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While I knew the principles of composite construction, I had to learn the practice very quickly on the job.

A vacuum pump was an early acquisition in order to avoid the messy and stinky ‘wet layup’ system. The glass is laid in the mould and a bag sealed over it. The vacuum line is attached and the resin is pulled through the glass in a technique known as ‘vacuum bagging’ – I used it to make the crossbeams and replace the plywood seatdeck with one made of fibreglass.

It was my intention to log every proto-2 outing to test the boat in Mount’s Bay in all weathers, but that slipped by the wayside – however, after nearly three months, from two to four times a week I got to known the boat well – and I loved it! I really looked forward to a good blow and the resultant big seas, and marvelled at the way the boat would just ride up and over any wave. And dryness – some visitors who saw the boat at the London Boat Show were very concerned that the seatdeck only had a 6mm drain-hole, but that was all it needed.

Also, I really enjoyed the development process – identifying something which could be improved and making the appropriate modifications.

Unfortunately, for the rest of the ROCAT project, I did not have the chance to get out on the water so much again. Outings in proto-2 were exploratory – by the time we were testing proto-3 they were confirmatory, all the main issues having been sorted.

I entered the ROCAT in the British Marine Federation's first Concept Boat Competition. The brief was to produce a design for a 'new kind of transportable boat’, and there were 96 entries, from 30 countries. The judges awarded the ROCAT second prize. Probably more valuable than the cash prize was a space on the 'Concept Boat' stand at the 2003 London Boat Show. This was the boat's first exposure to the public, and the response was enormously encouraging.

When the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall approached me to ask if they could make proto-2 their ‘feature boat’ for a year, I was delighted – it had served its purpose exceedingly well, and I was pleased that visitors to the museum would see this novel craft.

ROCAT proto-2 seatdeck mould incorporating lessons learned
ROCAT proto-2 seatdeck mould incorporating lessons learned
Vacuum-bagging the seatdeck for proto-2 - the hulls and crossbeams worked fine and were not changed for proto-2
Vacuum-bagging the seatdeck for proto-2 - the hulls and crossbeams worked fine and were not changed for proto-2
All designing happened in sketches like this before working up in CAD
All designing happened in sketches like this before working up in CAD
The 1st rowlock was surprisingly close to final solution
The 1st rowlock was surprisingly close to final solution
ROCAT proto-2 from above
ROCAT proto-2 from above
The proto-2 ROCAT in Mount's Bay with a good sea running
The proto-2 ROCAT in Mount's Bay with a good sea running
Testing ROCAT proto-2 with a good sea running - the boat felt absolutely safe and seas like this were a lot of fun
Testing ROCAT proto-2 with a good sea running - the boat felt absolutely safe and seas like this were a lot of fun
ROCAT protoype 2 climbing a large wave - it looks as though I was about to be swamped, but the boat just rode  the wave and no water came into the seatdeck
ROCAT protoype 2 climbing a large wave - it looks as though I was about to be swamped, but the boat just rode the wave and no water came into the seatdeck
Testing proto-2 in a beam sea which would have been especially difficult for a monohull boat
Testing proto-2 in a beam sea which would have been especially difficult for a monohull boat
The ROCAT in Mount's Bay with a good sea running
The ROCAT in Mount's Bay with a good sea running
Working out how to display the boat at the London Boat show
Working out how to display the boat at the London Boat show
The ROCAT proto-2 on the BMF stand at the London Boat Show where it was awarded 2nd prize
The ROCAT proto-2 on the BMF stand at the London Boat Show where it was awarded 2nd prize
Atlantic rower, Debra Veal, presents the cheque for 2nd prize
Atlantic rower, Debra Veal, presents the cheque for 2nd prize
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