July 4, 2003 marked our second annual fireworks raft-building contest.
The goal is to build something that floats -- in less than a week.
Preferably very cheaply.
And preferably attracting a lot of attention.

July 11, 2004
This doesn't have much to do with the Couchamaran, but Amrys has the best summary of this year's July 4 shenanigans.

June 28, 2004
The MIT Department of Facilities called today. They informed me that the Couchamaran's pontoons were trashed after six months or so. So the Couchamaran will not likely sail again.

July 14, 2003
Read about the Couchamaran in "Students, Admins Squabble Over Raft," from the July 9 issue of The Tech.

July 5, 2003
I had a terrific time last night sailing the Charles in my homemade Couchamaran (Sofa of the Seas!). The pontoons, unfortunately, were taken by the police later today while they were sitting out drying.

Pictures of the Couchamaran:

• Construction: laminating the foam for the pontoons
• Construction: Josh making unidentified part
• Into the Charles River, over the edge of the floodwall.
• It floats! It's comfortable!
• First maneuverability test.
• Dry-docked the next morning at the MIT Sailing Pavilion
• Detail of starboard pontoon. Sleek, like an aircraft carrier!
• Sailing Pavilion staff experience the Couchamaran
• Couchamaran's second crew, July 5
• Couchamaran's second voyage, a futile journey upwind

Pictures of its crufty cousin vessels:

• The Bigens Raft. Which way are they going? Nice shovel.
• Un-named Raft, barely afloat.
• Un-named Raft, not floating.
• The USS Tranceport.
• Tranceport creator Goutam Reddy strikes a pose.
• The Caddyzoo. At the Sailing Pavilion.
• The Sewer Pipe. (new image of pipe in action)

Other photos from the event:

• Quinn's site.