Having hauled a 9'6" fiberglass dinghy around on top of a Ford van and later
a Montero with my 5'4" wife helping load and unload, I can tell you I'd
prefer a boat that I could load and unload by myself.
I'm saving up my boat bucks for a http://porta-bote.com/.
For me, not having the maintenance the ply boats would require, fewer parts
to lose, stability, longevity, and ease of setup will make up for any
aesthetic losses.
MMC

"John Seager" wrote in message
...
"bill" wrote in message Plans for a folding
dinghy similar to the Seahopper and Kontender can
be found he
http://flapdoodle.250free.com/

I know there are dozens of folding dinghy designs around but few look much
like a real boat. The exceptions seem to be the Seahopper, Stowaway and,
now, the Flapdoodle. The idea of a folding dinghy has a certain appeal,
although I'm not sure that a flat package is really much easier to car top
than a conventional dinghy. However, it would be a lot easier to stow on
board my 31' boat.

Does anyone have experience of building or sailing these designs,
especially Bill's DIY Flapdoodle?

Any advice welcome.
John.