She’s a Brick House

Simon Lake did not have a Plasma Table, and that did not even slow him down. We too often use the excuse that we don’t have the proper tools, but what we are often missing is the ability to see the solutions that are sitting right in front of us.

Power tools, CNC Router Tables, Plasma Cutters, and Welders are all at our fingertips. In 1894, Simon Lake had none of these things, yet he built a working submarine.

The brilliance of Simon Lake’s submarine was the wheels. Without any underwater navigation other than a compass, wheels removed drifting with the current and allow measuring the distance traveled by counting the rotations of the wheels.

If you’re going to build a wooden submarine, you might want to see if all the advice about marine plywood is true. The answer will surprise you.

Models are not just a great way to visualize a piece of history but they are very helpful step in the design and construction process.

…and it needs to be done in a very distracting city. Adding this harbor to my Happy Places.

Dr. Roman Lehner, Sail and Explorer’s, scientific Project Leader, explains the effects of nanoplastics on human health. This lecture was given on board SV Seeker in 2025 during a week of sampling nanoplastics in the Florida Keys. Video and photo credits to Aubri Keith, Sea Keepers Program Development Manager

Dr. Roman Lehner, Sail and Explorer’s, scientific Project Leader, explains how he was drawn to nanoplastics research. This lecture was given on board SV Seeker in 2025 during a week of sampling nanoplastics in the Florida Keys.