"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.

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.

"MMC" wrote in message
. ..
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

Potabote seems to have quite a good reputation but I'm hoping to save by
building my own - ply seems like the easiest route.
Have taken the plunge and bought the plans for Flapdoodle - quite
comprehensive plans/instructions, although it looks surprisingly
complicated. Now all I need is the time to make it - don't hold your breath!
J

Known what you mean, time and money don't usually show up at the same time
around our house!
Any boat project I do takes a heck of a lot longer that I plan on because
work and life get in the way.
MMC
"John Seager" wrote in message
...
"MMC" wrote in message
. ..
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

Potabote seems to have quite a good reputation but I'm hoping to save by
building my own - ply seems like the easiest route.
Have taken the plunge and bought the plans for Flapdoodle - quite
comprehensive plans/instructions, although it looks surprisingly
complicated. Now all I need is the time to make it - don't hold your
breath!
J

John Seager wrote:
I know there are dozens of folding dinghy designs around but few look much
like a real boat. Any advice welcome.
John.

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=RowBoats/HandyAndy

Ah... the good old days... standing in a small boat in the middle of
winter with no life vest...


Sam wrote:
John Seager wrote:
I know there are dozens of folding dinghy designs around but few look much
like a real boat. Any advice welcome.
John.

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=RowBoats/HandyAndy

On 6 Oct 2006 09:10:42 -0700, "pwiggins" wrote:

Ah... the good old days... standing in a small boat in the middle of
winter with no life vest...


Sam wrote:
John Seager wrote:
I know there are dozens of folding dinghy designs around but few look much
like a real boat. Any advice welcome.
John.

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=RowBoats/HandyAndy

I just received the Portabote folding boat brochure and prices by snailmail. The
brochure and referees seem to present it in situations whereby it is used only
in relatively calm inland or protected waters.

I am considering using it as a yacht tender where sometimes you are forced to
use it in rough conditions. The inflatable we had for 10 years died of old age
and I am currently using the excellent Swanson (Australian made) break-apart GRP
9 foot nesting dinghy which is easy for two to assemble, move about on deck and
launch. However, it is a different story single handed. It is however an
excellent rowboat.

A plus for the Portabote is that it apparently requires less HP to drive it
than does an equivalent sized inflatable and consequently makes transfering the
outboard from yacht to dinghy easier. Currently I can easily handle the 3.3HP
Mercury. I would probably have to install some type of jib crane for a larger
motor.

Question: Can anyone please advise of any experience of Portabotes as yacht
tenders for a cruising yacht in unprotected ocean anchorages?

As an alternative, I am considering purchasing a new hyperlon inflatable in
Florida on my way back to my yacht on the hard in Trinidad. I googled but was
not very successful. Any suggestions please?

Any help greatly appreciated.

cheers
Peter Hendra
N.Z. yacht Herodotus

"Sam" wrote in message
http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=RowBoats/HandyAndy

The Handy Andy looks like a decent little boat but there's some really
amazing designs on this site. Several of which have to be eligible for the
'ugliest floating object' award, not to mention one or two worthy of a
Darwin award! These days a beach ball is half covered in safety warnings
(this is not a life preserver etc) - can you imagine what the EU bureaucrats
would make of an inner tube fitted with a mast and sail?
J