VANCOUVER – Youngsters from ages 10 to 15 will learn about the maritime history of the Columbia River by building a boat at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
The weeklong camp concludes with launching the boat at Vancouver Lake.
Fort Vancouver and Wind & Oar Boat School of Portland will offer On the Water, a free hands-on workshop. Participants will apply math and science skills to build a simple skiff.
They also will learn about the maritime heritage of the Northwest, including waterways as transportation routes, early Euro-American exploration, maritime fur trade, 19th century carpentry and blacksmithing, and human manipulation of the Columbia River.
The workshop will be at Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E. Fifth St., from July 31 through Aug. 4.
Two sessions will be offered: Session A is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Session B is from noon to 4 p.m. The final day of the workshop will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for all participants, and will include launching the boat at Vancouver Lake.
Each session is limited to 10 participants, with reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Fort Vancouver had the region’s first boat yards, and the first steam-powered ship, the S.S. Beaver, was built and launched from the post’s wharf,” Chief of Interpretation Bob Cromwell said in a news release. “This program draws inspiration from this history.”
While the camp is free, reservations are required: call 360-816-6244. Parents or guardians must provide all transportation, including to Vancouver Lake on the afternoon of Aug. 4.
