The incredible 5,500-mile journey of a small unmanned craft has united two schools on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.

As the Western Telegraph reported last week, the five-foot vessel, equipped with satellite tracking, was discovered washed up on Swanlake Beach, near Manorbier.

It had been launched into the sea on the eastern coast of the USA in June as part of a global citizenship project by the Kent County School in Chestertown, Maryland.

The craft - named the Osprey - was discovered on the beach by Robert Morgan of Tenby, who frequently visits Swanlake to clean up the shoreline.

It bore a multi-lingual message to contact the nearest secondary school, and so was picked up by Tenby’s Greenhill School last Tuesday and put on display during Year 8 assembly on Wednesday.

Excitement mounted in the school this (Friday) afternoon for the grand opening of the craft’s capsule, which was carried out in front of Year 7 and 8 pupils and staff, and via a Facetime link with the Stateside school.

Head boy Ben Brickle, head girl Laura Webber and Greenhill’s head, Jan Kingston, delved into the capsule to discover a yearbook, stationery and USB stick containing information and contact details from the American school.

Mrs Kingston, who has been in regular email correspondence this week with Kent School head teacher Nancy Mugele, said: “We are hoping that this will be the start of a strong friendship between the pupils and staff of both schools, and we look forward to developing a global partnership with Kent School.”