' couldn't resist...

[windshieldbug]

Now we know what that tie-up stake was for!

[iiipopes]

It had to have been the cooler that clinched the deal!

[SplatterTone]

Now all you need to do is attach one of these for some real fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JATO

[tubatooter1940]

Your own boat in your own lake, you're doin' good, boy!
You'll need lots-o-ice in the summer because a pedal boat will wear your legs to a frazzle and have you huffing and puffing.
Would an electric trolling motor be practical? The kids will want to hang a 300 hp Black Max on the stern.

[Brassdad]

Well, if you're looking for somthing to play with in the water....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 904&rd=1,1

Built in pirate flag
Sorry I don't have the cannon for it.

[Tom Mason]

All you need for that jonboat is a trolling motor and a battery.

Mom and Dad use a paddle boat like that on the family lakes. Dad made a little flat bottom trailer to tow behind the 4-wheeler to get the boat to and from the lakes. They love it.

Tom Mason

[Brassdad]

It figures that schlep would know where to get a cannon, AND that bloke would have experience firing them.
I have shot small ones, but the wife wouldn't let me cut ports through the hull to put in a battery.

Hey I figured it would make racing interesting.

Anyway...I am disappointed the paddle boat lacks the character of this one.

[tubatooter1940]

In high school my buddy (the doctor's son) found a formula for gun powder. The first batch wouldn't even burn but he kept trying until he came up with some pretty hot stuff. We threaded a plug into a two inch pipe and drilled a hole for a fuse and bolted our "cannon" to the forward thwart (front seat) of the good doctor's old, semi-rotten, 14 foot rowing skiff and rowed it up Fly Creek as far as we could go.
We rammed home a double handful of the gunpowder and another handful of nuts and bolts, inserted a fuse we pulled out of an M-80 firecracker and lit it off. Boom! The six inch pine tree we aimed at went down but we failed to consider the effects of recoil. The recoil broke the boat in half and had us all in the water and doomed to a long walk out of there and a long explanation to the good doctor.

[Brassdad]

In high school my buddy (the doctor's son) found a formula for gun powder. The first batch wouldn't even burn but he kept trying until he came up with some pretty hot stuff. We threaded a plug into a two inch pipe and drilled a hole for a fuse and bolted our "cannon" to the forward thwart (front seat) of the good doctor's old, semi-rotten, 14 foot rowing skiff and rowed it up Fly Creek as far as we could go.
We rammed home a double handful of the gunpowder and another handful of nuts and bolts, inserted a fuse we pulled out of an M-80 firecracker and lit it off. Boom! The six inch pine tree we aimed at went down but we failed to consider the effects of recoil. The recoil broke the boat in half and had us all in the water and doomed to a long walk out of there and a long explanation to the good doctor.

ahhhhhhhhhh, to be young foolish and bulletproof again!

[iiipopes]

I was not a member, but my undergrad had an active KA fraternity chapter. They were actually careful and used appropriate blank loads to fire off their cannon for their occasional sanctioned celebratory events. We in the dorms actually enjoyed it, because the particular events were usually events like open rush where everybody on campus was invited. So, cannon fire = free beer.

It's too bad someone either put the wrong load in and/or had a damaged or corroded cannon that hurt a couple of guys at some college @ 1981, because after that, the entire nationwide KA organization internally banned the cannon firings.