Last night we tried again at a float test, hoping to slip into the park and down the bike path unnoticed. The boat is quite a lug to pull behind a bike, especially so because one trailer wheel is badly out of true and rubbing on the frame. But at last we made it to the harbor! A wandering security guard had no trouble with us trying out our craft, and few of the passersby expressed much interest in the boat.
Rolling the boat down the steep ramp into the water, it was surprisingly stable.
And the paddle wheels worked well. Without any extra gear this thing moves pretty fast.
We chugged about the harbor for a while, meandering among the crowded sailboats and luxury cruisers. Some boaters were having quiet dinner parties on the ends of their docks, but they hardly looked up over their wine glasses as we pedalled by.
Definitely there are some adjustments that need to be made. The paddle wheels, in particular, throw as much water onto the decks as they push backwards. But these are minor things, and should be fixable as we prepare for a Saturday launch date.
