Back in January, Josh Tulberg of Rapid Whale took his short and stout Mini Boat out on the water for the first time. Tulberg has now taken the 6 foot (1.8 m) long electric splosher to Southern California to quietly take on some waves. But it wasn't all plain sailing.
Tulberg's Mini Boat is made from marine plywood, with 3D-printed components and a comfy looking padded vinyl seat. A steering wheel is used to navigate the teeny watercraft, which is connected to a rope-tie pulley system. A sealed lead acid battery powers the outboard trolling motor, and it's reported capable of reaching a top speed of 3.5 knots (4 mph/6.4 km/h).
For its maiden sea voyage, Tulberg and his friend Dylan opted to take a trip to Alameda, east of San Francisco. It was a sunny but windy day, which meant the water in the bay was choppy, but they ventured out anyway.
After following the jetty out, confidence growing all the time, they ventured farther and farther out to sea, past the break-water and beyond. Unfortunately, as the intrepid seafarers headed back to shore, they decided to try and tackle a big ass surf wave and the boats and captains got flipped into the drink.
"Mini Boats probably aren't the best for surfing (unless you like getting your butt kicked by Mother Nature) but they seem to do quite well in the chop," quipped Tulberg. You can see the funtastic Mini Boat action in the two videos below. And if you fancy building your own Mini Boat, plans are available from the Rapid Whale website.
Source: Rapid Whale