Tremendous idea. Amen on the Charlie Chaplin comment, though Buster Keaton was in my mind's eye.
Without a solid deck I'd be expecting hellacious condensation...
Tremendous idea. Amen on the Charlie Chaplin comment, though Buster Keaton was in my mind's eye.
Without a solid deck I'd be expecting hellacious condensation...
I would love to have one with a small trolling motor on it. That would be a blast!
Tomorrow is launch day! The tarp frame is ready and the only piece that likely won't be ready is the mini-hammocks that were going to fit into the sides. I took some extra 2x2 and turned it in to a simple rope-ladder to make it easier to get in and out of when it's time to take a swim.
I'll make sure to record as much of it as I can and will post the video after I get back from the lake along with the lessons learned from the maiden voyage =)
Also... I still need to name the dang thing! The best idea I've heard so far is the "Gute Fahrt" which is German for "have a good trip/ride/drive". It's also hilarious when you say it out loud in English.
Be dangerous, but good.
I love the name! I hope it sticks. I hope the weather is good for the maiden voyage. Can't wait to see it in action.
J
Bon Voyage!
Can't wait for the video! Those boys sure are lucky!
Wow. That is absolutely amazing.
SUCCESS ... with lessons learned =)
The Gute Fahrt worked perfectly. That is to say that it floated and the hammock held up wonderfully. I did come away from the maiden voyage with few lessons learned:
- Use a checklist! I forgot to bring the PVC that was going to be used for the tarp frame so the tarp was mostly useless. It did, however, still act like a sail which wouldn't have been prevented had I remembered to bring the frame.
- Use a real oar. I bought a $14 plastic paddle from Walmart and found that it was also mostly useless. Every stroke of the paddle resulted in it bending almost 30 degrees and giving the raft little propulsion.
- Bring an anchor. Once I was able to get out into open water, I ended up spending most of my time paddling against the wind just to stay in the same spot. Next time, I'm going to get a big rock or something that I can tie off to the frame to keep it from drifting while relaxing.
I spent so much time paddling that I didn't get nearly as many shots of the Gute Fahrt in action as I wanted, though my Dad did (who joined us for the christening) and I'll be getting those photos tomorrow.
The photos of the maiden voyage can be seen here, and the videos can be seen on YouTube:
Loaded Up - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIsgiGaxr9Q
Christening - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZHBDheaGNg
Be dangerous, but good.
Very very cool.
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