I'm considering two folding kayaks, a Feathercraft and a Folbot. Both companies are out of business as of this last year, so replacement parts will be nonexistent. I have no idea what the useful life of these things are. Both have aluminum frame work, which I'm assuming lasts indefinitely if taken care of. My main concern is the skin. Both are Hypalon on the bottom.

I haven't seen either in person yet. If the were lightlty used and stored packed away, is there a shelf life to the skins? The Feathercraft is an hour away, but his asking price is high enough that it isn't worth the risk if it turns to junk in few years. The Folbot is two hours away and the price is right that if I got two years use out of it I'd be happy.

The Folbot is a 2 person Greenland II, non-expedition. There was a single person conversion kit available for it. The Feathercraft is a single person K1. We have two 10' sit in rec kayaks and 13' two/three seat SOT. The SOT barely fits in the garage of our toy hauler and won't fit at all with the atv in the garage.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

I made the serious mistake of buying a very old Feathercraft. I saw it assembled. Stupidly, I did not ask the seller to pack it. It couldn't be disassembled. I ended up taking it to the dump.
It weighed 100 lbs. and I couldn't deal with it.
It wasn't Feathercraft's fault, it was negligence on the part of the seller.
Terrible shame about Feathercraft, they made the best, IMO, and if still in business I was ready to buy one of their kayaks now that I'm retired.

I believe that older boats of this type often suffer from UV damage over time that weakens them. You might look into that before you buy.

I don't have an answer for you but I remember seeing ads for Folbot in National Geographic as a kid, and thinking what a swell thing that would be. Now, I'm old enough to buy one but I can't get in or out of one.

we have two advanced elements inflatable ones, if space is your main concern. They work GREAT, so great that a few friends have borrowed them then immediately bought their own.

My 2 cents - if the price is very good, I would consider it. According to their website, Feathercraft will continue to make parts and can provide consultation.
Otherwise, there are a lot of good options out there for folding/inflatable kayaks. REI has some good ones for sale. And like a previous poster suggested, advanced elements is worth considering.

Is there something that is drawing you to folding boats rather than a hard shell boat? Storage? Transporting it? Other?

Transporting is the issue. Our 5th wheel toy hauler only has an 11 foot garage and as it is we can't fit both our atv and 13 foot SOT at the same time. Weight is also an issue, the 13 footer weighs a little over 80 pounds, while the Greenland II is 17' and weighs 62 pounds.

@sjtill - Good point about disassembling before making tbe deal. I've watched videos for both and can see how the tube within tube stringers that Feathercraft used could be hard to take apart. The Folbot doesn't have any of those.

@arfmel - When I lived in an apartment in Chicago only a few blocks from Lake Michigan, I drooled over the Kleppers, Featherlights, and Folbots. Never pulled the trigger. I bought an old Ericson 28 sailboat instead and kept it in moored in Monroe Harbor downtown.

As an update:

I've talked to the seller of the Folbot and I'm going to buy it. It has a sail kit, rudder, spray skirt, and the price is right. Plus, in one of the pics I spied a Trump/Pence lawn sign.

Half a lifetime ago my buddy Nearly Normal asked same question. While fabulous in design & build he never got his Folbot to be water tight. The frame was a spectacular sculpture though.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: signewt,

If cheap enough I wouldn't hesitate. Your in SWFL, so anyone that reskins RIB inflatable boats can redo the hypalon....however the price might not be to your liking.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
When I lived in an apartment in Chicago only a few blocks from Lake Michigan ... I bought an old Ericson 28 sailboat instead and kept it in moored in Monroe Harbor downtown.

Hah! I lived in an older apartment on Burton Place, corner of N. Clark (just south of Lincoln Park) in the early 1970s.

I was a partner in an Ericsson 32 that we kept moored in Turnham Harbor, just south of Monroe.

I don't know where the tradition started, but Monday evenings were designated to cruise along the seawall at Monroe and invite young ladies out for an evening sail. That stuff came to a quick halt in 1974 when I met the woman who is now my wife (met her flying, not sailing).

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
When I lived in an apartment in Chicago only a few blocks from Lake Michigan ... I bought an old Ericson 28 sailboat instead and kept it in moored in Monroe Harbor downtown.

Hah! I lived in an older apartment on Burton Place, corner of N. Clark (just south of Lincoln Park) in the early 1970s.

I was a partner in an Ericsson 32 that we kept moored in Turnham Harbor, just south of Monroe.

I don't know where the tradition started, but Monday evenings were designated to cruise along the seawall at Monroe and invite young ladies out for an evening sail. That stuff came to a quick halt in 1974 when I met the woman who is now my wife (met her flying, not sailing).

He meant Burnham Harbor, I think.

@V-Tail - in hindsight, buying a sailboat when I lived in Chicago was a much better choice than a kayak. We used to go trolling as well.

As an update:

I bought the Folbot. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Those inflatable kayaks look interesting. I was also wrong, the Folbot has 6 places with slip fit joints in the aluminum poles, but the Feathercraft has probably has more than 30. Fortunately, it wasn't an issue with this boat.

It did have a few loose rivets that I didn't notice when I picked it up, so I replaced them easily along with the vinyl hoses for inflating the sponsons. I spent $30 because I didn't have a pop rivet gun up here and I bought a bottle of 303 protectant. Otherwise, it's in great shape. No patches, holes, tears, all the aluminum poles are great, as are the glass filled polycarbonate cross members. It included a downwind sail kit and rudder that I don't believe has ever been used. Original paddles, spray skirt, bags, manual, and catalog.

$350 for the boat, $30 in parts and supplies at the hardware store, and $35 in diesel fuel picking it up on the otherside of the state (MI), smile on my daughter's face on our shakedown cruise this morning, priceless.

Looks great! A far better purchase than mine!

Which end do you put the motor on?

Very nice, hope you have many enjoyable trips with it!

Well, according to my daughter, the motor goes in the seat in the back.

Tried out the downwind sail and rudder kit today. Went by water to the nearest boat ramp, 4 miles. There's a store next to the ramp that sells ice cream.

Priceless!
You've already gotten your money's worth.
Everything from here on out is a bonus!

Excellent! I wish you enjoy many happy hours doing that.

Wow. That is simply the best. Time on the water with your kids are some of the best memories you will ever have.