Out to launch

The night before I took Bernie up for his inaugural float up into Glen Canyon I made a sculling sweep out of a broken oar. The process worked quite well, but Bernie needs a bit more mass for the oar to work correctly. Or a better sweepsman.

Regardless, it was pretty exciting to be launching my first Swampscott dory.

Feeling the Bern.

Weighing it at an even hundred pounds--a bit over half of my own weight--I found Bernie to be terrifyingly tippy. Nothing a little cargo won't cure. Like I needed one more reason to switch from beer cans to bottles...

Our good and crazy friend David Grimes decided Bernie needed to fly the Green Mountain Boys' flag. Gotta say it sure fits. And the sweep oar seemed to work far better as a flagpole.

It is a lot less tippy with a friend to add a bit of ballast. Best of all, a friend and plenty of beer.

What a delightful boat. Goes fast as can be, turns on a dime, and is impossible to look at without smiling. I could not be happier with the build. Many thanks again to our class for doing such a great job. I can hardly wait to get this boat into some whitewater. With friends and beer.