I am sometimes a prideful man and so decided to hold off mention of a project until I could put it to the test. That test now complete and a raging success, I introduce to you the Outlands entrant and Top Ten finisher [there were 4 entrants] in the inaugural Lilies regatta: Ol’ Roundy, the coracle.

A week or so before Lilies I was noticing the imposing list of commitments and planned projects I had slated between there and coronation and decided, clearly, that the best way to tackle those projects was to ignore them completely and build a boat. After all, Lilies is on a lake and had a naval competition scheduled – I couldn’t possibly let that challenge sail by without the stag. Stumbling across the coracle, I found something that would meet the first two criteria: 1) get it done in a week and 2) fit it in the car with the rest of camp. A coracle is a small, frequently one-person, wobbly fishing boat for use on lazy rivers, making it an ideal candidate for racing against a longship pulled by 8+ oars on a windy lake.

Well, courtesy of The Coracle Society, I found directions and set about producing a pretty modern take on a ubiquitous, ancient vessel. As an added bonus, the makeshift steam box running in a closed garage served as wonderful prep for Lilies humidity. The pile of ash strips, leather cover, and a hilarious combination of mismatched fasteners slowly took shape, with a great many lessons learned in the process. By 1 am on Saturday morning ahead of a planned 9 am departure, I had myself a boat.

Criteria 3 and 4, that she float without notable leaks [none!] and that I could manuever the vessel passed with flying colors! Criteria 5, that she provide entertainment for myself and others was borne out in the many friends who commented and tried their hand, including both Her Royal Majesty and His Excellency of Unser Hafen. Entering the regatta was a joyous bonus, though not a criteria for success. Finally, optional criteria 6, that she survive the week and make it home, proved no obstacle at all.

In all, this was a fantastic experiment and led to wonderful conversations that I expect never would have happened otherwise. Seeing the lighted eyes of someone pointing and declaring joyfully, “I know what that is!” absolutely made the project worthwhile.

Now to check on those regulations for watercraft in alpine lakes…

Some fantastic background reading: Chronicle of a Coracle, by Cynthia Sebolt