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NEWS & EVENTS...

  • AQUARIAN QUEST SAILS AGAIN!!! 

  • AQ has taken delivery of the 40 passenger catamaran, SEA DRAGON.  She is now sailing in Sarasota and Nokomis Florida and available for school sails, camp sails, corporate sails, wedding sails and Sponsor Sails with adults & children.  We invite everyone to come see her and sail aboard.  School sails are generally in the morning and Sponsor Sails (these sails help underwrite the school sails where needed) take place in the afternoon, usually at 2pm and 6pm.  Please contact us for rates and to book your sailing adventure aboard SEA DRAGON - 941-587-9313.  For details and more pictures of SEA DRAGON, click here. Some recent sails have been with The Center of Spiritual Awareness, Richard's Whole Foods, The Freedom Boat Club.  Your group is welcome aboard!

  
  • 06/23/08 - AQUARIAN QUEST SELLS ITS THIRD DONATED BOAT!  Tom Polch, a resident of Cortez, FL, donated his 32' Uniflite Sport Sedan fishing boat to support the educational programs we feature.  Thank you Tom! Last year we were donated a beautiful 32' Sharpie Cat-Schooner sailboat and a 24.5' Sea Ray Sundancer.  All these vessels have found new owners and in the process generated much needed support for Aquarian Quest.
  •  We encourage you to consider supporting our youth marine education efforts through donations of usable vehicles we can market for you.  This will generate a much needed boost for AQ's mission while generating a tax deduction for your charitable contribution to the extent allowed by law.
  • 06/14/08 - HEALTH LIFESTYLE CELEBRATION - Richard's Whole Foods hosted a wonderful event helping to raise awareness of the "green & healthy" goods and services available to people in Sarasota and surrounding communities.  Aquarian Quest made many new friends and answered many questions about our programs and membership benefits.
  • AQUARIAN QUEST - FIRST ANNUAL FLOAT THE BOAT FUNDRAISER. 
    This event took place on APRIL 6, 2008 at the Bayside Banquet Hall, 119th Street West off Cortez Road.  The festival was well attended for a  first time event and rides were given aboard the new Aquarian Quest catamaran, SEA DRAGON!  Good music, raffles, auctions, vendors, food & drink made the day a great fun for all. AQ would like to thank all our volunteers and Samantha Perry, our coordinator, for the many hours of hard work put in to make this event a success!  Also, a big Thank You to the Bayside Banquet Hall folks (especially Patty!) for the very kind support given to AQ for this event! We hope to grow this event next year and hope you'll be there!
  • AQUARIAN QUEST PURCHASED "SPRAY", a 57' gaff-rigged ketch sailboat.  This sounds like old news, however, after marine survey inspections and our own investigations we found the Tall Ship was in need of re-construction and maintenance former owners had neglected for years.  This project has consumed all our energies for some time, and we are making great progress.  We invite you to come see Spray at the N E Taylor Boat Works in Cortez, FL.  The yard is on 119th Street West, off Cortez Road as you are heading west before the Cortez Bridge.  Tax deductible contributions towards this work are very welcome - please contact us - we have many ways you can help!
  • CURRENTLY, THE FLORIDA MARITIME MUSEUM is working with Aquarian Quest to restore "Smiley", a historic Cortez fishing boat.  The Museum will be allowing AQ to use "Smiley" to conduct its Teach the Teacher program.  It is our hope to involve over 70 teachers per year learning about our programs and how to involve their students. Teachers will be able to bring their course materials back to the classroom for students to use.  Please see our "Program" page for more details.
  • Also, a meeting hosted at the Museum last November helped form the Florida Maritime Heritage Association. This group will help support State-wide work recording and preserving our maritime heritage and making it more available to the public.
  • NEW AQUARIAN QUEST PROGRAMS under development!  Robert Killian, our Education Director, is developing a new on shore-based program for children in grades 3 through 5.  It will be called the Aquarian Quest Living History Program and be a collaboration between AQ and Bob Pitt of the Florida Maritime Museum.  The new program will be hands-on and involve learning stations letting student experience the raising of traditional sails, the "calking" of traditional wooden boat planks (just like they will see when they visit our Tall Ship in the yard next door!), Marlin Spike seamanship teaching the most important knots used at sea to this day and a fun wrap-up segment singing ecology-based sea chanty's.  If our prior program results are any indication, kids will have a great time experiencing a tour of the Maritime Museum and a tour of the AQ Spray restoration during the 2.5 hour program! 
  • AQUARIAN QUEST HELPS THE U.S. COAST GUARD!  Project Manager, Rick Viera, has been working closely with Coast Guard Inspectors to insure that our restoration of Galatea will confirm to all 'Life Safety' requirements to carry passengers in our programs.  Part of this process required Rick to set up torture tests for the wood we are using in the restoration.  He conducted these tests at the NE Taylor Boat Works yard under the watchfuleye of the USCG.  Since information on wooden hulls is not readily available, the test results will be recorded in the national USCG archive in Washington, DC!  We are glad to be of service to others who may undertake a project similar to ours in the future. For a look at the torture test clips for yourself, please visit: AQ wood torture tests.
  • Recent  Donations!
    • Gulf Coast Fire & Safety, 941-955-6074, has offered ongoing support supplying all our fire extinguisher needs aboard our sailing vessels.
    • Donation of 32' Uniflite Sport Sedan fishing boat.  Sold on Ebay to support Aquarian Quest operations and programs.  Owner received tax write off for charitable contribution.
    • Sign Monster, 941-921-4664, demonstrating their community spirit, donated new lettering and graphics for our Catamaran, "Sea Dragon".
    • $35,000.00 worth of African Iroko hardwood.  This wood is one of the few approved by the US Coast Guard for used in wooden vessel construction.  This wood was kindly donated by Putnam Lumber, Jacksonville, FL.

    • Transport of the 3400 board feet of lumber was graciously provided by Target Intermodal Transport.
    • Black & Decker, Inc. very generously donated a 3 horsepower wood planer helping with the restoration!
 



 


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