Old Rochester’s annual cardboard boat race floats on

MATTAPOISETT — To float or not to float? That is the question many seventh grade Old Rochester Junior High School students asked themselves as they placed homemade cardboard boats into Mattapoisett Harbor. 

On Thursday, June 18 Old Rochester hosted their over 15 year tradition of a homemade-boat race competition on the beach at the Mattapoisett YMCA.  

Students were given cardboard and duct tape and were tasked at making a boat that could float and finish a small course. Teachers helped students cut the cardboard and then students decorated boats however they wanted, many with themes. 

Kathryn Gauvin of Mattapoisett, health teacher and coordinator of the event, said this tradition has been going on for around 15 years. 

During the last weeks of class, all seventh grade students can choose to participate in the Survival Program or the Supplemental Courses Offering Personal Enrichment program.  

The Survival Program takes students on a mutli-day backpacking adventure where seventh graders must work together to hike, sleep and eat outside all day. 

The Supplemental Courses Offering Personal Enrichment program offers students activities and field trips throughout the week at school. Students learned about whales, learned how to bake, went whale watching and built boats for the race. 

Gauvin said this week is mainly to build community and create connections between students and the staff and teachers. 

“[The week] gives an opportunity to connect with teachers and friends on a different level with these hands-on activities,” Gauvin said. 

Finnley Reardon of Rochester and Vivi Spinale of Marion captained their pink, sparkly, unicorn boat to a third place victory. The girls said they researched boat designs before building anything. 

The captains said they made a sturdy boat with good structure and lots of duct tape. 

“We wanted our boat to be big and joyous and we wanted to be unicorns,” Finnley said. 

Instead of cutting their cardboard, the girls decided to fold it leading to a reinforced structure. They said the boat took them over six hours to make and decorate. 

Finnley and Spinale finished the short course in one minute and fifteen seconds without sinking. 

The girls said they learned some things this week, but mostly had fun with friends. 

Benjamin Ulshoffer of Mattapoisett and Mason Mendoza of Mattapoisett captained another boat citing not knowing how to paddle the boat well as why they lost. 

Their boat also sank even though they reinforced the sides with lots of tape. 

“The boat held up until the end,” Mason said. 

The boys were happy they learned how to construct a boat even if it did not work out. 

Thomas Braman of Rochester has his own boat he tried to make aerodynamic. It unfortunately folded in on him since he said it may have been too big. 

“We went around the side with ours and did like five layers on each side so it would hopefully hold but it didn't,” Thomas said. 

Thomas said the week of activities was fun and built community with his fellow seventh graders before heading into eighth grade. 

“It's like coming together as a whole class to have fun and forget about all school work and just have fun build boats and just play in the water,” Thomas said.