this that Pickup of the Sea
Engineers at MIT are using kayaks to develop the next generation of co-operative, autonomous robots—under- water vehicles that work together to search for shipwreck or hurricane survivors, sweep waterways for mines, and perform a myriad of other tasks. Outfitted with onboard computers, radio control, propulsion and steering, these so-called SCOUTs (Surface Crafts for Oceanographic and Undersea Testing) allow researchers to test software for use in undersea robots without the added expense and difficulty of communicating underwater. With 10 SCOUTs built so far, their creators envision a growing list of uses for the kayak robot. In fact, researchers say they hope SCOUTs will function like ocean-going pickup trucks— versatile and easy to use. Sort of like, well, a kayak.
Paddling is for arts majors. PHOTO: ALEXANDER BAHR, MIT
Seaward Goes Plastic
Seaward will introduce a new line of thermoform kayaks this spring. The “TX” line features plastic versions of existing Seaward designs including the Cosma, Tyee, Quantum and Gemini. Thermoform- ing, or vacuum forming, uses a flat sheet of modified acrylic and ABS that is then heated to a high temperature and formed tightly around a mould. The resulting kayak has some of the appeal of fibreglass but is considerably cheaper because it uses less labour and materials—all the trimmings are 100% recyclable. Does this spell the demise of the company’s fibreglass fleet? “TX is a nice alternative,” says Lou Pescarmona of Seaward, “but it will never replace glass.” See
www.seawardkayaks.com for specifics.
No Miami Vice for You
The U.S. Coast Guard has dropped its plan to carry out live-fire weapons training on the Great Lakes. The plan allowed the firing of lead ammunition from deck-mounted machine guns in 34 eu- phemistically named “safety zones,” some near popular kayaking spots. “The Coast Guard appreciates the thoughtful comments we received and will work with the public to ensure the Coast Guard can meet any threat to public safety or security,” said Rear Adm. John E. Crowley, Jr. Among the “thoughtful” comments sub- mitted: “You’ve got to be kidding yourselves,” and, “This is a bad idea thought up by people that watch too much Miami Vice.” OK, OK, we get it.
Paddling for Pudsey: Take Two
It’s possible that an ambitious, 2,800-mile circumnavigation of the British Isles could coincidentally coincide with one of the windi- est, wettest summers in recent memory. It’s also possible that a sudden, unforeseen ailment could chance to delay said expedi- tion by two months. Or perhaps something has it in for Steve Wil- liams. The 44-year-old, Level 4 BCU sea kayak
—Continued on page 24 22 | | ADVENTURE KAYAK spring 2007
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FLOTSAM AND JETSAM BY VIRGINIA MARSHALL
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