Deborah Bach has this preview over at Three Sheets Northwest:
They’ve been made of grass, cardboard and even popcorn. Sometimes they float; occasionally they don’t.
Organizers of the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival are never sure what type of inspired creations might emerge during the Quick and Daring competition, a longtime festival favorite.
Teams of two have 24 hours to build a boat and then must race it against other teams’ boats. The boat’s hull must be made of a plant-based material, but aside from that rule, pretty much anything goes.
“We want people to see it as an experimental lab where you can try out crazy ideas about a different type of design or a different type of construction technique, but it all has to be based on a hull made of cellulose matter,” said festival founder Dick Wagner.
“We’ve had so many different variations over the years. It’s really been fantastic.”
Festival organizer Eldon Tam said the boats frequently defy expectations. “You look at a boat and think it’ll never float and it wins the race,” he said. “Other times a boat will look very sturdy and it gets in the water and sinks.”
