New Jersey- To Barryroe – To Nantucket – To Norway A Mini-Boat Brings Schools Together
In a very remote part of Northern Norway a 5-foot mini-boat is transmitting its position and West Cork and New Jersey, USA, school pupils are seeking help to get it recovered.
This is the story of the ‘Crimson Current’ which I reported originally when it was found by fisherman Billy McCarthy in Barry’s Cove, West Cork, in July 2022. He contacted Rory Jackson who runs West Cork Ocean Tours on the m.v. ‘Kerry Head’ and who is also the founder of the Oceans Plastic Project to educate and develop new and best practice for recycling ocean plastic waste found on our shores.
They took it to the nearby Barryroe National School. From that has developed transAtlantic contact through the Educational Passages programme of the USA, a not-for-profit organisation spreading ocean and environmental literacy. It has launched over 200 mini-boats, uncrewed of course, using wind and currents to make international landfalls and connect communities.The Barryroe pupils refurbished ‘Crimson Current,’ re-named it ‘Realt na Mara’ and, with the help of the container ship ‘Independent Horizon,’ trading from Cork to Delaware, USA, it was relaunched into the Atlantic in 2023. From there it arrived in Nantucket, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, a historic American fishing and maritime location. Refurbished for another voyage and relaunched, Rory told me that it has made the longest passage ever for one of these little boats, which are tracked through an onboard transmitter. It has arrived in Senja, a remote area of Northern Norway, from which it has been transmitting its position.
In the past week I met pupils from New Jersey, who were visiting Barryroe NS. It is great that the sea brings such contact between young people. Teachers from the USA previously visited Barryroe last year. Lisa Swanson, who I met then and Rory Jackson, brought the joint group to the National Maritime College in Ringaskiddy this past week and discussed whether the little boat can be rescued from its Norwegian location. This is at 69 34’N 17 29’ E. The GPS aboard the little boat has been reporting from 69.577760696411,17.470214366913
Rory Jackson told me: “Crimson Current made landfall in Senja, Northern Norway.This is its third voyage. The area is very remote. If any reader has any contacts or can assist in recovering the boat please reach out to us at info@educationalpassages.org It was deployed on September 3 last year and spent 378 days and four hours at sea.”
Educational Passages said: “Students and participants in the project from Barryroe, Ireland and Morristown, New Jersey, are seeking assistance to recover it. It is part of a student project to study ocean science and provide a cultural exchange when it lands. The students would also like to see any possible pictures and videos so they can learn more about where the boat landed. If you have any information about the area or can assist with recovering the uncrewed vessel, please contact Cassie from Educational Passages at cassie@educationalpassages.org. It is an uncrewed vessel, like a “message in a bottle.”
More information: https://educationalpassages.org/boats/crimsoncurrent/
The story of ‘Crimson Current/Realt na Mara’ can continue to make waves, if anyone can help to recover it in Northern Norway.
Barryroe and New Jersy pupils together on the recent visit of the Morristown pupils to West Cork, pictured at Barry’s Cove where the Crimson Current was found on its first voyage in 2022.
