Whatever floats your boat...

... or not.

My daughter suggested i Strap a Go Pro to my forehead whenever I launch a new boat.

With one exception (roughwater) every launching has been accompanied by epic dunkings.

Cue mental image: leap on board...row, row, row... wobble, wobble...epic wave as fat guy face plants the water....

Followed by me lolling about in the water contemplating what went wrong & what needs to happen to make it go right.

Generally its one of 2 things; center of gravity & buoyancy.

That's the problem with minimalist boats. You're building right on the edge of nothing. You don't have acres of bouyancy or half a forest of timber to work with.

Wrong looks like a submarine, or trying to sit on a swiss ball mid ocean, or both.

Every launching has 3 components

1) Overflowing joy as the boat finally rests on the water & looks stunningly gorgeous.

2) Panic & despair when It does not do what its supposed to do (ie float when you're sitting on it)

3) Deep thought about what to do next.

So, lets Start with #1

She looks stunning

A friend noted she looks like a blade of grass resting on the water.

There was a breeze at the launching & when the the breeze caught her she naturally scooted along cutting through the water.

I think this one has captured the meeting of curves & lines.

Art on water.

#2 I knew was coming & had already prepared myself with contingencies.

She has a V keel. Very fast & directionally stable at the expense of buoyancy: She is 4800mm long x 400mm at the widest & has a sealed bilge of 120mm.

Add a 100KG human being sitting on the aft outrigger = human being with a wet backside - So lets just skip the despair & jump to #3

#3 Raked transom aft to the rear outrigger fitted with auto drain valve.

There's a join about 300mm aft to the outrigger, taper a transom from here back to the outrigger & buoyancy is increased dramatically. Any water coming onboard drains out as you move & if she is totally flooded, there is always buoyancy in the sealed bilge.

Back to the workshop we go.

Will keep you posted