Folding Kayakers in the UK

[Limey Dave]

Hi Tim,
By all means give me a shout !
Dave
pilgrim632000@yahoo.co.uk

[turbo]

Hi Dave, Elliot et al.

I've been trying to pm but I don't think it's been very successful. Suffice to say I'd been keen to get out on the weekend of 13/14th June. (I am busy up till then).

I can get away from work by around 16.00 on the 12th and would be quite happy to camp.

The Broads looks quite good to me but I'm open to other suggestions. Happy on the sea.

If it is to be the Broads then I'll leave it up to you guys to suggest somewhere as you'll probably know the better places. Otherwise I'll head to Thurne (spelling), as I know the campsite there on Fri/Sat morn, with a plan to paddle up toward Hickling Broad for o/night and return.

Interested....?

Cheers

Tim.

Ps; Can I get license on-line.

[Bagboatman]

Are there any other folding kayakers in the London area?! I have a Folbot Yukon and am learning to use it on the Thames near Chiswick. It would be great to find a fellow spirit in this area...

Why is it that folding kayaks seem only to be known of here, if at all, from their past and present military use?

John

[maryinoxford]

User BaronSamedi, who joined this forum a few months ago, is from London, although maybe not your area. His introductory post is here: viewtopic.php?t=3754

But we're literally few and far between in the UK, with no real history or culture of using folding craft. If you'd like paddling partners, you're much more likely to find them using plastic or fibreglass boats, sit-on-tops, canoes or inflatables. You might make some contacts via "UK Rivers Guidebook" or "Song of the Paddle" forums.

Having said that, today while out in my Feathercraft in Oxford, I met a paddler in Klepper. But that was a rare event, and he's from Cambridge, not local to me.

Enjoy your boat, anyway. The Yukon is often reckoned the most useful of the Folbot line, and you'll find it has a lot of fans over on the Folbot Forum (but most of them are in America - sorry!)

Mary

[Bagboatman]

Thanks, Mary. I need to get a lot more experience here in all aspects of kayaking with a folder but at some stage it would be great to paddle in Oxford!
John

[idc]

Hi John,

It was me that Mary met (and great to meet you it was, Mary!), and yes, I'm up in Cambridge. I read today that someone has taken on a Wayland dealership for the UK, so maybe there will be lots more of us soon: http://www.foldingkayaks.org/phpBB/view ... =59&t=3858
He seems to be based in Reading. You are lucky being on the Thames. We paddled down to Oxford from Cricklade at Easter and I think a trip out to Oxford again to further explore the backwaters is now higher up my list of priorities.

All the best,
Ian

[mumble]

Hi to all the UK folders,

I'm in Suffolk and am in the process of building a Yost Sea Cuiser 17R and a paddling friend who lives reasonably close is building a Yost Sea Tour 15, so that will be two more folders in the Suffolk/Norfolk area.

Cheers
Bob

[maryinoxford]

Hi Bob,

Just wondered how you and your friend are getting on with your Yost boats. Photos of the build are always interesting...

Mary

[salford]

Hello everyone

I'm based up in Manchester, and about to buy (I hope) a Trak kayak. Would be great if I could find some people to go paddling with on the Welsh coast or up in Scotland.

Cheers

Eric