TMS Sea Challenger

1st Voyage

• May 2023 - Preparations so far

  Work so far has included ballasting the keel; sanding the hull and keel; painting the boat; installing sensors to collect data on water and air temperature and a satellite transmitter to track location; decorating the deck and sail; naming the boat; and deciding what items would go into the hatch. They also learned about currents, weather, technology, ocean science and more.

  

  To MEET THE CREW, visit the URI GSO page here and explore video interviews.

   

• May 2023 - The Ocean Race Stopover in Newport, RI

  In June, the TMS Sea Challenger will be deployed into the Atlantic Ocean from the GSO Research Vessel Endeavor. Winds and currents will determine the miniboat’s journey. The community will be able to track its path and make predictions about where it may land.

  In May, the miniboat was brought to The Ocean Race stopover at Sail Newport, in Newport, RI:
  

  On May 15, the students at Thompson Middle School came to see it in the Exploration Zone, and also got to take part in the My Ocean Challenge Program with Team Malizia!

  🌊⛵️Members of our TMS Miniboat Crew joined #URIGSO and @miniboats at @theoceanrace Newport to show off their #miniboat, the #TMSSeaChallenger! They engaged visitors with a prediction-making activity & conversation on the boat-building process. Great work, miniboat ambassadors! pic.twitter.com/1KDZTeSs5Z

  — URI Graduate School of Oceanography (@URIGSO) June 5, 2023

  Both Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing boats have data collection devices in their boats and are collecting ocean science data as they sail. The TMS Sea Challenger also has data collection devices and will collect data as well. Click on the tabs below to explore the “Ocean Science Data from Onboard Sensor System”.

• June 23, 2023 - Launched from the R/V Endeavor

  The TMS Sea Challenger was launched by a team on the R/V Endeavor, as part of the STEMSEAS cruise. The original plan was to launch it off Cape Hatteras, but due to weather and safety concerns, the miniboat was kept aboard until they reached Florida.

  We received the following news from the team on June 23:

  The Miniboat TMS Challenger has been successfully deployed! The weather cooperated and we were able to capture some great videos and photos… The coordinates of the deployment were N 28°6’96”, W 79°56’54” and the time was 18:02:13 UTC. Thanks for all your efforts on this fantastic project. The STEMSEAS students are very excited to follow the miniboat’s journey!

   

• Ocean Science Data from Onboard Sensor System

  The boat has two GPS systems onboard. One is the main GPS, which reported locations to the map at the top of this page. Here below is where you can see the data reporting from the second GPS which is connected to the sensor package. In addition to reporting location with a secondary GPS tracker, this system was also collecting air temperature, water temperature, and orientation. The sensor package was installed by the students. Note that the map below only shows data from the last 7 days. Contact us for more information or to access full sensor data.

• September 20, 2023 - May have landed in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

  Note: A more recent update on September 22 is posted below.

  On September 20, 2023 the miniboat TMS SEA CHALLENGER last reported ~1.75nm south of St. Esprit Beach in Nova Scotia at 5:32 GMT. It was traveling about 1.2 kts and onboard sensors reported its heading at about 53 degrees. The GPS units onboard have not reported a location since, and we think it may be due to a landing.

  

  Seeking assistance with recovering 1.5m uncrewed miniboat named TMS SEA CHALLENGER that may have landed on St. Esprit Beach, Nova Scotia

  The miniboat is named “TMS SEA CHALLENGER” and is part of an educational project from the US, in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. It was built by students at Thompson Middle School in Newport, RI.

  Students and participants involved in the project are seeking assistance to have the boat brought to a nearby school so they can connect.  The GPS last reported from 45.61029, -60.45098 and we think it may have made landfall on the beach to the north. We are looking for assistance to recover if it is safe to do so.

  It is an uncrewed vessel, like a message in a bottle. We invite you to read above for the full story.

  Please contact Educational Passages for more information and if you know anyone that can assist in recovering the boat and bringing it to a school. We will advise and assist with next steps after recovery is confirmed.

  For reference, this is what the boat looked like with the students that built it, before it was launched on June 23, 2023:

  

  We are non-profit organizations and cannot provide a financial reward for your help. Our intention is to connect children everywhere and promote the love for the ocean. We hope you can help us accomplish this goal, and bring the opportunity to connect children across the ocean with the project.

