----- Original Message -----
From: "John M"
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 9:24 AM
Subject: Origami steel boat building


A number of years ago on a drive from Comox to Campbell River I spotted a
building whole yard contained a number of boats. Naturally I stopped in.
The
building housed a welding and machine shop the boats owned by individuals
in
the process of building them.
The elderly gentleman who owned the business wanted to sell it and sail to
Alaska.
Apparently the designer of these boats lived in Campbell River the deal
was
if you wanted one you would supply the steel and pay the designer a
ridiculously small amount of money, the designer would arrive and build
your
hull and deck in something like a week. The hulls were hard chine in the
amid ships area but when in the water looked as smooth as fibreglass.
There is a company just outside of Toronto that is building an aluminium
sailboat around forty feet using this method the hulls look not out of
place. The price is a lot more than it was years ago.
John