Steve
and his
Little Toy Boats

It was my good fortune to host the room when Steve was giving his little toy boat show at this year's Canoecopia. It was the second time I'd witnessed this presentation having heard him at last years Door County Sea Kayak Symposium. My interest in this sort of thing had grown out of 30+ years of sailing big boats on Lake Michigan.

Sailors, as a group, are generally (in my judgment) more knowledgeable about hull design than most other boaters. Understanding the dynamics of a displacement hull v. a go fast stink pot is the foundation for many on deck and around the bar discussions among sailors. So, it was with great interest, that I listened to Steve's presentation.

Using little hulls and seas, all made of what appeared to be closed cell something or other, Steve made clear the differences in hulls, their motions and how they each respond to different seas. The little models, and Steve's good humor, made for an easy to understand explanation of what can be a boring and heavy topic. If you are at another boat happening and see Steve on the list of presenters, get yourself over there.

Paddle safe...
DS