Russell Brown

I did a short blog post with photos of 2018 R2AK pedal drive systems. http://gougeon32.blogspot.com The range of different approaches is remarkable.

There are plenty of problems with proas, but neither of the issues that you wrote about have proven true for me. Nixe looks like a nice boat.

C'mon, I'll drive AND buy the beer! No, I get it, sometimes it's better to do things the safe way. Hard to believe that the highway would be safer though. I look forward to seeing it.

I still think that you will miss a good adventure by having it trucked here. If you get going soon, it could be pretty mild weather.

That's a super clean wake. I look forward to seeing the boat. Are you going to drive it up here? Could be a really fun trip.

Nice pick Kim. I liked the boat that Bob drew a lot, but sometimes it's nice to buy a boat instead of having to build it, even if it needs some work.

The size of the boat and the amount of paint you were mixing per coat doesn't point to using too much paint, so I'm mystified. The only times that I have ever had bubbles that didn't disappear were from applying too much paint in one coat. It takes some courage to wait for everything to flow out. Did you try not tipping on the subsequent coats? The times that I tried applying enough paint to cover in one coat were disasters, but the times where I have run short of paint and had to stretch to finish showed that the paint seems to cover as well with a very thin coat as it does with a thick coat and the finish was far better in the thin areas. My impression of this paint is very good, not just because it lasts forever, but more because it can be applied fast with a roller without tipping and can still look like a spray job, but without so much cost and waste. I know that things don't always work the same way for different people at different times (not to mention different cans of paint). It does seems like you had a tough time with your job.. I'm used to very light sanding between coats, just enough to remove the bits of dust and crud that make tiny bumps. I also haven't had to add thinner while painting, except for on very large jobs. I hope this helps. If not now, maybe next time.

That's interesting because I always want to murder the people driving the jet ski's. Ever hear of Blanton Meyercord, the jet ski killer?

I read most of this thread and maybe I missed it, but why did you need to tip the paint? I haven't used Perfection in every weather condition and I haven't used all colors, but the only time that it doesn't come out well (for me) is when I use a brush or if I try to apply the paint too thick or heavy. You said that you bought the e-book. Was it the second edition? The second edition was free to anyone who bought the first and it covers much more. Big areas like topsides are where this paint really shines (sorry for the pun), because it can be applied so fast with a roller. One of your photos shows what looks like way too much paint applied, but in this post it sounds like you got pretty far with 24 ounces of paint. How big a boat is it? Sorry I didn't see the thread sooner. Maybe I could have helped. It does look good in the last photo.

It would be really cool to see a photo of SOMA because I don't know it. I lost touch with the Caribbean sailing scene a long time ago. Triple Jack is super cool and a piece of history.

This boat may get a different reception after it's sailing and the bugs have been worked out.

Like often happens, I regret my comments about the guy with the proa. I feel bad for him and I wish he had the time to make the start. Sorry for being a jerk.

She was drinking beer for hours after she finished and looks fine today!

The proa did turn up, but was still in pieces in the parking lot at almost noon today. The boat itself has potential, but how someone could show up the day before the race with a boat that has never really sailed is beyond me. This is mostly why proas have a bad name, they attract flakes. This is not just optimism, it's lot's of bad qualities combined, including ego. I really hope someone ends up with the boat that will sort it out. I really hope it's not on the starting line at 5 am. I'd be embarrassed. I saw some come cool pedal drives inspired by a certain Australian pedal drive expert. Can't wait to see the Tornado going.

One woman rowed an 11 foot long dinghy 70 miles in just under 20 hours = 3.5 mph average and I'm a bit more than impressed. She never stopped rowing and seemed pretty fine at the end. Inger is not a serious rower and her boat was quite loaded with safety and camping gear. There were so many fast boats behind her and I'm still a bit dumbfounded that she did so well. We'll post a short video of Inger soon.