Students get carted away with senior work project

One of the goals of high school senior projects is seeing a need in the community and filling it. That's just what Ryan Rooney and Emma Martinsen are doing.

The two teamed up when their shop teacher Winston Davies told them that boat carts had fallen into disrepair. They saw it as an opportunity to put their welding skills to use by building new carts for people hauling supplies to and from their boats.

"It seemed pretty straightforward, and it didn't seem like there were very many carts there," Rooney said. "The ones that are down at the harbors aren't in very good condition, and it's not easy to find them."

Martinsen said the plan is to build two carts to start, see how long that takes, then build as many as they can before the senior project deadline on March 11.

Last Wednesday, the team spent their first class preparing to cut a shaped piece of aluminum that will be the body of the first two carts. The design came from existing carts, Martinsen said. After cutting the metal in half, they'll move on to other body parts.

"We will weld a front part on to keep stuff in and we'll keep the back part open so if you need to, you can slide stuff out," Rooney said. "We're going to bend some tubing to put in for the handle and the parts that hold the wheels on."

Davies said it's important that his students be mindful of design aspects.

"It's reverse engineering, taking something and figuring it out," Davies said. "One thing I told them is if there's any way to make these (carts) better, we should tackle that right now because there are weak points in the design. I don't know what their plan is on that."

His viewpoint is one of experience, since he's also a commercial fisherman and "there are never enough carts down on the docks and they're often broken. I told them, 'For your senior project, you should see if you can repair these carts or make some new ones.'"

Davies said Wrangell businesses have helped greatly with materials and advice, especially Svendsen Marine Works, Jenkins Welding and Aluminum Fabrication and Wrangell Machine. Outside of supplying the aluminum, the harbormaster's office has also been integral in the project.

"We are also supplying them with the tires," said Steve Miller, port director. "It's a good project for high school students to show what they have learned in our industrial arts class."

Miller said they try to get new carts built every year by local businesses, but that can be difficult due to heavy workloads. Heritage Harbor has four carts currently, so the carts being made by Rooney and Martinsen might be used at Shoemaker or the Inner Harbor. "Over time, these carts get overloaded and break," Miller said. "We fix them, but they don't last forever."

Martinsen and Rooney have looked to Davies for advice, and he's kept them on task since the deadline is just nine days away. Working together has taken some of the burden off both students, since both were in the welding class and neither had senior projects.

In addition to the project, Rooney is on the basketball team and is trying to finish building a boat for his father that he began last year. Martinsen works and goes to school, so working on the project hasn't been easy, "but we find a way to get it done," she said.

Both students say the problem-solving skills they've learned in their welding class will also serve them in future endeavors.

After high school, Martinsen will be headed to Tampa Bay, Florida, to attend Aveda Institute for cosmetology school. Rooney is still deciding between joining the U.S. Army or going to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, though he's leaning toward the Army to become a Ranger.

Neither is planning to return to Wrangell after school or service except to visit.

Though they are filling a need with their project, it can only help so much.

"There's always a need for more carts," Martinsen said.