More on folding boats

[Harvey Cail]

I just noticed an old post by Concertina Boats.
In the sixties Prout used to make a range folding dinghies with sides that pushed out in a similar way to the Concertina boat; they were probably designed by a deck chair engineer. We had one of the smallest. The oarsman sat in the bow with his feet against the transom and the passenger sat in the stern between his legs, in constant danger of being punched in the chest.
My wife and I were almost lost at sea one dark night ‘on passage’ from Wootten Creek round to the yacht club. Once down the creek I turned a bit wide, ending up about fifty yards offshore of the club, and found that we had to deal with a three-knot ‘offshore blow’ that was generating six-inch waves. Going to windward in that kind of weather was almost too much for our little boat and I had to tack to windward very carefully to avoid being swamped. We could only come up to about a sixty-degree angle to the waves, edging up and falling off judiciously, until we finally made those fifty yards.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

You're not convincing me yet that I should get one.

 

[Zagato]

They sell similar here http://www.nestawayboats.com/page12.htm

How about sectional boats that slot together - a whole range here

www.nestawayboats.com

 

[nestawayboats]

Things have perhaps moved on! It sounds to me like the OP's (terrifying!) experience has at least as much to do with the size of the assembled boat, as the fact that it could be folded up...

The smallest of the "similar" US-built Porta-Bote (Portaboat) folding boats referred to by Zagato are nearly 9ft long and 5ft wide, with plenty of freeboard, and renowned for their stability. They are also made of a very tough/durable plastic that can be dragged over rocks etc with nothing more than minor cosmetic scratching. The larger versions - 10, 12 and 14 - are often bought as easier-to-transport/store boats in themselves, rather than just tenders.

Nestaway sectional boats, once bolted together, are all-but indistinguishable from conventional solid boats and again the smallest available is just over 8ft long and 4ft wide.

I should be clear, we are builders of the Nestaway range and UK South Coast agent for Porta-Bote.

 

[dylanwinter]

porta boat - weird but impressive

Things have perhaps moved on! It sounds to me like the OP's (terrifying!) experience has at least as much to do with the size of the assembled boat, as the fact that it could be folded up...

The smallest of the "similar" US-built Porta-Bote (Portaboat) folding boats referred to by Zagato are nearly 9ft long and 5ft wide, with plenty of freeboard, and renowned for their stability. They are also made of a very tough/durable plastic that can be dragged over rocks etc with nothing more than minor cosmetic scratching. The larger versions - 10, 12 and 14 - are often bought as easier-to-transport/store boats in themselves, rather than just tenders.

Nestaway sectional boats, once bolted together, are all-but indistinguishable from conventional solid boats and again the smallest available is just over 8ft long and 4ft wide.

I should be clear, we are builders of the Nestaway range and UK South Coast agent for Porta-Bote.

I have rowed one

weird but impressive

needless to say there is a film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muRp7p0IQ0A

 

[Zagato]

I should be clear, we are builders of the Nestaway range and UK South Coast agent for Porta-Bote.

I missed you at SIBS (kids getting fed up ) but I'm very interested in the kayak that splits down to two parts to use as a tender - good idea and it will fit on or in my boat and in my car http://www.nestawayboats.com/page7.htm

I'll be in touch when ready...

 

[nestawayboats]

Another advantage of sectional kayaks - beyond storage and transport - is you can use them with or without the (optional) middle section, to make:
- a two-section, one-person boat
- a three-section, two-person boat

You can even, if you wish, add more middles - although personally I think at that point you're better off with two kayaks.

The sit-on type kayaks seem to be gaining ground as 1-2 person tenders for relatively small yachts; and many are bought as second tenders/entertainment by owners of larger yachts.

In fairness I should again make it clear that we sell Point 65 sectional kayaks, as well as Nestaway sectional boats and Porta-Bote fold-flat boats.

Ian, Nestaway Boats Ltd