According to the around in ten site, ” No one turned up in their 10ft boats to race around the world.” Oh well. I wouldn’t do that either. It was a dwindling group already.
The main man master microcruiser Tom McNally is still on the scene though, draw big crowds at the London Boat Show. Go Tom! We can trust this veteran to not bow out of his adventure.
Dreamt up in 2001 and first launched in 2004, a gentlemen Heiko Schmalz from Leipzig has created yet another testament to exquisite German engineering. In this case, a steam powered folding kayak. The steam boiler, hanging from the cockpit combing, is heated with wood and provides 0.3 horsepower to two side wheeler paddles. (picture after break) » Continue reading “Dampf Faltboot! A Steam Powered Folding Kayak.”
I think I found a class of boat after my heart. The Puddle Ducker Racer, or PDRacer, was designed by David “Shorty” Routh and members of the Lake Conroe Messabouts in Houston, Texas (circa 2003). It is an adaptation of the Bolger Brick, the Mouse, and similar box boats. The one pictured is Hull #15 “YoHO” built by Ken Salvage. As described in a Duck Works Magazine article, the boat was designed as a response to a $50 boat race where cheap creative boats of many materials (including a hot tub) were fun to race, but just one time. Because you could build a boat from anything, the winning boat would remain the boat with the fastest hull. The PDRacer takes the fun and creativity of the cheap materials try-anything racing class, and makes it fun to actually race by regulating the shape of lower 10″ of the hull. It’s a boxy, easy to make shape that looks super fun to sail. Check a video out after the jump…
Thanks to a letter by Mark Suszko in the latest issue [#15] of Make Magazine, I have learned about a boat design called the Corky designed by David M Swartwout published circa 1950 in Boat Builders Annual. My lady Hannah and I used to live in Montana, and one of our favorite activities was floating rivers in a inner tube. I always fantasized about ways to modify the truck inner tube to improve it as a tiny boat. I was mostly thinking in the category of drink holders, but this Corky sailboat takes it to a whole new level. » Continue reading “Tubing: Quietly Revolutionized in 1950″
The Autocanoe under way.
This completely custom boat nests a recumbent bike inside a wood canoe hull. Apparently built in Port Townsend, WA in 2002, you can purchase plans for $40 from there website where you can also see more pictures. There is also teensy movie of the Autocanoe on the street. There is also promise of an electric version as well. I’m curious if that may yet be on its way…
Those three words are alone so delicious. Together, they are delectable. This video makes me glad I started this blog as otherwise, I may have never seen this movie. If you find yourself bored, make sure to skip to 2 minutes in for the close-ups:
