History

1992

In 1992, six youth received instruction from a professional shipwright to build a 38’ traditional longboat from the 18th century. This boat, Vitalité, was then used for a month long educational residential program for 24 young Canadians from across the country at Discovery Harbour. Curriculum included seamanship, sailing and rowing skills, navigation, rope work and leadership development. This group of youth then traveled to an international program in France to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in a friendly competition. This event led to ACC hosting the event in Canada in 1994 and provided the catalyst for the GB ’94 Marine Heritage Festival.

1993 Memories

In 1993, 40 volunteer youth and adults began construction of a second Bantry Bay longboat at Midland Secondary School. During the summer, local youth from the Midland – Penetanguishene area participated in weekly instructional programs with Vitalité, the first boat at Discovery Harbour.

1994 Memories

In 1994, the second longboat, Tenacité, was launched, and 30 participants from across Canada and international youth from Mexico, Japan, Puerto Rico and Australia registered for the residential program at Discovery Harbour. This group then acted as hosts to youth from seven other nations who attended the demonstrations of seamanship which acted at the catalyst to create the Marine Heritage Festival GB ’94 at Discovery Harbour.

1995 Memories

In 1995, 55 local youth along with 15 students from other provinces participated in weekly educational program at Discovery Harbour throughout the summer. In addition, a two week expedition was undertaken through the Trent – Severn Waterway to Peterborough. ACC also received a gift of a Block Island Cowhorn, a replica 23’ traditional American sailcraft from the 1800s. The craft, The Lester F. Hall has proven to be a valuable asset to our organization and has been used in several movie shoots.

1996 Memories

In 1996, 30 youth from across Canada participated in a five week international program in Bantry Bay, Ireland. This is home of the original French longboat was captured 200 years ago and used in the Atlantic Challenge. This program saw the use of both longboats, Vitalitй and Tenacitй, for training and competition. It also offered an excellent opportunity for the youth to interact with the culture of the local community and youth from other participating countries. In preparation for this, both longboats had maintenance and repainting completed by ACC over the winter months.

1997 Memories

In 1997, Over 30 youth participated in a weekly educational program at Discovery Harbour and a two week expedition through the Trent – Severn Waterway. This trip included several stops along the way allowing youth to experience the culture, hospitality and scenic splendor of Ontario. We practiced and displayed the “Captains Gig” in period dress showcasing the historical tie of the boat and promoting our home base of Discovery Harbour.

1998 Memories

In 1998, 16 youth participated in a month long educational residential program at Discovery Harbour in preparation for an international contest of seamanship at The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. In conjunction with this, an additional 20 local youth from Simcoe County participated in a weekly program in seamanship and sailing and rowing skills using Vitalité and Lester F. Hall at Discovery Harbour. This year also saw a joint venture with Camp Turnaround with saw some of these youth come out for sail in Tenacité.

1999 Memories

In 1999, 54 boatbuilders constructed 14 Nutshell Brams as part of a community boat building program. The new fleet was launched on Canada Day a Little Lake Park. Thirty youth participated in several events this year which included the Mallorytown Landing in July, in which both longboats were used. A weekly leadership and educational program was run at Discovery Harbour, and the end of the summer saw another trip through the Trent – Severn waterway which ended this time in Hastings.

2000 Memories

In 2000, local youth and adults undertook maintenance and painting of Vitalitй and Tenacitй over the winter in anticipation of utilizing the longboats throughout the coming year. Fifteen youth then participated in a six week long leadership program preparing and participating in the International Contest of Seamanship in Douarnenez, France. Twenty-four other youth from Simcoe County participated in a weekly program at Discovery Harbour which included a weekend expedition to Beausoliel Island and Canada Day Celebrations in Toronto.

2001 Memories

In 2001, youth and adults from across Simcoe County participated in weekly programs based out of Discovery Harbour. August saw a trip down the Trent – Severn waterway in which for the first time was navigated from start to finish in two weeks using the longboats Vitalitй and Tenacité from Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene to Trenton on Lake Ontario.

2002 Memories

In 2002, 16 youth from Ontario and Quebec participated in a leadership and educational residential program at Discovery Harbour. This same group then traveled to Ottawa for Canada Day festivities and then to Quebec before going to Rockland, Maine for the Atlantic Challenge.

