The Race Home (Part 2)

Everyone has been waiting in anticipation for what brilliant high tech solution Vinnie, the Woodpile’s resident scientist, would come up for a way home. Vinnie had a slight problem. There are no computers, internet service, or fancy scientific laboratories on Paradise Island. Not to mention there are no machine shops, electronic stores, or other sources of the modern materials he normally usual uses in his equipment designs. All Vinnie had to work with were that natural plants and trees on the Island and anything that washed ashore. In many ways this was the most challenging engineering problem Vinnie had ever encountered.

Vinnie started by making a complete inventory of the Island’s resources. Three things stood out on his list, bamboo poles, an oak leaf and a ball of string that washed ashore. Doesn’t sound very promising. But for Vinnie this was the start of an idea. Vinnie had always questioned his parents wisdom when they insisted he join the Campfire 'munk Scouts. Now all those lessons on tying knots, rope lashing and wilderness survival skills were going to prove invaluable.

What did Vinnie have in mind? A raft with a sail! This was not going to be an ordinary raft. Vinnie planned on engineering it so it could withstand hurricane force winds, twenty-five foot high ocean swells, and set a new speed record. His raft underwent vigorous testing before it ever hit the ocean.

Vinnie in deep thought as he worked out the design details of his raft idea.

A fellow race competitor scoffs at Vinnie's “low tech” solution

Now for the moment of truth, time to test the raft design.

 

 

Vinnie constructed an ocean wave simulator to test the sturdiness of his raft.

 

To prove how well constructed it was, Vinnie decided to ride it while on the simulator.

Vinnie adjusts the angle of the sail

Vinnie yells down to his assistant “Crank up the simulator to the maximum setting”

 

 

The oak leaf sail couldn't handle the stress and came crashing down.

Oh well, back to the drawing board for Vinnie.

The other competitors had a good laugh at Vinnie’s expense

 

These seals had the surprise of their life when they witnessed a bamboo raft with a Chipmunk speeding by them. It turns out, Vinnie managed to gain several days on his competitors. The failure of the sail had been staged! The raft was ready to go!! He left without fanfare at the crack dawn while his competitors were blissfully snoring away in their hammocks.