A while ago I found Bill Weller’s Flapdoodle design for a folding dinghy here on Duckworks. I got the plans and started the project. After about six month of working on the little boat I had my folding dingy.

Why did I make a boat that many would consider a novelty? Among the reasons for choosing this design are the following:

• a small mess-about boat without a motor that wouldn’t require a trailer or pose an outdoor storage problem.
• a boat for occasional day time use.
• capacity for one adult.
• a seat that would allow me to keep my hips, legs and torso at close to 90 degrees. You guessed it, I am not as limber as I used to be. Getting into and out of a kayak is not as easy or as fun as it once was.
• made of wood.
• no fiberglass.

Bill’s design seemed to fit all my requirements. So I started.

My little dinghy is made out of exterior grade luan. This is not the most durable or reliable material to use for a hull. However, I am not the first person to make a boat out of this relatively inexpensive material. I watched the supply at the lumber yard until I saw a shipment that looked good and bought five 4’ x 8’ sheets. I cut out the pieces and painted each side with at least two coats of outdoor spar urethane.

I glued Dacron to the outside of the four hull plates to provide a small degree of added abrasion protection and strength.

Perhaps the most unique part of my construction of this dinghy is that I sewed the hull together with 50 lb test mono fishing line.

I covered these flexible hinges with PVC cloth, sealed with caulk and secured with batten boards.

The exterior paint was just Rustoleum--red for the bottom, black for the hinge covers, and white for the sides.

The same PVC cloth covered the bow and stern, completing the hull’s seal against water.

My own website offers a lot more information and pictures about how I built my “Barquito” The little boat draws a crowd when I take the folded hull and the pieces of the boat out of my Honda CRV. The question I get asked most often is “Did you really make that?” When I am out on the water, those in kayaks and canoes paddle over and say, “Nice boat you’ve got there.” I think so, too.

I have been out on the lake for hours at a time. Not a drop of water has come through the hull or the hinges. This is a boat to enjoy using, but it can’t be kept in the water or moored.

Is it a durable boat? I hope it lasts several seasons of light use. It is not a work boat.

Is it stable? It is a bit tender when I get in and out of it. But once I am seated it is very stable. I have never felt afraid in it when out on the water. The design itself provides added strength when all the pieces are assembled to form the hull and thwarts.

Could it be used in open water? I feel comfortable using it on protected lakes.

Can you stand up in the boat to fish? No.

Was it easy to build? Sewing the hull took time. But I like working with wood, so I enjoyed the project. Other boats can be built quicker, some in a weekend or two. This project took me 6 about months, working off and on.

Can you sail this dinghy? Bill Weller claims it sails.

What is its best use? Just messing around.

Are you glad you built it? Yes!

Plans available at:

duckworksbbs.com/plans/flapdoodle/index.htm