These classes, programs, and events are activities of the Beaufort facility of North Carolina Maritime Museum. Contact the Museum at (252) 728-7317 between 9 AM and 5 PM for information or reservations. Note: Reservations must be made by phone or in person (no reservations by email), due to limits on group sizes.

SUMMER CALENDAR 2009

JUNE

12 Friday Traditional Boat Handling
Learn handling traits of traditional small craft.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM.  9 AM - 1 PM. 

13  Saturday Adult Sailing
Sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM. 9 AM - 1 PM.

16 Tuesday Coastal Whales of North Carolina
Photos & discussion of local whales by Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster. 3 PM.

17 Wednesday Watson Shells Revisited
Featured shells from our international collection will be available for viewing. 11 AM.

18 Thursday Rachel Carson Reserve
Interpretive walk featuring the wildlife & history of the local estuarine environment.
Reservations $15, $10 ages 8-11. 9:15 AM -12:30 PM.

18 Thursday Nautical Skills
Learn a skill for life at sea. 3 PM.

23 Tuesday Museum Marvels
View artifacts from the museum collection not currently on display. 3 PM.

24 Wednesday Coastal Marine Life
Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. 3 PM.

25 Thursday Bonehenge
Display of sperm whale biology and museum project update. 3 PM.

26 Friday Marine Life Collecting Cruise
Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. Reservations-$25. 9 AM -12 PM. 

26 Friday Traditional Boat Handling
Learn handling traits of traditional small craft.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM.  9 AM - 1 PM.    

27 Saturday Living History Day: Civil War Navy Reenactors
Carolina Living History Guild displays weapons, nautical skills, & period dress.10 AM - 4:30 PM.

27 Saturday Adult Sailing
Sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats.  Reservations - $85, $60 FOM. 9 AM - 1 PM.

30 Tuesday Nautical Skills
Learn a skill for life at sea. 3 PM.

JULY

1 Wednesday Seafood Workshop: Wild About Shrimp
A hands-on workshop presents this popular crustacean in science & culture with samples to taste.   Reservations - $10.  2 PM - 4 PM.

2 Thursday Rachel Carson Reserve        
Interpretive walk featuring the wildlife & history of the local estuarine environment.
Reservations $15, $10 ages 8-11.  9:15 AM -12:30 PM.

2 Thursday Museum Marvels
View artifacts from the museum collection not currently on display. 3 PM.

7 Tuesday “Ichthyology and Otoliths: My Life as a Foreign Fisheries Observer”
Images, lively discussion, and book signing by local author Dail Bridges. 3 PM.

8 Wednesday Marine Life Collecting Cruise
Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. Reservations $25. 9 AM -12 PM. 

9 Thursday Museum Secrets Revealed
Behind the scenes tour of the collection, research, and exhibit areas.  Reservations $5. 3 PM.

10 Friday Traditional Boat Handling
Learn handling traits of traditional small craft.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM.  9 AM - 1 PM.    

11 Saturday Adult Sailing
Sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM. 9 AM - 1 PM.

14 Tuesday Dolphins
Photos & display on local dolphins by Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster. 3 PM.

15 Wednesday Watson Shells Revisited
Featured shells from our international collection will be available for viewing. 11 AM.

21 Tuesday Bonehenge
Display of sperm whale biology and museum project update. 3 PM.

22 Wednesday Marine Life Collecting Cruise
Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. Reservations $25. 9 AM -12 PM. 

23 Thursday Maritime Origami
Paper folding craft demonstration.  3 PM.

24 Friday Traditional Boat Handling
Learn handling traits of traditional small craft.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM.  9 AM - 1 PM. 

25 Saturday Adult Sailing
Sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM. 9 AM - 1 PM.

28 Tuesday Learn to Kayak
Beginners receive paddling instruction and guided marsh tour.
Reservations $40, $35 FOM, $10 own kayak. 9:30 AM - 2 PM.

28 Tuesday Beach Finds
Identify specimens from NC beaches. 3 PM.

30 Thursday Nautical Skills
Demonstration of skills for life at sea. 3 PM.

31 Friday Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks
Presentation by Cape Lookout National Seashore biologist Dr. Sue Stuska. 3 PM.

AUGUST

4 Tuesday Sea Turtles
Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster discusses sea turtle ecology & conservation.  3 PM.

