Raft Design

So, how do we want the raft set up?

Regulations are that it has to be made of 6 to 8 balsa logs, minimum 5m in length. Most of the raft for international crews are 6.5m long though, to give them enough buoyancy to hold our weight.

How are we going to seal the wood so that as little water as possible soaks into the logs? (they can get REALLY heavy) I'm going to email Dale to ask him what they did / saw. I think there's a method of charring them a bit over a fire. Calvin suggested taking 200lbs of chemical sealant with us... any volunteers? =P

How do we want to transport stuff on the raft? We will have things like sunscreen, cameras, water, snacks, spare paddle, and PDFs. One idea is to lash some kind of container (like a milk crate) to the middle of the raft, then attach things like sunscreen to the crate with a string long enough that anyone can grab it and use it, then toss it back in the crate. Or, we could put a bar across the middle of the raft, slightly raised, that things could be tied to/clipped to. Including the spare paddle, PFDs, and dry bags. Any other ideas? Is everybody cool with using a camel back to carry your own water, or will we need a way of securing water bottles?

I think the best way to do seating would be to simply lash a low bench to the raft and cover it with a foam pad (like a camping mat). Any other suggestions?

Lili, any other great ideas from when you saw the Contiki boat?