outreach efforts and their book in their newsletter “ANITA sails into the Pearle Crawford Library!” and on Pearl L. Crawford’s Memorial Library’s Facebook Post!

    January 13th, 2026 Update:

    ANITA is featured in Hydro International’s article, “Farewell to a Workhorse: Reflections on the R/V Endeavor’s Five Decades at Sea.” 

    March 3rd, 2026 Update:

    On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, fourteen members of our crew brought ANITA to Mason Road Elementary School to celebrate Read Across America Week. We split into teams of two and visited seven different classrooms, where we read our book to the students and shared stories about the experiences our afterschool club has had along the way.

    We explained that we’ve been working on this project for four years and that it has led to some truly amazing experiences and opportunities. To keep the learning going, we also donated copies of both of our books to the school library so students can check them out and read them on their own.

    A HUGE thank you to Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Marrier, Mrs. Connor, Mrs. Faubert, Mrs. Courtemanche, Mrs. Pontbriand, Mrs Fazio and Mrs. Hooper for welcoming us into your classrooms! They sent us a letter after we left saying:

    “Thank you so much for visiting Mason Road School with the crew of The Adventures of Anita. The students are still talking about your incredible adventures! They were so excited to hear about the journey of Anita, the process of writing and publishing the book, and of course seeing the boat in person.
    We truly appreciate the time you and the students took to share your experience with our first graders. It was such a meaningful way to celebrate Read Across America Week. We’re already looking forward to following Anita’s upcoming adventures!

    Thank you again for making the day so special for our students.
    Sincerely,
    M.Gray and the entire 1st-grade team
    Mason Road School”

  • May 2026: Ready for another adventure

    Members from the original DMS crew, and a new set of 5th graders, prepared the DMS Anita for its 3rd launch.

    Read the full update here: DMS Miniboat Update May 11, 2026

    May 15, 2026

    Some of the crew delivered the miniboat to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), directly to the R/V Neil Armstrong, the ship that was set to deploy the miniboat for its 3rd voyage. Read the full update here: DMS Miniboat Update May 15, 2026


    The main GPS was not working properly, so Daryn from Educational Passages drove a brand new one down and glued it to the deck in the afternoon. Ready for deployment!

    May 18, 2026

    We heard from Dr. Glen Gawarkiewicz on Monday evening who sent the following message:

    Anita was deployed at 2313 GMT. The position was 39  Deg. 29.84′ N and 70 Deg 44.763′ W. Water depth was 2486 m. Sea surface temperature from thermosalinography 14.5 Deg. C. Surface salinity 33.41 PSU. Very smooth launch. Surface currents 20 cm/s to the south in a streamer of shelf water. “We care deeply about Anita.”

    We are deeply grateful to Glen, WHOI, and the crew for helping to set the DMS Anita back to sea. Let the learning continue!

    May 19, 2026

    WHOI posts an update of ANITA’s deployment on Facebook and shares the launch video of her being set to sea on Instagram and LinkedIn!

    Read the full update here: DMA Miniboat Update May 19th, 2026

    Sensor Data

    The boat has two tracking systems: 1. The main GPS reports to the map above, and 2. A student-installed secondary GPS tracks location, air and water temperature, orientation, and even has a camera, with the map below showing only the last 7 days of sensor data. Contact us for more information or access to the full dataset.

To support the students and their project, consider buying their book, “The Adventures of ANITA” available on Amazon in English and Spanish

 

M/B DMS Anita is featured in a very special podcast episode: The Albatross