MBS 6th Grade Sailboat, "Swansonator 3000", Launched into the Gulf Stream

For the 12th time, MBS has launched a five-foot, unmanned sailboat into the open ocean as part of the thrilling Educational Passages program. This year’s vessel, named Swansonator 3000, set sail from the Gulf Stream off the coast of North Carolina, ready for an epic voyage guided by the forces of nature. Middle School geography teacher Lisa Swanson embarked on a journey to North Carolina to personally oversee the launch, witnessing the Swansonator 3000 set sail on its grand adventure.

Equipped with a GPS that beams its location to a satellite, the Swansonator 3000 will send real-time updates to MBS students, who can track its journey right from their iPads. The boat is also equipped with a sensor pack to collect air and ocean temperature data. This isn’t just any boat — it carries a special cargo. Nestled inside its hull are carefully chosen artifacts of local culture: a baseball, essays about life in New Jersey, sand and shells found in Sandy Hook from the Middle School fall class trip, an American flag, a complete set of 50-state quarters, and issues of Crimson Magazine. These items will serve as time capsules for whoever finds the boat on its unknown adventure.

MBS has a storied history with Educational Passages. The very first MBS boat, Crimson Tide, set sail in December 2012 and made an astonishing journey across the Atlantic, where it was discovered by a fisherman in Guernsey, an island in the English Channel. It was later re-launched and eventually washed ashore in France. Over the years, MBS boats have traveled to Spain, Portugal, the remote Shetland Islands, and even the rugged Orkney Islands of Northern Scotland.

Founded by a Maine sailor with a passion for ocean science, the Educational Passages program gives students a hands-on way to learn about global winds and ocean currents. According to Mrs. Swanson, the program is more than just an oceanography lesson, it’s a gateway to subjects as diverse as physics, world languages, and environmental science. With Swansonator 3000 now adrift on the high seas, the students of MBS eagerly watch and wait — where in the world will it end up next?

Please click here to follow the live journey of Swansonator 3000!