And they’re off and sailing! On Monday, June 19, Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) launched its first week of programming at their new campus on Linekin Bay. Moving to a new site at the property where the Fuller and Carter families have lived and lobstered for more than 200 years was a tremendous feat and one that would not have been possible without Pauline Dion’s leadership and a whole community of staff and volunteers supporting BSSC.

The first “shake-down” week was a terrific success with a fully enrolled program. Last week, many neighbors and fellow boaters were excited to see BSSC participants sailing the center-board Turnabout dinghies and Precision-15 fixed keel around the bay. BSSC is thankful for Bradley Simmons who will be helping out by setting moorings for the Center’s two 23-foot fixed keel Sonar sloops. As soon as those moorings are set, BSSC staff are looking forward to bringing the Sonars over from The Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor to the new facility for even more sailing fun!

Thanks to a generous donation from Resource Access International (RAI), LLC, BSSC will soon have an 18-foot 1994 Eastern Classic center console power boat that is fully equipped for setting and hauling BSSC’s noncommercial lobster traps. They also gave BSSC a large lab freezer for storing marine samples. This is a wonderful contribution to the hands-on science that takes place at BSSC each week. Learning about lobstering, and fisheries in general, has long been integral to BSSC. In previous years, Linekin Bay based lobstermen Butch Brewer and Nicholas and Andrew Morley came to the Center to teach about the industry that has been the life-blood of the community for generations.

If the chitter-chatter of the program participants is any indication, they are thrilled to explore the inter-tidal zone that is integral to the Center’s new location. Before they approach the shore, they learn how to be respectful of the sea creatures that inhabit the shoreline, how to carefully gather the special creatures that they find, and how to handle them for temporary observation.

While staff and students alike hope for sunshine and steady breezes, BSSC offers a variety of activities throughout the day regardless of the weather, both indoors and outdoors. Students engage in on-campus educational activities for part of the day. The indoor facilities, including a large Boat Shed and two tents, provide plenty of space for kids to do projects in inclement weather or sometimes even while taking a break from the sun! There are art supplies and even a reading nook. Participants gather in the tents to learn foundations of sailing and then spend time on the water sailing and rowing. BSSC staff are looking forward to restarting a fun part of the program in which each participant creates a journal, drawing and writing about lessons learned from the day.

After a terrific opening week at the new Boothbay Sea and Science Center (BSSC) campus on Linekin Bay, staffers and campers alike are excited at the start of Week Two topic “The Sea that we See.” Participants will be integrating art and observations of the shoreline at BSSC’s special new home.

The youth programs at BSSC fill up fast! The program is committed to inclusive, experiential learning and provides financial assistance to qualifying families. Please visit the website for more detailed program information at https://boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org/ and/or email your question to info@boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org