Jamal’s Boat

Lewis and Clark Elementary in Astoria, Oregon, USA

Updates:

Voyage 1

  • About Us

    Jamal’s Boat is the product of joint efforts between the 5th grade students at Lewis and Clark Elementary School, in partnership with Columbia River Maritime Museum (CRMM). We named our miniboat after, Jamal, the name of one of the student’s original characters they created. Jamal is a rich monkey who wears a crown, has massive abs, and wears a fancy watch. Jamal has become almost like a mascot for the whole class.

    Throughout our project, we hope to learn about ocean currents, different types of boats, and expand knowledge of maritime history and jobs.

    We would like to thank Norton Lilly for helping us coordinate our deployment and all of our donors that make this program possible!

    Our hope is that Jamal’s Boat lands in Japan. Our class’s favorite activity throughout this process has been sanding the miniboat.

  • April 13, 2026 - Miniboat Christening Celebration

    On April 13th, 2026 M/B Jamal’s Boat was christened and celebrated by not only the students who built her but another local school that were building their own vessel, M/B Pookie Bob Timmy the Great! Both schools met at Columbia River Maritime Museum for their special dual send-off party. They had a blast sharing their projects with their community!

    On April 15th, Miniboat Educator Mr. Nathan dropped off both Jamal’s Boat and Pookie Bob Timmy the Great to their deployer’s aboard the S/V Bueno Ventura, while at port. Both miniboats will be launched at sea together at the end of the month.

    Thank you to Captain Sidhartha and crew for taking good care of both vessels and being such an important part of our program.

    Stay tuned for more updates as they develop!

  • April 22-23, 2026 - Launch and Landing

    On April 22nd, 2026 Jamal’s Boat was launched off the coast of Baja California on Earth Day! The Captain and crew of Buena Ventura set her off to sea (with Pookie Bob Timmy the Great) in moderate seas, reporting 1.542 meter high waves and a northwestern wind of 19 knots. Less than 24 hours after launch, on April 23rd, she found land on Islas San Benito. These islands are uninhabited and we are now working to get her recovered.

    Stay tuned for more updates as they develop!

Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Miniboat Program celebrates 10 years! Over this first decade, the program has provided a global, multidisciplinary STEAM learning experience for 4th through 7th grade classes. Students work in teams to design, assemble, launch, and track GPS-equipped boats. Each classroom learns about maritime history and culture of the Pacific Northwest and across the Pacific Ocean. In 2027, we will also plan to launch our 50th miniboat!

The program is in partnership with Educational Passages and has been supported by numerous organizations and private donors, including Consular Office of Japan in Portland, Pacific Power, NWSTEM Hub, West Marine BlueFuture Fund®, Northwest Oregon Works, and U.S. Coast Guard.