Through Cape Cod Maritime Museum, Nantucket students built a boat this winter
Students putting the final touches on the boat they built through the Cape Cod Maritime Museum’s Youth Boat Building program.
Photo by Sonia Scherr
Across about 12 weeks this winter, a small group of Nantucket middle school students built a boat. A 12-foot Bevin’s skiff to be exact.
It was the first time Nantucket students were able to participate in the Youth Boat Building program that is organized by the Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis.
Sonia Scherr, experiential educator and community program coordinator at The Egan Maritime Institute, chaperoned the students every Saturday this winter.
“I think in the age of screens and social media, it’s so important and exciting for students to have this opportunity to build something tangible and real that they’ll be able to use, and that’s been just really rewarding to see.”
The kids were able to attend the program free of charge through a grant that was given to Egan Maritime from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation.
“I’m just so glad that we’ve been able to help make this happen, and I think it’s wonderful for students to become familiar with this craft so connected to this region’s heritage,” Scherr said.
The Nantucket students traveled from Nantucket to Hyannis on Saturdays from the beginning of February through mid-April with Scherr and then made the short walk to the Cape Cod Maritime Museum to join the rest of the kids to work on their boat.
The grim weather that hit the region this year only interfered with the travel plans once.
The Nantucket students also had the benefit of getting to know kids their age off-island during the class since Barnstable students also attended the class.
“They’ve definitely gained some technical skills and confidence. One student was a little bit hesitant to participate initially and I’ve really seen that person become involved, which is wonderful. They’ve gotten to know students from Barnstable in class, and because island life can be a little bit isolating at times, that’s been really nice to see,” Scherr said.
The program is entirely volunteer-run. All of the instructors donate their time to help the kids build their boat.
The instructors had a hands-off approach while teaching the kids how to build the boat. They were able to provide verbal instruction throughout the program and rarely had to step in, which is something Scherr said she was impressed with.
“Their ability to let the students do the actual hands-on work of constructing the boat while also really providing guidance and support,” she said. “There’s kind of a fine line between actually stepping in and doing too much and maybe not giving enough support, and they really found that balance.”
In the first week, one student worked on building a stand for the boat to rest on during the construction process while others helped measure and cut wood for the actual boat.
By the second week, the bow began taking shape and without knowing, the students were fully immersed in math and physics as they continued the construction process.
“There are definitely STEM connections and I especially observe math, so they definitely have to do calculations, especially initially, when they were doing a lot of measuring for the boat. I think they’ve had to really apply math skills and become more proficient in that area,” Scherr said.
It’s a tradition in the program that the parents of one of the students buy the boat once it is complete. The museum uses the money from the boat to fund the program for the following year.
The student that buys the boat gets to pick the colors they will paint the boat and what the name of it will be and gets to take it home. This year, a few families were interested in the boat, so the museum did a random selection and the boat will go to one of the students from Barnstable.
On May 16, the kids will launch the boat they built into Hyannis Harbor during a Rowing Rendezvous and each will get a turn to experience their craftsmanship in the water.
Scherr said Egan Maritime hopes to continue bringing Nantucket students to this program every year.
By Sarah Roberts
Apr 28, 2026