Flotsam & Jetsam
More of your letters and photos...
Speaking pedal boats—how about this one, sent by Skip Johnson:
Kraken. One of a kind three-man pedal-powered craft designed and built for the Missouri 340 canoe race. Earlier iteration won in 2020; took second place in 2021 which led to current hull which took second in 2022. Now retired but may run as a 4 man “conventionally” powered race craft this year.
Our friend, Ida Little, sends these lovely photos from the recent gathering at Cedar Key, Florida.
We’re seeing an interesting theme of midget cruisers designed by their owners. Here’s another fascinating one from Herb McLeod:
It was interesting to see what Scott Widmier is building. I am currently building my own self-designed sampan that is similarly sized.
It is a one person camp cruiser and has LOA of 3.56 M and a beam of 1.77 M. There are provisions for water ballast up to 54 liters. It will carry a junk rig of 9.56 M2
The cabin has a slot top and the bunk is 2 meters long 0.7 M wide and extends under the bridge deck similar to what Jim Michalak did in his OliveOyl design (that I prototyped).
Interior height is 1.1 M.
I plan to have it on the water this summer.
And finally, Rich Green saw our Inches Over the Bottom story and was reminded of his own wonderful poem on the topic:
Ode to Shoal Draft in December
I dipped my toe into the water and felt it hit the ground.
I slowly came to realize ’twas this depth all around.
But I did not fear, I did not weep, nor beat upon my breast,
Because I knew as shallow water sailors do, we could sail that best.
We’d lift our boards and sing our songs, think not we of the sand,,
As we skimmed across the morning dew that lay upon the land.
All hail to you and hie we on, thin water sailors all
This paean wrote is naught but note at end of cold bleak fall.
•SCA•
Doggerel at its very best! Thanks for the poem!