5  Wednesday Marine Life Collecting Cruise
Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. Reservations-$25. 9 AM -12 PM. 

6 Thursday Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge
Update on Blackbeard and QAR project by Maritime Archaeologist David Moore.3 PM.  

12 Wednesday Learn to Kayak
Beginners receive paddling instruction and guided marsh tour.
Reservations $40, $35 FOM, $10 own kayak. 9:30 AM - 2 PM.

21 Friday Traditional Boat Handling
Learn handling traits of traditional small craft.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM.  9 AM - 1 PM. 

22 Saturday Adult Sailing
Sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats.  Reservations $85, $60 FOM. 9 AM - 1 PM.

EXHIBITS

Traditional Watercraft is a hands-on exploration of how traditional North Carolina boats were designed, built, and used.  (April 11-Sept. 27)

EVENTS

A Fossil Hunt will be scheduled at PCS Phosphate, Aurora. Call for the date and reservations.
Participants must be at least 18, have photo ID and wear hard hats and steel-toed shoes.

Weekday Programs at 11 AM or 3 PM are presented free of charge by staff and/or volunteers for visitors of all ages.

Join staff archaeologist David Moore for a project update with photos and stories about the secrets of Blackbeard the pirate during his days along the North Carolina coast.  His presentation on Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge will take place in the Museum Auditorium free of charge. (August 6)

CHILDREN'S SUMMER CLASSES

The Junior Sailing Program uses the fun of sailing to teach seamanship, navigation, boating safety, and sailing techniques for beginning to advanced sailors. Classes include two-week sessions, one-week advanced sessions, and Regatta Week.

Summer Science School for Children investigates pirates, boaters and models, seashore life, coastal explorers, photography, and fishing & crabbing.

The new Science to Sail program offers children a full day of classes combining Junior Sailing and Coastal Adventures. Contact the museum for applications (space limited, June - July)

BOATING PROGRAMS
The Beaufort Oars Rowing Club and the Beaufort Oars Sliding Seat Program use fixed-seat rowing gigs and single shells for exercise, competition, and fun. Family sailing on traditional skiffs is available by reservation, and accommodates 2-6 people for 2-6 hours for $25/hour ($50-$150) plus a Friends of the Museum membership. Call the Friends at 252-728-2762.

Traditional Boat Handling and Adult Sailing classes are offered on the traditional small craft that are part of the Museum’s in-the-water fleet. This program provides the opportunity to learn how the local conditions influenced the design and construction of the small vessels that were once used extensively for fishing and transportation. Differences in construction, hull shape, and historic use will be discussed.

Hands-on water time will be the emphasis. During these one-day programs (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with a snack break) students will spend most of the time on the water, with the opportunity to experience the handling characteristics of these traditional small craft.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

The Cape Lookout Studies Program focuses on coastal marine research, conservation and education related to marine mammals and sea turtles. For information, contact Keith Rittmaster at 252-504-2452 or view www.capelookoutstudies.org.

Museum education programs are offered in NC maritime history and environmental education subjects. Field trips into coastal habitats may involve travel by boat or van, hiking, or wading in shallow water. Field attire includes comfortable clothes and closed-toed wading or hiking shoes (absolutely NO open-toed shoes for safety). For group programs, call for details and reservations.

WATERCRAFT CENTER
The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, located across from the museum, is open for viewing wooden boat construction and restoration, and ship model building. The 35^th Annual Wooden Boat Show week is April 26- May 2, 2009.

Boatbuilding Skills Classes are for novices and experienced woodworkers. Boatbuilding Carpentry is a prerequisite for the Boatbuilding classes. Build a Boat in a Day is for an adult/child team working from a pre-cut kit.
Contact the museum for details or view the Watercraft Center brochure.

NORTH CAROLINA MARITIME MUSEUM

BRANCH FACILITIES

Visit the branch museum of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. For information, contact:

Museum Calendars are mailed four times a year. It is museum policy to register participants for programs after the calendars are in the mail. Paid trip fees confirm reservations and are not refundable later than five days before the program, unless the museum cancels. Please call between 8 AM and 5 PM weekdays for reservations for cancellations. No reservations can be taken via e-mail.

Members receive quarterly mailings of the Calendar and the Waterline newsletter and discounts on some programs and in the Museum Store. FOM denotes a discount for Friends of the Museum. Contact the Friends of the Museum to join.