For long I have been fascinated by collapsible boats. We own a Feathercraft K2, and although a bit on the heavy side it is a dream to be able to take a kayak on a plane. A couple of years I ago I wanted to build a single folding kayak, but insufficient attic space blocked the effort. Recently I stumbled on the internet over the magnificent site www.yostwerks.com, by Thomas Yost. Thomas has been designing and building folding kayaks for years and is sharing all his designs and knowledge on his site. His latest efforts have been the development of a series of seaworthy inflatable seakayaks called "Sonnet". Those kayaks are way beyond anything that is currently on the market. The traditional image of a folding kayak is that of the large, wide, overly stable double kayak. And then come the Yost Sonnet designs: sleek, narrow, rugged greenland-style kayaks, capable of handling rough water, and that in a package with a weight below 10 kg that you even can transport on the back of a motorcycle. Amazing.
Here an beautifull Sonnet 16 example build by David Long. (courtesy www.yostwerks.com)I have a trip planned to Australia to visit my brother who happens to be living aboard a boat near Sydney. Actually, his boat is the larges sailing Proa in existence that he designed and build himself, but that is another story found at www.pacificproa.nl.
With this:
as my temporary home, a seakayak would be a treat for an avid seakayaker like me. So I am going to build a Sonnet 16 and take it on the Plane to down under.
In this blog I will try to document the building process and share my experiences. The design details can be found at the inflatable kayak builders manual. This build wil be mine, but all credits for the design and the technology are for Thomas Yost, of course.
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