• September 22, 2023: Confirmed landing in Nova Scotia

  Note: A more recent update on September 23 is posted below.

  On September 20, 2023 the miniboat TMS SEA CHALLENGER landed just east of St. Esprit Beach in Nova Scotia. The confirmed landing location was not known until September 22, which leads us to believe that the boat was upside down and unable to communicate with the satellites until now. An updated notice is posted below, and we are still seeking assistance to recover the boat as soon as possible to prevent further damage from the rocks.

  

  Seeking assistance with recovering 1.5m uncrewed miniboat named TMS SEA CHALLENGER that has landed east of St. Esprit Beach, Nova Scotia

  The miniboat is named “TMS SEA CHALLENGER” and is part of an educational project from the US, in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. It was built by students at Thompson Middle School in Newport, RI.

  Students and participants involved in the project are seeking assistance to have the boat brought to a nearby school so they can connect.  The landing location from the GPS report is 45.639842987061 -60.441370010376. We are looking for assistance to recover if it is safe to do so.

  It is an uncrewed vessel, like a message in a bottle. We invite you to read above for the full story.

  Please contact Educational Passages for more information and if you know anyone that can assist in recovering the boat and bringing it to a school. We will advise and assist with next steps after recovery is confirmed.

  For reference, this is what the boat looked like with the students that built it, before it was launched on June 23, 2023:

  

  We are non-profit organizations and cannot provide a financial reward for your help. Our intention is to connect children everywhere and promote the love for the ocean. We hope you can help us accomplish this goal, and bring the opportunity to connect children across the ocean with the project.

• September 23, 2023: RECOVERED!

  After the TMS Sea Challenger miniboat landed near St. Esprit Beach in Nova Scotia, we took to social media to try and find local contacts to recover the vessel. Since the spot was so remote, we knew it wouldn’t be seen by a beachwalker, as sometimes happens.

  Around noon on Saturday, September 23, the miniboat was found by Ross Robinson, Michelle Richards, and two other travelers visiting Cape Breton (Eric Brunschwiler and Nik Totaro from Rockland Maine).

  

  Michelle sent us a note later that evening with details. She said:

  Ross was the first to spot what was left of the ship. It was located in the exact area as indicated on the Educational Passages website (area between Strachan’s Cove and Kelpy Cove.) The ship’s remains were carried back out along a rugged 3 km coastal hike.

  

  We were greeted by a large group at the end of our hike. These are members of the Cape Breton Canoe and Geographic Society. Have ccd one if it’s members, David Muggah. The group has been meeting in this area since 1974.

  The Sea Challenger container was open with all present.  The many people there enjoyed seeing the contents left by the students at Frank E. Thompson Middle School in Newport, Rhode Island

  

  Later, Michelle shared more details about the recovery adventure, and included pictures:

  Ross Robinson, Eric Brunschwiler,  Nik Totaro and myself (Michelle Richards) encountered sections of sandy beach, a stream, tall beach grass, cobble stones, rugged rocks, huge piles of washed ashore seaweed, pushed through thick bush, climbed high bluffs and crossed cranberry bogs.

  

  This area of coast is very remote and isolated. Very few people adventure along its shores. Lobster boats might be the only type of water craft found in its waters nearby during June.

  Historically this area was visited by the Mi’Kmaq in the summer months. They were coastal people in the summer and moved inland during the winter months. There are records of shipwrecks in this area and how it was the Mi’kmaq that rescued them. 

  I was very familiar with the coast just south and north of the Strachan’s Cove and Kelpy Cove because of surf exploration. I never pursued this particular section of coast because it was too challenging to access to surf.  I reached out to Ross Robinson as he lives in St Esprit and is also an avid surfer. He had previously explored it and was more familiar.  

  Eric and Nik became involved by chance. They drove to Cape Breton from Maine to explore our coasts and surf breaks. I met them the previous day surfing and invited them along on the adventure.

   Here’s a picture of the team walking out safely together:

  

  We would also like to thank Tyler Boudreau who set out with his ATV to help search for the vessel, but by the time he got down to the beach there was no vessel or people to be found.  And we’d like to thank everyone else who reached out to offer their support and share the request in their networks.

  We’ve connected everyone together over email to discuss next steps and will post updates here as they come in.

  September 27, 2023 – CBC Radio interviewed Cassie and Michelle: Autonomous mini-sailboat salvaged from Cape Breton coast