After months of researching and constructing a sea-worthy boat, Orcas Island High School’s applied physics class christened their vessel with apple cider and set it into East Sound.

The boat, called an umiak, was constructed by Brett McFarland’s class over the course of this past school year, and was taken to Crescent Beach for launch on Thursday, June 9.

The students removed their shoes before trudging through the mucky low tide toward the sea. When they laid the boat into the water, and it floated, cheers were had all around. McFarland took the proud students out into the sound in groups of four.

The umiak’s final weight was 170 pounds, and the length was 21 feet 2 inches.