Yacht enables Harbour School to expand its marine science classes
The purchase of a 40-foot yacht will enable Harbour School to expand its marine science classes - and turn students into seasoned sailors, writes Raymond Ma
Students at The Harbour School are set to become the envy of children across Hong Kong, when their school completes the retrofit of an elegantly built second world war-era sailing yacht later this summer. After that, it will put to sea, allowing students, parents and teachers to set sail in search of adventure along the city's coastline.
The purchase of the Black Dolphin for US$40,000 (HK$310,113) is part of the school's plan to expand its marine science lessons. The school, which has 165 students spread across three campuses in Kennedy Town, has been teaching the subject in some classes since it was founded in 2007, but plans to expand it into a systematic curriculum in the coming academic year.
We wanted a boat with a big flat deck that kids could sit on and work
The boat, a 40-foot gaff-rigged diesel-auxiliary cruising ketch, arrived in Hong Kong on April 4 after it was transported from its former home in Long Beach, California via a container ship operated by OOCL, which offered the school a steep discount for the move.
It is docked at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, and will undergo a retrofit before putting to sea again in June.
The school's marine life curriculum will be developed by a marine scientist employed as a teacher, and through referencing other marine education programmes around the world. The yacht will be equipped with a range of scientific equipment, which will allow students to conduct field experiments.
Students will be required to study navigation and mapping before being allowed to board the yacht.
