Cardboard boats

[jflis]

Well, it's that time of year again! We hold our annual LIbrary Cardboard Boat festival.

It's a hoot!

I am one of the chair people who runs the event. I help with the rules and advertising and I host a tech seminar (had it about 3 weeks ago) for those interested but without any first hand experience. It's great fun and we had a record turn out for the seminar.

We typically have 22-27 boats on race day. I bill it as the best parent/child event in our town.

For those who don't know, the idea behind a cardboard boat race is to build a full sized boat entirely out of corrugated cardboard, get in it and paddle it around a race course on the lake.

Needless to say, of all the trophies, "most spectacular sinking" has become one of the sought after trophies! LOL

I got serious about these races when I decided to enter one year with a very lame "huck finn" type raft. several chided me with taunts like "is that the best an engineer can do?"

So, I *showed* them what an engineer could do

I took the Merrimack Cup for the next 3 years (fastest boat, all divisions), along with a dozen other trophies for things like "prettiest boat", peoples choice, business division, team, adult and more

So there! LOL

Anyone else ever get to experience these things?

Here is a picture of the boat I entered in 2002 to commemorate the opening of FlisKits. I missed the past 2 years and am bringing "Independence" out of retirement to run again next Saturday.

 

[jflis]

Here is another view of her standing on her fins (she's a sturdy boat)

She won't win any speed trophies, being MUCH too heavy and bulky, but she sure do look nice

After 3 years in the shed, all of the markings are toast and I will be redoing them next week. Gotta get her all polished up for race day

Here are some other boats that I have built over the years:

Big Red - Canoe ran 2 years, took 1st in adult single and merriamck cup both years

DreadNot - Acoustic Guitar Designed by me, built by Jen and Joe with my help. Ran two years, took first place business division both years (sponsored by a music shop in Milford, NH)

The Merrimack Belle - Side paddle river boat Designed and built by me and Ken Coleman. Carried us as well as both our daughters. Powered by working side paddles. Took peoples choice and prettiest boat. Ran 2 years

Gonna have some fun in the water NEXT WEEK!

 

[jflis]

Whoops! Almost forgot!

here is the construction site on the Independence

 

[snede2112]

Very cool! Any shots in the water?

 

[snede2112]

Never mind, I found them.

 

[rkt2k1]

That's gotta be the biggest "paper" rocket ever! Very cool, Jim!

What do you think it would take to launch it proper?

Be a cool "what if" simulation in rocksim.

... Bill

 

[SwingWing]

Jim! - You don't have time for this!!! Get back to work releasing new kits!!!!

Really though, looks like fun!! Did the materials come out of the ad budget??

 

[cjl]

VERY nice

I LOVE the Merrimack Belle

 

[rocketking]

Don't you Dare tell Jim NOT to do this stuff! That's what's keeping his Brain Cells cranking out the Best Kits in the Industry!

Jim, You Do Whatever you want! Just keep giving us the Best Kits that You Can!

 

[jflis]

Yeah, the "ad budget" paid for all of the "developing" for the "digital film"...

Actually, I had just completed our second year of running the Merrimack Belle and I had begun gathering cardboard for my next project when I got laid off from DEC. I kept in touch with the ware house guys and they called when they had a nice pile of cardboard. Good stuff, double and triple thick, very strong (very heavy...)

This boat (the Independence) has *got* to weigh close to 100 pounds. She's clunky and with those fins in the water she steers like a battle ship. My hope is to get points for originality. Maybe something in the "Peoples Choice" area.

plus it gives me a good reason to talk about the company at the lake Of course most my time will be spent organizing all the racers and launching the boats...

I will be sure to get someone to take pix
jim

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by SwingWing
Jim! - You don't have time for this!!! Get back to work releasing new kits!!!!

Really though, looks like fun!! Did the materials come out of the ad budget??

LOL It's these kinds of distractions that keep me sane LOL

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by rkt2k1
That's gotta be the biggest "paper" rocket ever! Very cool, Jim!

What do you think it would take to launch it proper?

Be a cool "what if" simulation in rocksim.

... Bill

I've often thought of doing a dual 18mm cluster version of that rocket. It would be kewl

and, yeah, technically it qualifies as a "paper rocket"

 

[Steward]

Mr Flis...

Too cool... and I bet it's a lot of FUN...!!!

As a contestant and an organizer... is it (or how) difficult (is it) to get such an event started...
I would love to try this ... It's gota be a blast to watch even if you're not a participant...!!! I guess the proximity to water might be a good place to start... Then I guess you need a handfull of crazy people... (say like... rocket scientists) to really pull it off...

How big an event is it... ??? Dozens??? Hundreds???
Big crowds a plus... (fund raising comes to mind here)...
Any tips you might want to share...??? (besides the extremely large amount of work involved)...

Thanks...!!!

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by rkt2k1
That's gotta be the biggest "paper" rocket ever! Very cool, Jim!

What do you think it would take to launch it proper?

