By Nick Patch, Director of Maritime Programs
Last month, we launched a new boat in Lake Champlain built entirely by local high school students. The boat, dubbed General McCausland, is a 25-foot Whitehall-style rowing gig was the newest vessel to join the Museum’s fleet as part of the Champlain Longboats program.
Through Champlain Longboats’ boat building program, students from the Addison Central Program (ACP) and Middlebury High School (MUHS) came to the Museum’s boat shop two to three days a week for months to learn how to build from tree to boat, getting hands-on experience in woodworking, communication, math, and teamwork in our active boat shop. In this program, students also got time to experience other hands-on activities here at the Museum to learn about the ecology, history, and culture of the Lake Champlain watershed.
Launch day for our boat building students is a truly special day at the Maritime Museum. Students were joined by an audience of their family, Museum staff, and community members to celebrate their accomplishment. Each student got the chance to give a presentation sharing the technical skills they learned, their favorite moments, and the big lessons crafting a boat taught them. After presentations, we parade the students to the waterfront to launch their boat in the lake for the first time.
Boat building at the Museum is made possible thanks to incredible support from individual donors, sponsors, family, and teachers. This year’s boat was sponsored by our dear friend and supporter, Peter Beckett and named after General Charles McCausland – a friend and role model for Peter throughout his life. In addition, this year’s Champlain Longboats boat building program was awarded a generous gift from M&T Charitable Foundation.
“The M&T Charitable Foundation is proud to support the Champlain Longboat program at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. This unique initiative connects youth to Vermont’s rich maritime heritage while fostering teamwork, resilience, and environmental stewardship. By engaging young people with hands-on experiences on the water, we’re helping to build stronger communities and a deeper commitment to protecting Lake Champlain for generations to come.”
The General McCausland will become a part of our fleet of boats for our youth and adult rowers and education programs, continuing to serve the community for years to come. From boat building education to on-water experiences, the Champlain Longboats program fuels our full community of students and adults with alternative education, rowing practices and races, environmental education, and expeditionary programs.
We are so proud of the hard work student boatbuilders put into this boat and we’re also grateful for all the staff, volunteers, and donors who help make this program possible every year.
Learn more about the Museum’s Champlain Longboats program at www.lcmm.org/champlain-longboats-program.
