An organization called Educational Passages ran the project. Its goal is to teach kids about ocean currents and connect them with students in other parts of the world. Students from Rye Junior High in New Hampshire built and made decorations for their boat, which they named Rye Riptides.
The boat had a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that enabled the students to track its location. But they lost the signal last September.
When the GPS pinged again four months later, it showed the boat was in Norway. Sixth-grader Karel Nuncic found it on a tiny island near his home in Smøla. Karel cleaned the boat and brought it to school the next day to show his classmates.
“They thought it was exciting and wondered what was inside,” Karel says.
Inside the boat’s cargo hatch, they found a face mask signed by the Rye students, photos, a letter, and other items.
Soon after, Karel’s class met students from Rye on a video call. Now, Rye Riptides is proudly displayed at Karel’s school.
Rye sixth-grader Caitlin Tabit says, “It’s really cool that this little boat has connected two small towns that are an ocean apart.”