2003 Memories

In 2003, a youth educational program based out of King’s Wharf, which utilized the two gigs, was offered to residents in the Simcoe County area. As an additional program, an expedition through the Trent – Severn waterway, from Discovery Harbour to Peterborough, was conducted during the month of August with participants from throughout Ontario and Quebec.

2004 Memories

In 2004, 16 youth from across Canada participated in a five week educational program in preparation for the International Contest of Seamanship in Fishguard – Goodwick, Wales. The crew trained prior to the contest at Discovery Harbour, Penetanguishene prior to traveling to the United Kingdom for two weeks. The crew was awarded the “Spirit of Atlantic Challenge” Award. An evening sailing program was also carried out for youth and adults along with a weekend expedition to Beausoliel Island. Upon returning to Canada, Tenacité participated in the reopening ceremonies of the historic trade route Penetanguishene Road connecting Barrie, Ontario with Lake Huron in August.

2005 Memories

In 2005, several events occurred during the year starting with a day trip to Gin Rocks and ending with an overnight excursion to Beausoliel Island. Throughout the summer we traveled with both boats through the Trent – Severn Waterway from Penetanguishene to Serpent Mounds Park on Rice Lake. A new program was started in Carthew Bay on Lake Simcoe using our Block Island Cowhorn with a focus on maritime heritage using Lester F. Hall.

2006 Memories

In 2006, the year started with Tenacité spending time in the Central North Correctional Facility getting its semi-annual maintenance as part of the educational programming taking place. It was fortunate to have this work take place and the results were magnificent and she was ready for the upcoming training program for Italy. In July, 17 youth from across Canada participated in a five week educational program in preparation for the International Contest of Seamanship in Genoa, Italy. The crew trained together in Penetanguishene prior to traveling to Italy where they placed 2nd overall in this friendly contest. A new boat was brought back called a Gole’an, “Lance Medura” which is a traditional Indonesian fishing boat on loan. It was constructed in 2005 using traditional techniques and materials and is lateen rigged as similar boats still in use in Indonesia. In the fall, a move in to a new shop located beside Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland took place and reconstruction of Vitalité began

2007 Memories

In 2007, the rebuilding of the gunwales on Vitalité continued and preparing the shop to be used for storing equipment and future construction projects was carried out. The new shop, which will soon be part of a new housing development by the Kaitlin Group called Bay Port Village, provides a place to repair the various vessels in the fleet and to run programs throughout the year. It was also decided to move the on water programs to Bay Port Yachting Centre allowing a close proximity to the shop. A youth and adult program ran during the summer in Midland Bay with many evenings filled with rowing and sailing. A one week trip through Georgian Bay and the Trent – Severn waterway to Stephan Leacock Home and back took place with camping at Beausoliel Island, cottages and the locks along the way.

2008 Memories

In 2008, a lot of boat work took place this season with getting the Gole’an ready to send to Rockland, ME and getting “Lester” back in the water again. The Gole’an needed to be stripped down, have some minor repairs done and repainted his traditional colours. “Lester F. Hall”, our Block Island Cowhorn underwent a major refit with her being sanded down, caulked and refinished. At the same time, electrical and mechanical repairs and upgrades were undertaken and she was launched in September and fitted with her new sails courtesy of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Youth and adult programs were run from Bay Port Yachting Centre again this summer with some great sailing in Midland Bay. Plans are well under way for hosting the 2010 International Contest of Seamanship and the Town of Midland and community showing their support. This year also saw Atlantic Challenge acquire Vitalité rather than leasing her from the province. The year ended with Vitalitй upside down in the shop and ready to be stripped, caulked and painted in anticipation of the spring season.

2009

In 2009, the year started with Vitalité having her hull taken down through 9 layers of paint and primer to bare wood. The hull was then resealed, primed and painted to bring it back up to its original beauty and a fitting start to her now belonging to Atlantic Challenge after all these years. Shortly after completing the work on Vitalitй we found out that we had to move out of our shop 2 years earlier as the development was occurring around it. We were fortunate to end up in a smaller space beside Bayport that we can continue to work on boats teach skills the youth. The summer saw an expedition to Beausoleil Island for a weekend and the International Trustees arriving in the fall for their annual meeting and visit to see the site for 2010. The visit went great and all of the Trustees left looking forward to coming back next year for the International Contest of Seamanship in July. This winter will be full of excitement getting ready for next year’s contest and recruiting for the Canadian crew to represent the country.