Please weigh-in on your choice of paint color:
Choice #1: Viper Bright Orange Pearl
Choice #2: Crayola Crayon Skin Color
We liked the skin color idea so much, that we just went ahead and painted her skin color. Yes, this is an attempt at being funny. The photo above is just the beige colored epoxy micro coating prior to sanding and finishing.
New name for WiTHiN ?
I originally called the prototype boat WiTHiN because I believe that human power is our power from within – and since a human is powering the boat from inside, the boat is also being power from within. I even designed a nice friendly logo to match the curvy prototype boat:
But now, I think maybe the new expedition boat needs a name of it’s own. A name and logo that fits better with our awesome, edgy, stealthy new design. I’m just not feeling WiTHIN anymore and I’m open to exploring something new. Some people commented at the lake trials last week that she looks like a bad-ass barracuda or a shark. I played around in Illustrator today with some logo ideas using the Barracuda name and I drew a sort of cartoony Barracuda. Let me know what you think or if you have any ideas for a new name.
In other news, Ken and I are making are way through a long final list of things to finish to get ‘her’ ready for the second lake trials, and my Vancouver Island circumnavigation with Jordan Hanssen. One of those steps was reinforcing a loop on the bow for an anchor and sea anchor. We wanted to make sure that it was good a strong and we don’t have access to the inside anymore, so we used a beefy stainless loop embedded in micro fibers and covered with fanned out uni-directional carbon in the direction most of the force is likely to come from.
There is a bit of carbon tape on the inside, electrical, body work, paint, and installation of equipment / electronics. All in 2 weeks – can Ken do it?
Adrian McKenzie on September 18, 2009
Re Name – what about 'Spirit'? Could be expanded "Spirit of endeavour", "Spirit of Boldness", "Spirit of Within" etc – and it ties in with the stealth look as the name of the Stealth Bomber – is the B-2 'Spirit'
Just an idea.
Elrey on September 18, 2009
Viper Bright Orange Pearl for sure!
Elrey on September 18, 2009
With your Barracuda logo, Greg, you could christen her the Miss Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle.
Frank Eeckman on September 18, 2009
I would suggest an even high visibility color. I would refrain from stripes or big logos or anything that is distracting because it is also a safety hazard -highly striped items are harder to track, i.e. so-called dazzle camouflage.
As for a name, I do like Barracuda and the logo looks pretty cool too.
Neville on September 18, 2009
Great work Greg! I have been silently watching for a while but thought I might weigh in.
While I don't like orange very much, it is a very visible color out in the ocean, and the practical part of me thinks that having your craft be seen from a distance might turn some unplanned variable during your voyage into a lifesaver.
As far as the name… I agree that Within may have served you thus far, and I like the idea of renewing it. "Spirit" is indeed a better name than that of a predatory fish, but I think if you dig a little more you might find something more suitable. Then again.. people have always gone out of their way to name their boats the darndest things.
Maybe you can reverse-engineer a name by thinking about what a good name would be after you had succeeded. Five years from now when you are telling the story, what would be an inspiring name? Imagine if the Apollo missions were called the Jennifer Missions? What if the first controlled human powered aircraft was called Gossamer Albatross? (Oh, wait… um, well I still liked that one.)