Winter has been really harsh in North America.

It has even been snowing in Texas – and not just a little bit.

Kenny and family (more north than Texas) are really active on the PDRacer front but like many others are getting cabin fever from being icebound inside their houses.

So during one of the better days … there was boating to be done – but not boating as we know it, Jim.

Every cent of profit to Charity

We have Storerboat and PDRacer T-shirts and other stuff with cool graphics from architect/designer/artist Peter Hyndman.

Clean graphics and I really dig the bag!

The plywood “disposable” canoe (see here) has been renamed the more salubrious “Quick Canoe”. I quite liked the name of “Disposable Canoe” but I agreed with the critique that it hinted at something that was poor quality rather than simple and Easy.

It has been designed to be as easy to build as possible while keeping some of the qualities of a good paddling canoe – in particular the ability to track.

Tom has built his MSD Rowboat in Brisbane.

I met up with him recently and we drove down to the coast towing the rowboat to the river at Nudgee. A bit of wind and a lot of current because of all the rain.

Tom has trimmed down the skeg to get the boat to balance nicely in all directions. Before the modification the bow used to blow around – now it behaves nicely.

I took quite a few pictures.

The discussion on this topic went on.

Dave asked if people would laugh if they saw a PDR sailing in company with something more conventionally shaped.

Luckily I had a video clip to hand.

A little bit of writing how form in boat design seldom follows function in terms of what “looks good”. It was prompted by a discussion about whether the PDR is good looking or not.

My Podcasts on design also cover this idea to a greater depth – they are in the menu at the top of each page.

The PDRacers have a saga published at Duckworks about the Texas 200 (the 200 mile sailing event up the Texas Coast).
It is not by a Ducker but by one impressed by them.
Extract
The Mighty Ducks clung to the port,
with all manner and various sort
of other craft
abeam and abaft,
long ships, sleek ships, prows
with goddesses carved at the [...]

Juan Carlos has been building his Goat Island Skiff for about a year.

He has just put up a photo series of his boat launching.

The rest of the words and pictures are from Juan Carlos.

Fiona Harbison and friends have just launched their new Handy Punt for fishing and family outings.

Fiona is the sister of Helen (hope I have that right) who built a Nutshell pram in a number of the Duck Flat spring or autumn boatbuilding schools.

It is called Farnark, which will strike a chord with Australians and New Zealanders through the work of John Clarke. There is a picture of the boat and a clip of John Clarke reprising his farnarkling spiel.

A nice little article by Jackie Monies who is turning into the writer in residence for the PDRacers.

It posits the idea that because of its cheapness, ease of building and the creativity in the group that it qualifies as the “All American Boat”.

Actually I think it is the perfect boat for places that are water rich and cash poor. Anyone can afford to go sailing in these cool little sailing boats. The options of material and design solutions allow the boats to be built of local material just about anywhere. Very cheaply.

BobWes is a lovely man and has been building his Goat Island Skiff in Sacramento over a few months. He wrote this rather wonderful short piece about what it feels like and what he has learned during the boatbuilding process.

What he has to say about overcoming the limitations of money, time, skills and space is simple but profound.

I don’t have a car so how can I go canoe touring? Its something I fell in love with in the USA on Lake Powell.

This is an idea for a simple, cheap, almost throwaway (or give away) canoe. I can get the materials shipped to somewhere on a river, build the boat over a couple of days then go for a paddle.

At the end I can give the boat away or store it for the next part of the trip.

Peter Hyndman has made some PDRacer wallpapers that you can download for your iPhone and some other devices.

I was sitting in Chuck’s car as we were driving to the Lake Conroe Messabout. I knew that he had some plans for the Texas 200 event – to extend the concept and starting a new small boat festival on the Texas coast in a couple of years.

This is a podcast of that interview.