THE EXERCISE
A real problem with a visible result
Teams must turn limited material into a stable vessel: define roles, reconcile competing ideas, manage time, test assumptions, and commit to a launch. The work is playful, but the collaboration is unmistakably real.
Fleet Engagements are shaped by inquiry rather than a fixed package. Tell the yard your group size, venue, timing, accessibility needs, and whether the intended climax is a tabletop trial, pool test, or permitted regatta.
THE CURRICULUM
From brief to buoyancy
Capt. Dan's framework begins with displacement and stability, moves through corrugated grain, cross-lamination, structure, and seams, and ends with inspection and crew readiness.
- Plain-language buoyancy and reserve-volume reckoning
- Roles for designers, builders, inspectors, and paddlers
- Race-rule and safety review before water enters the story
- A post-launch debrief, especially when the water wins
START A CONVERSATION
Charter a fleet engagement
No two crews, venues, or rulebooks are alike. Send the yard the date, location, expected headcount, available build time, and type of water access. We will determine whether the idea can be responsibly shaped into a Thistlewack engagement.