It all started on the back of a napkin, when multihull sailor, designer, and builder Russell Brown had an idea. He had 2 Tornado hulls, a 15hp Honda long shaft, some carbon mast tubing, and an outside-the-box mind for building efficient boats. With these – essentially recycled parts – he built “Grasshopper”. He put it together as an experiment, and like most things Russell does, it turned out exceptionally well. For years, he used it to commute from Port Townsend to Anacortes and to camp cruise up the Salish Sea to Desolation Sound.
I first saw Grasshopper as my brother and I lined up for the start of R2AK 2016 in Bunny Whaler – a big WTF moment quickly overshadowed by the task at hand. Over time Russell and I became friends, and when I asked to rent Grasshopper to shoot on-the-water videos, he said it was actually for sale. I knew I had to have it, and enlisted dear friend and R2AK/SEVENTY48 alum Ted Sweeney to enter a partnership.
Grasshopper has continued to serve as a commuter, cruiser, and workboat, including a week in the San Juans in 2020 and trips all over the Salish Sea to shoot videos for Off Center Harbor. After a year on the hard, Grasshopper now has a revitalized outboard and is having/creating more fun than ever.