Before I share the specs on the pedal drive canoe prototype I just want to make it clear that this is not the size I would normally build for myself. (our building system will let you build any size canoe) I deliberately undersized this canoe to try to find the lower limit of canoe size the pedal drive would work for. Also, I framed a good portion of this with spruce which adds significant weight over my normal western red cedar so this canoe would normally be a bit lighter. . Length: 14’8”, wid

I took the pedal drive prototype out yesterday in relatively light winds to see how our pop-up sail system would interface with the pedal drive. As expected, not very well. The flippers add enormous drag to what is otherwise a surprisingly swift sail, despite its tiny size. There’s also just way too much risk of tangling the control lines on the pedals. So for these reasons, when it’s time to sail I would likely pull the drive out and fasten it behind me, and then plug the drive hole. . Speaking

Here’s a first look at the pedal drive canoe system in action. As always, there are many things i’m planning to change for the final version, but overall the launch went surprisingly well. The canoe is fast, maneuverable, sufficiently stable, and most importantly can be transformed back into a normal canoe in about 90 seconds. . i’m a bit tired at the moment but I’ll make sure I have more details in tomorrow’s post. For now, enjoy! . . . #canoeing #prototype #makersgonnamake #buildityourself | C