Be a cool "what if" simulation in rocksim.

... Bill

You bring up an interesting question.... what *would* it take...???

I have no idea, but I am sure that it could be calculated...

Who's game?

Naw, not just to *calculate* it...

...how about FLY it?

It is possible? Heck, they flew a porta-potty. It would be interesting to see if anyone in the North East (I ain't SHIPPING this thing) is up for the challenge to take this cardboard boat and convert it to rocket flight status and actually get it off the ground...

Think about it. It would be the FIRST *ever* sport rocket that ever functioned as a boat *and* a rocket. And, come to think of it, it would be the FIRST *ever* sport rocket that ever had a real human crew for her first launch (on Natticook lake )

Afterall, after this weekends boat race she's just going to wind up in the boat graveyard unless I can find another use for her (I ain't keeping this thing *another* 3 years LOL)

With proper internal reconstruction, I'd bet this thing would *sing* on a pair of M's....

Wow, my heart skipped a beat just thinking of that LOL

 

[powderburner]

Originally posted by jflis
I'd bet this thing would *sing* on a pair of M's....

Let's see.... that would make it a flying M&M





I tried to warn you

 

[Crusty]

Its a boat Jim......but not as we know it

...sorry couldnt resist, ..jobs a good'un

 

[adrian]

Ooh, I can see the potential for a fun video.

Someone is in the rocket boat, rows it towards a shore near the launch pad, then squats inside the boat so a hatch can be closed.

(Camera off) Guy gets out. (Camera on)

The rocket is lifted onto the pad by at least two other people. The rocket is launched. The rocket lands in the water.

(Camera off) Two guys, one of them the original rower, go out to the rocket in another boat. The original rower gets back into the rocket and closes the hatch again. (Camera on)

The guy in the rocket opens the hatch and rows the rocket boat back to shore.

 

[jflis]

Whew! What an exhausting day!

I'm getting ready to crash, but I ran the boat in 3 events today!

First up was our run in the Business Team division with my son Joe in the rear seat. Now, this boat is big, heavy and clunky. She doesn't set any speed records...

but we took FIRST place in our division!

Ok, ok... ...we were the ONLY boat in our division...

...it's still first place...

Now, after everyone has raced, all of the first place winners (from each division) run against each other for the Merrimack Cup (fastest boat of the day). We didn't place, but neither did we come in last, so there

The last event, after all the races, is the sink or float event. Volunteers only, you have holes drilled into your boat (3 holes per crew member) then you are handed a bucket (no oars are allowed) and you have 10 minutes to sink all the other boats. Last boat afloat wins!

We won

Two trophies and one tired dad!

Here's a pix of Joe and I coming up to the finish line.

I'll post more tomorrow.

nite folks
jim

 

[Bohica]

Looks like a great time was had by all! Congrats Jim. BTW...I have 2 words for you. "Trolling Motor"!

 

[SwingWing]

Wow! First paper model rocket powered by a J stroke

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by SwingWing
Wow! First paper model rocket powered by a J stroke

Do you have any idea how long it took me to teach my kids the J stroke?? LOL

yeah, we had a ball. But man, i'm beat! Attached is a pix of the boat on display. She certainly attracted a lot of attention sitting up on her fins

WIth that boat I knew i wasn't going to set any speed records and wasn't looking for a win. Since I am one of the event coordinators and I launch the boats during the races, I had them put MY boat in the last heat for convienence.

Not knowing I was the only business entry, I wound up taking first place...

The *very* next race was the Merrimack cup so we no sooner got the beast *out* of the water than our name was called to go back INTO the water. I was still winded from the first run...

back into the water, but this time we stripped off the two lower fins. They look good, but they only serve to hinder steering making it hard to get around bouys. So, out with the pocket knife and we cut them suckers off. It helped turning but we still couldn't get any speed.

we NO SOONER finish that race than they tell us the Sink-or-Float event is about to begin. Heck, we didn't even take the boat out of the water... back INTO the lake slinging 1 gallon buckets of water for 10 minutes.

My arms felt like rubber LOL we were beat.

After that event, the boat had absorbed a LOT of water and probably weighed about 500 pounds. NO WAY we were going to carry *that* up to the boat graveyard! LOL

So there we are, exhausted, barely able to lift our arms, cutting the boat into pieces small enough to carry. oh man LOL

Now to plan for next year. We're thinking of a 3 masted tall-ship, with all the rigging.... Not sure just yet though.

Next on my plate (other than rockets) is pumpkin carving!

One of the after school programs I am teaching is a pumpkin carving class. That should be fun I've also found a shop up here that wants to carry my pumpkins for sale. We'll have to see how that goes.

I don't have "spare time", I have "scheduled time" LOL

 

[cliveroonie]

Jim:

That's a pretty insane hobby you have there. Are you allowed to coat the boat with polyurethane like on a canvas canoe? Just wondering. Great work. I particularly liked the paddle boat.