Student-built boats sail Hoyt Lake

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Hoyt Lake’s newest sailors are local high school students, who set sail Tuesday aboard boats they built themselves for the Buffalo Maritime Center.

“It’s a celebration of our students’ hard work building boats all year long,” said Chelsea Moore, Buffalo Maritime Center education coordinator.

Each hand-carved wooden boat on the water Tuesday represents a year of classroom work by students at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, Maritime Charter School, Riverside Academy and Lafayette High School .

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Students made nearly a dozen two-person canoes, but the largest boat on the water was a team of five who didn’t need words to work together.

“Being able to sign while you’re paddling is difficult, you’re trying to do two things at once,” St. Mary’s senior Ramah Sifalden said.

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The entire Sifalden rowing team goes to St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, where all teamwork is done in sign language.

“It’s about communicating in advance, and as you’re paddling, hopefully everyone remembers what to do,” Sifalden said.

While some teams took an unexpected swim in the lake, the St. Mary’s team sailed without a hitch.

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Inspire happy team members and make Ron Czech a proud teacher

“(These are) the boats they made themselves, it’s exciting to see that,” Czech said.

The St. Mary’s boat and all canoes will remain at the Maritime Center, where they can be rented by the public beginning in late summer.