[alberg30] Tiny Boats

[rap1208 at aol.com]

From: rap1208 at aol.com

Hey Gang,
We were talking recently about the smallest boat to ever cross the Atlantic.  
I found the documentation just recently that states that in 1968 Hugo Vihlen 
set the record in a six foot long "April Fool:".  On 9/27/93 the 61 year old 
sailor finished his latest crossing by arriving in England from Newfoundland 
in a five foot four inch bright red fish bobber of a boat called "Father's 
Day".  Originally designed to be five fee six inches long, Father's Day's bow 
was trimmed two inches after Englishman Tom McNally crossed the Atlantic 
earlier in 1993 in his five foot  four and 1/2 inch boat.  Father's Day bobs 
along at ahull speed of 2.3 knots.  Father's Day has a veed hull with a mast 
set in the bow, two booms, radar reflective sails, and is ballasted with two 
75 pound batteries and 425 pounds of lead bee bees in the keel.  Vihlen left 
St. John's on 6/14/93 with 25 gallons of water, a reverse osmosis water 
maker, 75 cans of nutriment, 2 gallons of M & M's, 1 gallon of health bars, 
and 1 gallon of dried fruit.  With inside dimensions of 5 feet 31 inches 
sleeping with his knees bent over him, he was not surprisingly prone to 
arthritis and cabin fever.  The 1800 mile 106 day passage lasted a month 
longer than Vihlen estimated it would.  Vihlen lost 34 pounds and much of his 
enthusiasm.  This information is from Sail, February 19, 1994.

Russ Pfeiffer

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