I know we see lots of articles about high-end yachts and their extensive electronic suites, but here’s a slightly different take on a English canal boat getting a full audio/visual install. I think the biggest difference is that it was approached from an A/V specialists viewpoint, and not a marine specialist. They obviously had some learning to do, but I know I’ve seen several times that you seem to be better off with non-marine solutions to certain problems.

And to think, it was even a good exercise program! :-)

“We really had to find our ‘sea legs’ for this job,” Simon continues. “The space available to us to work meant that only one person could work one the vessel at any one time. We also had to park our vehicles several hundred meters away from the mooring which meant there was also lots of lifting and carrying involved in the job and our levels of fitness increased dramatically.

A 10-year old English girl wrote to Glen (of Glen-L fame) recently to learn more about how to design a boat for a class. The response is a great overview of some of the complexity of designing a boat (vs just drawing it).

Shane Oh and Peter Wan, two enterprising young men, have created a high school Engineering Club. This article details a nice little PVC/tarp/ziptie kayak.

Check it out! There are also build instructions with more pictures here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Just wishing all the mother’s out there well!

Ray Macke has build a great looking Hankinson design (check out the build log here). Last fall he had the chance to make a hurried, late season run on the Cumberland River. Ray has a great narrative/story telling style, and there’s some good humor and enjoyment in this log.

Check out his adventures. We’ve probably all been there, or will be there someday.

Glen-L has updated their store (some still on the way)… check out their new, improved look, along with easier navigation and better organization of plan details.

I know it’s not a boat, but I found it really slick, and there are probably a fair number of ideas you might could use. Small space living, on land or on the water, has a lot of similarities.

Duluth, MN, USA - July 25-29, 2013

Looks like a great event. Day sails on Lake Superior on true tall ships and on board tours.

Glen L. Witt, of Glen-L, a favorite of many for boating plans and supplies, has this article on Then and Now. Some good thoughts on the changes that many of us can remember during our lifetimes.

A brief overview of a SeaTow operator in Boston. To me, guiding a boat under tow into a slip has got to be a challenge sometimes – it’s hard enough under power :-)

(I just happened to find this, unrelated to the terrible events in Boston this week. I pray for all the people involved and hope for the best outcome possible).