T
HE LATIN WORD for senator is Conscriptus, making it an inevitable name for a project established by students of a high school named for Connecticut Senator Brien McMahon.
The modern-day RV Conscriptus is a small, unmanned vessel with a tracker inside, built by the students in the Marine Science Academy at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut, whose aim is to provide experience in marine industry and science.“ Students worked for several weeks in different teams with a variety of responsibilities to contribute to the completion of the boat,” said Eva Bartush, the school’ s Department Chair of Marine Sciences.“ It was a really incredible program that taught the students teamwork and a wide variety of skills.”
Conscriptus was set afloat in the western Atlantic at the end of May last year and allowed to drift as wind and currents dictated. After enduring well over eight months at sea, including an encounter with Hurricane Danielle in September, the intrepid explorer threaded her way between Scotland’ s Orkney and Shetland Islands to finally arrive at Telavåg, near Bergen on Norway’ s west coast, on February 10, 2023.
Data and photos below courtesy of Educational Passages.
30 OVER THE BOW USCGAUX FIRST DISTRICT SOUTHERN REGION- WINTER 2023