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Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
By:Yostwerks
Date: 1/27/2012, 12:36 pm
In Response To: Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak (ancient kayaker)

: Agree in spades. I like the sliding panels, something I was
: thinking about for a similar boat. The weight is impressively
: light for a folding boat and it looks like it will paddle as
: well as a regular boat.

: How long does it take to assemble and pack away?

Thanks ! I've assembled unfolded the Falco in under 4 minutes, though 5 is more the norm.
Disassembly / folding takes about half that time.

One of the keys to assembly is how much physical effort it takes, not just the time involved.
I'm yet to break into a sweat with the Falco :)

My Folbot Greenland II took about 15 minutes on a good day, and it was a fairly low effort process.
This was partly due to having a huge washboard style coaming which provided lots of maneuvering room for
assembly . The same is true with Klepper and others with this same open cockpit style. Though fairly easy
to assemble, this style of kayak is also difficult to homebuild, hence my decision early on to emulate
Feathercraft's much simpler construction method.

My Featherafts ( Kahuna / K-Light) on the other hand, with their small ( normal) size coaming were always
a wrestling match for me and I dreaded the assembly process which was about 20 - 25 minutes. I kept them
assembled all the time, and only folded / assembled them when traveling. Larger Feathercraft's like the K-1
are even more difficult to assemble, over 30 minutes I'm told.

I determined long ago that 30 minutes of struggling was the outer limit as far as assembly was concerned.
Any longer and it's simply not worth the effort.

My own aluminum / HDPE folders ( Sea Rider / Sea Tour's, etc.) take about 30 minutes to assemble, and they too are
a handfull to assemble.

The Sonnet's were my first attempt to speed up the assembly process, and they are an easy, low effort 8 - 10 minute assembly.
The 4 sponsons however are expensive, and are the basis for the hull shape, thereby limiting design options.

With the Falco's I think I've overcome the drawbacks associated with folding kayak assembly. Lots of assembly and paddling
this summer will determine if this is so. Their flat, rigid folded shape make them ideal for motorcycle transport.

Regards, Tom

Tom

Messages In This Thread

Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 1/26/2012, 12:47 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Michael -- 1/26/2012, 2:15 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
ancient kayaker -- 1/26/2012, 4:48 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
ancient kayaker -- 1/26/2012, 4:49 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 12:36 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
ancient kayaker -- 1/27/2012, 2:57 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 9:35 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
ancient kayaker -- 1/28/2012, 12:33 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 9:45 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 11:51 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Matthias -- 1/27/2012, 2:29 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 10:42 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Roy Martin -- 1/27/2012, 10:57 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 12:45 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Roy Martin -- 1/27/2012, 1:33 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Andrew -- 1/27/2012, 1:45 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 9:40 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Paul Montgomery -- 1/27/2012, 9:24 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 1/27/2012, 10:51 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Paul Montgomery -- 1/27/2012, 8:02 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Paul Montgomery -- 1/27/2012, 8:10 pm
Our Hats off to Tom *NM*
Robert W. -- 1/27/2012, 2:10 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Pierre Baribeau -- 2/24/2012, 11:47 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 2/25/2012, 11:49 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Simon -- 2/25/2012, 4:14 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Kevin McAtee -- 2/25/2012, 6:26 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 2/27/2012, 9:48 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Bill Hamm -- 2/28/2012, 4:59 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 2/29/2012, 12:38 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Bill Hamm -- 2/29/2012, 1:45 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Michael -- 3/3/2012, 3:09 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 3/7/2012, 10:37 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Banksia Bob -- 3/9/2012, 12:45 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak *PIC*
Yostwerks -- 3/9/2012, 9:11 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
BanksiaBob -- 3/9/2012, 8:19 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Gustav -- 8/12/2013, 11:00 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Falco Folding Kayak
Yostwerks -- 8/12/2013, 11:55 am