Warwick, the folding kayak in the post by Paul Jacobsen is a Percy Blandford design. The 11ft version of this is in his book, Canoes and Canoeing, available from some used booksellers and listed at www.bookfinder.com (just search on the name and title) One feature of this design is that it has a huge (4'7" long) cockpit. That would give you room to put your son in front of you for the next couple of years, without banging him in the head with the paddle shaft. The design dates from the '50s, so you have to be creative with the skin, as the material Blandford specified doesn't appear to be available any more.

If you wish, I can send you a photocopy of the line drawings and bill of materials, and if you want to try the boat, you can get the book through bookfinder. Blandford specified that the reader is free to build boats "for his own or club use" but not for sale, without paying a fee. I am getting into building a 14' rigid skin on frame from the book.

If you would like a copy of the materials I offered you, email me your snail mail address. My scanner is broken, so I can't scan the pages and email them to you.

Roger

: Hi Wayne,

: I am in the same boat (bad pun intended) My wife has expressed increasing
: frustration with my obsession with building a folding kayak. It started as
: an idea to build the '4 hour quick grip kayak' but lacking suitable trees
: to start hacking away at I decided to buy the materials, then if I'm going
: to do a simple kayak than do a better one, so a small single comes along.
: I am now designing a 1.5 - it's not quite a double, it's a single with a
: place for my 6yo boy. And due to my situation, a folder is demanded.

: The best sites I have found are: The Amateur Folding Boat Builders' Corner
: //www.pouchboats.com/building.html
: Baidarka Mailing List ://rtpnet.org/robroy/baidarka

: The biggest problem I am finding at the design phase is how to join the
: various parts. Looking at websites has given me some ideas, and prevented
: some massive over engineering.

: The way I figure it is if I stick to copying what has been done before,
: follow some of the traditional rules then at least the thing will float.
: If it can't track I'll say it's built to turn, if it can't turn then it's
: built to cruise and if it tips over then I'm practicing rolling!

: Have Fun,

: Warwick