Challenge: The 100$ boat!

Hi all,

I wanted to revive an old thread with the same title but this forum does not allow that, so I am starting a new one. The old one for reference is here; http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/projects-proposals/challenge-100-boat-12176.html

On page 7 of the previous thread of the same name I have pictures of a boat I built for $34 worth of purchased materials and mostly salvaged lumber.

I want to revive the thread to show off another boat we built over the weekend. We built it for a Quick and Daring type of contest. Total material cost, buying retail from Lowe's, Harbor Freight, etc. was just about $50. Our build time was about 14.5 hours (two man team) starting with uncut materials, plus another six hours or so for painting and decorating it.

It is a wide two person skin-on-frame kayak type hull, with my experimental twin-cat rigged, self furling modified junk sail design. LOA is about 17', max beam about 38". Sails and handles nicely. I have complete plans for sale for $25 plus postage.

The contest scores by composite points, counting total time to build, cost of materials, weight of tools used, finish position on a three stage race (one leg required by sail power, one by oar or paddle, and one "free style"). Low score wins. There is also points earned for workmanship, creativity, showmanship, etc. We only used 19 lbs worth of tools, and we came in 2nd in the race (if we had better wind we would have been first). We came in second overall in points (our time to build was way bigger than most and cost us first place), and by far we won the "people's choice".


Finished boat in building area, those are competitors in background (notice the "barrel" boat).


Close up of Dragon head


First launch, that is me in front and building partner aft w/viking helmet


positioning for start


sails deployed. Third place finisher behind us with old hang glider "skin" for sail.


Race underway, but little to no wind. First stage is sailing leg of race.


Second place finish by paddle power, way ahead of 3rd and 4th places in background at final turn buoy. First place finisher was a simple plywood dory (only took 4 hours to build) using a large beach umbrella for a sail.

 

How creative! I love your sails!!!

 

Totally agree!

 

I called the sails a "twin cat modified junk rig". We were easily the all out crowd favorite this event, we even had a cheering section of complete strangers that cheered us on out of love of the design. I have plans I can scan and post if anyone wants them.

We are working on a new design for this fourth of July contest.

 

Very cool !

 

If one were to be sponsored by a Royal Bank in, say, the Vancouver region of Canada for instance, what would be a good name for a $100 boat?

If from Quebec would Cent Piastres be suitable?

 

Petros; It is clear that you cheated. It was cheating, for the simple reason that you know what you are doing.

 

interestingly there have also been "professional" boat builders enter these kind of contests. Corporate teams from the local heavy boat building companies. They seldom do well because they are too used to a very different set of rules. Given 5 years, large budgets, and a very large team they perhaps can produce a better aircraft carrier or passenger ferry. But given planks of lumber, 2 man team, 24 hours, and a handful of hand tools, not so good.

this kind of contest is as much a creative challenge as much as building skill, and not an insignificant amount of paddling endurance.