RETROSPECT
7. Small square sails were
sometimes used on two-hatch
and three-hatch baidarkas
in the 19th century. For
covering long distances with
minimal effort, sails are hard
to beat. Our semicircular
sails were only for sailing
downwind. We found that
we could only sail about one
quarter of the time, but that
about half the miles made
good were under sail.
8. Near the mouth of Peril
Straits, Baranof Island, we
took shelter under our
sails. The baidarka is an
amphibious vehicle. We led
a nomadic, amphibious life.
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9. In the Gulf of Alaska, with
a light westerly off Cape
Spencer, we made about six
knots under sail. In stronger
winds, our baidarkas would
surf downwind at speeds
of 12 knots or more. A
Japanese observer, after
seeing Aleut/Russian baidarkas off Japan’s Northern
Islands in the 19th century,
wrote, “The boat seems to
fly over the waves as the
bird flies in the sky.”
Photography by G. Dyson (top, middle) and Thomas Macy (bottom); illustration by G. Dyson, sketch inspired by Joe Ziner
10. Author George Dyson
is a historian of technology
who is trying to complete a
book about the dawn of the
digital universe and return to
building boats.
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184 Make: Volume 11
