Hamburg - Folding boats long occupied a small niche of the market and were wrongly regarded as cumbersome. But their popularity has grown in recent years. "Since the 1990s, I have observed a kind of folding-boat renaissance," remarked Herbert Kropp, from the northern German town of Oldenburg and publisher of Folding Boat Yearbook.
German folding-canoe and kayak enthusiasts talk shop about the advantages of various materials and accessories at places like the web site faltboot.de these days. Folding boats, which have a slightly stodgy image, are still stuck with the reputation of being, well, different. Rightly so, according to Kropp, who said:
"Folding boats are for individualists."
Some time is needed before a folding boat can be launched because it, unlike a hardshell kayak or canoe, has to be assembled first. A frame consisting of longerons and ribs is inserted into the boat's skin. The procedure usually takes no more than half an hour.
Despite the effort required for assembly, folding-boat owners prize the independence that the vessels give them. Neither a boathouse nor a garage is needed to store the two 20-to-35 kilogramme boat bags, and there is generally no problem transporting them in a train or as check-in baggage on a plane.
"Folding boats are travel boats," said Volker Detlefsen, a folding- boat expert with Hamburg-based Globetrotter, a company specialising in outdoor clothing and camping equipment.
The boats are also forgiving of many a beginner's mistake, as Ralph Diaz notes in his folding-boat classic Complete Folding Kayaker. Because of their wide, flat hulls, they do not capsize easily. And with proper maintenance they can last for decades. The boats' skins are more durable than they seem and can be repaired, like the frames, with some practice.
When you are looking to buy a folding boat, the construction and material are decisive. Opinions differ, for instance, on the pros and cons of models with air tubes on the sides. The advantage is their simpler construction since the boat's skin is made taut by inflating the tubes. In other models, the frame has to be pressed rather forcefully into the skin; these boats lie better in the water, though.
There are also various materials. The outer skin is generally made of a sturdy cotton fabric. In most cases the fabric substrate is waterproofed with either Hypalon, which is a synthetic rubber, or with PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
"Hypalon folds more easily in the cold," said Rainer Schroeter, who gives folding-boat tips on his Web site faltboot.net.
The latest on the market are skins impregnated with highly abrasion-resistant polyurethane, a synthetic resin, which are more costly.
After every tour, the boat's skin should be allowed to dry thoroughly.
Wooden frames, which are quite common, are very durable and fairly easy to repair. Aluminium tubing is lighter but prone to corrode during salt-water tours.
"It helps to grease the slide and snap-frame fittings well beforehand, and then rinse them off with fresh water afterward," Schroeter advised. Carbon-fibre tubing is even lighter, but expensive.
There are many manufacturers of folding boats worldwide. Two are in Germany: Pouch and Klepper, with their standard models RZ (Pouch) and Aerius (Klepper).
"Assembling the latest RZ 96 takes a bit longer than the Klepper boats with their air tubes," Detlefsen said, adding that boats by Pouch, previously an East German company, were a little less expensive, however.
The cost of a new folding boat depends on the material and the manufacturer. At the lower end of the price scale is a two seater by the Russian maker Triton, with an aluminium frame and PVC skin, for around 1,500 euros (2,335 dollars). Assembling it, Detlefsen said, required some explanation and practice.
The standard model by Pouch costs about 2,000 euros, and Klepper's sells for 2,300 euros without accessories. At the upper end of the price scale are models by US maker Feathercraft with polyurethane skins. They cost up to 6,000 euros.
A folding boat need not be purchased new. Used ones can be had for several hundred euros. "With a lot of luck, you can even find a boat that was lying in somebody's attic for a few euros in the classified ads," Schroeter said.
If a boat is used, the new owner should especially examine its skin and frame.
"You should test it in the water," Schroeter said. The frames of improperly stored boats can warp, causing the vessel to always drift in one direction.
INFO BOX: Simple tears and holes in a folding-boat's skin can be temporarily repaired with tape during day tours. The deck can be mended with needle and threat, and rubber skins can be patched like bicycle tyres. When PVC skin is damaged, PVC patches must be welded or glued onto it. Splintered wooden rods can be fixed with a mixed adhesive. To stabilise the broken area, it is advisable to wrap it with nylon twine. Short breaks can be hafted and supplemented with a suitable piece. Bent or broken aluminium tubes can be temporarily splinted.
