Sea Biscuit Around the World 2006-2007
Kristofer J. "Harley" Harlson
Harley is headed off on a voyage around the world, in an 8' boat. Yep, you read that correct, EIGHT feet long -- and get this, he is going non-stop, without assistance the entire way. Previously the shortest boat to go around the world was 12' long, sailed by Serge Testa. You can see photos of it at Dave & Mindy Bolduc's Famous Small Boats page. They also have the website MicroCruising.com to chronicle many adventures in their 15' boat Little Cruiser.
When I first heard of his voyage, I wondered whether his vessel would be able to sail to windward. Most of the 10' and under boats which have sailed across the Atlantic were really just fat space capsules which drifted with the currents and were helped down wind by a sail. You can't go around the world in a timely manner if you are not able to atleast sail across the wind, and being able to sail 60 degrees into the wind would help even more. Harley has that solved, he designed a great hull.
Second thought was where the heck is he going to store all that food? Harley is pretty tight with many of the tough to solve puzzles, but he promises to tell all in a book when he gets back. One detail I heard about was small peanut butter packets. They are soft, easily forming to the cavity they are crammed in, so every little knook and cranny will have peanut butter packets in them. What an ingenious idea.
Around the world in 10' boat race Harley ran into problems when launching, had to leave Sea Biscuit at Tofino. Since then, he has changed his focus and is working with others to get a race going where everyone will use 10' long boats to race around the world. For more info and to see how it is developing, see AroundInTen.com
Pictures
Sea Biscuit
Around In 10 Design
Harley Links
Progress Map - Track where Harley is at DuckworksMagazine.com He has a PurpleFinder tracking device from Polestar Space Applications Ltd, and his track is published at DuckWorksMagazine.com, plus possibly log notes will be posted too. Because of the problems Hugo Vihlen had with the US Coast Guard preventing him from leaving, Harley has a secret launch date and location.
Photo Collection - See lots of construction photos and commentary at DWM.
1st DWM Article - About Harley and the inspiration behind his voyage.
2nd DWM Article - Covers technical issues.
3rd DWM Article - Spotted during launch, couple of photos.
4th DWM Article - First launch aborted, will refit and try again after summer 2007.
Small Craft Advisor - In an upcomming issue will be published an article from Harley.
1st Audio Interview - Listen to Harley at FurledSails.com in Podcast #43, or here is a direct link. You can download and listen on your PC if you don't have an iPod.
2nd Audio Interview - Listen to Harley at FurledSails.com in Podcast #44, or here is a direct link. You can download and listen on your PC if you don't have an iPod.
RiverEarth.com - One man, two mules, a lost sea.
WestCoaster.ca news article
Other Small Boats Around The World
SmallestRecord.com - Beau will sail around the world in 2008, in an 11' boat
Puffin - Steve Carey is building a 10 and 8' boat for sailing around the world
CaptainHumphreys.com - Very creative video blog about how he will sail the world in a 11.5' boat
Admiral Dinghy - and his 9' boat which he wants to cruise around the world in
Admiral Dinghy's website
Groups and directories:
Around In Ten - Website for racing around the world in 10' boats
Around In Ten - A yahoo group which is developing a race of 10' boats to go around the world
Famous Small Boats - Dave & Mindy Bolduc's great list of all the famous small boats
Other Small Boats - Their auxiliary list of other small boats
Want to go on a small boat voyage of your own in a tiny 8' boat?
Maybe not around the world, but how about to the far side of the local lake?
Harley has designed a one sheet skiff that solves an age old problem of the one sheet boat puzzle.
Most of them have a very low weight carrying capacity and almost no freeboard.
After seeing hundreds of one sheet boats, I didn't think there were any innovations left, but sure enough Harley broke free with lateral thinking.
Most of them used a few extra bits of lumber for pieces here and there, so Harley made the discovery that using a small section of 1x12 for the transom would free up the rest of the plywood for the hull, significantly increasing it's displacement capability and giving it a chance of being a real boat instead of just a pool toy.
You can get a free copy of the plans at the PDRacer Free Plans Page
Sailing around the world in a tiny boat was a dream of mine also, but my wife said no freaking way.
I don't want to get a new wife, so had to let go of that dream.
Harley offered to let me hitch a ride in a vicarious manner, you can see in the photo to the right.
Thanks a bunch Harley!
Fair Winds Harley, and best of luck!
Harley's Suggested Reading List
If you'd like to know a little more about the subject, here's a few of Harley's favorites.
A Speck on the Sea
by William H. Longyard
ISBN: 0071413065
This treatise touches on just about every voyage in small boats up until the time the book was published.
A Voyage For Madmen
by: Peter Nichols
ISBN: 0060957034
Covers the Golden Globe, the first non-stop race around the world. If you want to understand what makes voyagers such as myself tick, this is a good place to start.
Godforsaken Sea
by Derek Lundy
ISBN: 0385720009
This is the best book I've read about the Vendee Globe. This really gives you a good taste of the Southern Ocean, including a wonderful segment on Pete Goss' absolutely heroic rescue of Raphael Dinelli. Goss hoisted a tiny storm jib amidst Hurricane force winds exceeding 70 Knots and fought upwind, for 160 miles, to the position of Dinelli's capsized boat.
The Stormy Voyage of Father's Day
by Hugo Vihlen
ASIN: 0943400910
Hugo Vihlen is one of my greatest influences. If you want to know what it's like to be cooped up in a tiny boat for months on end, this is the one-stop shop.