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| The Beer Can Boat |
 Originally envisioned as a recycling project, the 29-foot vessel sailed by Army reservists Brad Gillam, Rob Meharg and Chris Taylor is made out of an estimated 8000 FourX Gold "tinnies," or beer cans, glued together with more than a dozen cartons of silicone glue. Friends and neighbors helped to supply the cans needed - about 90 boxes of beer overall - over the course of several months. "There was never a shortage of people wanting to come and have a beer with us, so getting the cans wasn't a problem," Gillam told the Brisbane Times.
They built the boat after lamenting about the lack of good fishing spots near their hometown of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Built on a whim, the project took on special meaning when Gillam and his wife Belinda lost their 12-week-old daughter, Saraya, to Sudden Infant Death syndrome in January.
The vessel's three day journey down the Brisbane River was held in memory of the little girl and helped to raise nearly $60,000 for the SIDS and Kids foundation. Mehard and Taylor were deployed in the Solomon Islands when they learned of Saraya's death. They immediately decided to raise money for the charity which had come to the aid of the Gillams. "This has been a way for Brad to use his grief for something positive," Mrs. Gillam said.
Skipper Gillam said the boat, despite suffering a few dented cans along the way, held up well against the rain and wake of passing boats. "We did a lot of testing and trial and error with the boat to make sure it was sound," Gillam said. "Quite a bit of research went into it, and while it doesn't go a million miles an hour, it is relaxing when you're sailing along."
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