Just before graduation, a group of Guilford High School (GHS) students took their handmade boats out on Lake Quonnipaug for final exam that was very much sink or swim.

The boats—ranging from skiffs to paddleboards to kayaks—are a result of Voyages and Vessels, a combination course for seniors taught for the past seven years by Cara Mulqueen-Teasdale and Dave Hackett. The class is offered as an option for senior English, following the theme “the Ship, the Sailor, and the Sea” and combines maritime literature and a boat-building curriculum, counting as technology education.

Throughout the year students read texts ranging from Moby Dick to excerpts from Shakespeare, and as their knowledge of maritime literature grew, so did their boats. Students entered the class with a wide range of woodworking skills, so Mulqueen-Teasdale said they try and help each student chose an appropriate boat design. All of the boats are built with similar materials, but the designs can vary dramatically.

All students gathered on the beach in June to first give an oral presentation and then put their boats out on the lake. The boats were required to float for at least 45 minutes to pass the technical part of the exam. Hackett said the logistics of the final can often be a challenge.

“The biggest challenge is hard to say, but every year getting everyone ready for launch day is always a challenge,” he said.

Parents and alumni of the course gathered on the beach to watch the students set sail on the lake. Following the launch, the course fleet awards were presented. Hackett said he was pleased to see so many alumni this year.

“This year we were also excited to have alumni representatives from five previous classes to judge vessels and give awards on launch day,” he said.