Float Your Boat

This spring, some friends and I made a cardboard boat, Catface Meowmers, for the annual fundraising event for the local food bank -- Float Your Boat. It carried four people across a small lake at the Bass Pro Shop, and, while we dumped (or "tumped" as some people would call it) at the finish line, I consider it a great first try.

We didn't put too much thought into the design, instead opting to copy a canoe -- bad call. While fast, the boat lacked torsional stiffness, which made paddling a real mother. And the seats raised the center of gravity, exacerbating wobbliness. More effort was spent keeping the boat from tipping than paddling.

The double-ply bike box needed a lot of tenderizing before cooperating. We eventually starting using drywall screws to secure the skin to the ribs while the construction adhesive dried. That worked pretty well.

Improvised rear end. Can't get the cardboard to bend? Add a transom.

So many hours. So much fun. :)

 

Ready to roll.

At the race:

These were the fastest boats -- two-person, flattish bottom.

Though, this Mickey boat hauled some ass.

The KOPN boat was a scorcher.

That black dagger was the fastest.

This boat suffered the worst fate: the non-start taco.

Ouch!

The kids heats were pretty great. Which way? Doesn't matter!

 Spectacular designs, spectacular disasters.

 General badassitude.

The comedy.

Our race:

Getting hung up at the start.

Flipping at the end. That crosswind! Well, it's not Float Your Boat if you don't get wet.

Goodbye, Catface Meowmers.

Next time: I think a giant surfboard is the way to go.