The volunteer team

For the past three years, Salt Marsh Kayak Company at Wrightsville Beach, NC has sponsored a spring kayak race. The proceeds of the race are given to CFCC to support students in the boat building program - www.saltmarshkayak.com.

The spring 2008 race will be held on Saturday May 10th, and this year a very special raffle will be held as a part of the race. A team of people that support our student boat builders have built a Chesapeake Light Craft Shearwater 17’ sea kayak that will be the main prize in the raffle.

Special thanks to Chesapeake Light Craft and to MAS Epoxies for their support.

Chesapeake Light Craft makes the finest kayak kits available on the market - www.clcboats.com.

The kayak building team:

Steve Garrett

Steve is a master craftsman. His work has appeared in Wooden Boat Magazine. Steve is a graduate of West Point and is a retired Colonel, US Army. Having jumped out of airplanes for a living, building boats is probably pretty tame, but Steve enjoys it and his work speaks for itself!

Robert Long

Robert is a non traditional student at CFCC and has a great deal of experience in industry (over 38 years).  Robert is one of those guys with skill and enthusiasm that can accomplish anything.  Robert is a native Wilmingtonian whose family came here in 1739… guess that makes him a native. He tracks family service to our country back 6 generations. His great x 6 grandfather served as an American soldier in the revolutionary war. Robert was the volunteer of the year at Fort Fisher in 2005 and will graduate from our college this coming spring. Robert’s son is serving in the US Army, and Robert told me his motto is “Family Serving Community and Country”.

Jason Rogers

Jason is the junior member on the team and wanted to get some experience in the “stitch and glue” boat building techniques.  Jason is also involved in a very detailed woodworking project. He is currently building his son a traditional wooden sea chest. Jason serves as the chair of CFCC’s Marine Technology Department, and his specialty is Marine Biology. His love of the topic and teaching is infectious and makes him one of Cape Fear’s best.

Bob Philpott