The Maiden Voyage of the Prodigal

I launched The Prodigal this morning on Lake Como. Quite frankly, this was one of the best days that I can remember.Everything went without a hitch. The lake was a cold 46 degrees but I didn't even notice once I got rowing.

I know, this is a little boat, but still a lot could have gone wrong. I thought about the construction and design for over 5 months, actually worried about how it would behave in the water.Much to my surprise, The Prodigal has excellent handling characteristics. The squared nose pram design made for an easy launch. And that first step into a boat is made easier by coming straight on. Most importantly, the stem floats about 2 inches off the water, preventing any plowing when moving forward.

The stem and the chine edges stay out of the water

The forward edges also stand proud from the water, thus avoiding any unnecessary resistance. Most importantly, I was absolutely delighted with rowing. It's has a real light feeling.,much easier than a canoe, no doubt faster too! Finally, The Prodigal has good glide characteristics. It continues to move forward between strokes and allows me to generate a little speed.

Splash one little dinghy!