Polaris
Taipei Wanfang High School
Updates:
1st Voyage
Polaris was the most vital guiding star for sailors navigating the open seas during the Age of Discovery. We chose this name to symbolize that this small vessel will never lose its way amidst the vast ocean. At the same time, we hope it shines like a brilliant star—carrying the passion and commitment to marine conservation held by Taiwanese junior high students—as it successfully crosses the Pacific, bringing hope and blessings to the lucky person who finds it!
We would like to thank National Taiwan Ocean University, the Ocean Affairs Council of Taiwan, and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) for their generous support and sponsorship of this project.
On October 19, students, teachers, and partners attended a special ceremony before a double launch of the M/B Polaris, alongside her ‘sister-ship’ M/B Ocean YES!
The boats immediately started heading north. Check out the image captured by the onboard camera while at sea:
Explore the sensor data here:
Stay tuned for more updates!
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October 20 and 21 - At Sea During a Storm System
On October 20, both minboats started headed back home due to a near by storm system:
By October 21, it was clear these minboats would land soon and efforts began to locate them and recover them once touch down on shore.
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October 21 -Landed and Recovered
On October 21, both miniboats were successfully recovered, M/B Ocean YES with minor damage and M/B Polaris with significant damage based on where they each landed. They will now need to be repaired before a future relaunch:
October 28, 2026 Update:
The National Taiwan Ocean University shared the journey of Polaris and Ocean YES to their website, as well as their audience on Facebook:
Stay tuned for more updates!
