Folding Kayaks Forum

Have not seen this in the flesh, only the photos. The change is that the two side longerons now terminate in fixtures firmly attached to the sternpost, just as they do at the bow. The original arrangment had them floating loose, with extendable inserts. This is definitely much better.

_________________
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
--
Folbot Kodiak, Cooper, and Edisto; three hardshells; Mothership: Surf Scoter the Bartender; dinghy Little Blue Duck.

Looks like a definate improvement. I wonder though if that piece might proove to be an abrasian point on the inside of the hull? It looks from the pictures at least, like it sticks out a little too much. I am sure Phil and his gang have figured that out.

Interesting point. This has been standard for a while now though, and there haven't been any reports of problems so far as I know. At this point the skin is generally not pushed that tightly to the frame, so I suspect that abrasion wouldn't be an issue under normal conditions. At least, no more of an issue than it is at the crossribs.

The white block (looks like HDPE) is there as a spacer to keep the skin from contacting the fittings where the longerons connect to the stem piece. When the skin is tightened, there is no movement there, i.e. no abrasion.

My first assembling time of FC Kahuna after the winter was 45 minutes with rudder. (Normally it's 30-35). I was cursing their FC precision and stiffness, thinking of some easily assembled and dissembled short-trip boat, such that would be easy to paddle too. Cooper is the closest so far. In a few more years they could make a really decent boat out of it.... By that time age and laziness will probably force me back to hardshells, though (for day and weekend paddling)...

I think the boat for you in your dotage would be the Aleut, Alex -- Cooper is about as much trouble to assemble as that Kahuna, most days. I looked down my nose at that stupid little Aleut until I paddled one on a very rough day. With its very short waterline, it just busies itself over and around the wavehumps ... and it never needs a rudder. An underrated boat, I think. And, easy as pie to assemble. Not sleek, but it works well.

_________________
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
--
Folbot Kodiak, Cooper, and Edisto; three hardshells; Mothership: Surf Scoter the Bartender; dinghy Little Blue Duck.

Aleut... Easy to paddle, but not so easy to keep it going, you know... What I meant by "easy to paddle" was how easily it could cover a distance, speaking of speed and efforts. In rough waters... it's diferent, yes. A basin like Aleut feels better then,, but I like to be able to control the boat. With asssembling - Cooper isn't on the average much faster to assemble than Kahuna, may be by a few minutes, you're right, but less intense efforts. I wouldn't expect a commercial boat of that length to be assembled in 15 minutes at normal pace, and dissembled in under 10. The only way out is something like hybrides by Tom Yost.

Much the same as the Puffin 2, and people seem to have much the same attitude/response to the boat.

_________________
Chris T.
~'91 Klepper A2 w/ BSD schooner rig.
'64 Klepper Passat/Tradewind and T12 restoration projects.
Non-folding: Early '90s Old Town Canoe.
Previously owned '04 Pakboat Puffin II and '05 Swift (prototype), as well as an '84 Hobie 16.