FERRISBURGH — The first annual awards night celebration of the Champlain Longboats program was held on Tuesday, April 5, at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Ferrisburgh.
Over 60 rowers, parents, educators, volunteers and friends came out to the LCMM Boat Shop to meet this year’s crew of boat builders and view the new six-oared pilot gig under construction. Young boat builders from the Diversified Occupations program at the Hannaford Career Center talked about different aspects of building the 32-foot pilot gig, and this year’s boat builders, rowers and volunteers were honored. The boat now under construction will be launched in mid-May.
LCMM”s youth boat building program has launched over 20 boats since 1999. The Champlain Longboats program has an active fleet of 15 four- and six-oared rowing boats with over 175 students from nine area schools participating in after-school rowing programs. Champlain longboats are also used May through October for community rowing in Vergennes and Burlington, and for youth and adult rowing teams who travel to regional rowing and racing events.