Blog homeIn the Edmond Cardboard Boat Regatta in Edmond, Okla., the phrase "whatever floats your boat" means just one thing: cardboard. 
The FMS Minnow, designed by Foundation Medical Staffing employees Chris Friend and Matt Rice, took third place in the August 27 cardboard regatta and was constructed using only corrugated cardboard, duct tape, contact cement and caulking.
Matt, operations manager of the Foundation Dialysis Nursing division, and Brent Smith, account manager for the dialysis permanent placement team, paddled the FMS Minnow 80 yards across Lake Arcadia and back without sinking, though it was later devoured by the Gator, another cardboard boat, in the demolition derby.
"We used several layers of cardboard for the hull, stuck them together using the contact cement and sealed the seams with a combination of caulking and a top layer of duct tape," Brent shares. "Everything just kind of took shape as we worked through it. It was really fun to see it come together. We were pretty confident it would be seaworthy, but we felt that a test run was not an option, so we had to wing it on the day of the race."
Though some of the sleeker boats moved faster than the Minnow, Brent was proud of his office's creation.
"My paddle turned out to be just a bit short and made it challenging to keep my weight centered with Matt frantically rowing in the rear, but I felt that a third place finish was pretty good since it was our first time participating," Brent says. "It was a great event, and we had a blast. I look forward to participating next year and bringing home the first place trophy!
