SOME REVIEWS
Article from Classic Boat Magazine June 2007 (pdf 500k)
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This from James Dwyer, buyer of the Origami 8 plans....
I've always wanted to build my own boat but having the confidence to apply my experience of
fixing bits & bobs on boats to actually building something as complex as a boat is the hurdle I
have to overcome. Your site & detailed instructions have given me the confidence to do so.
Your site created a 'cottage industry' type feel that, along with the very reasonable price you
are charging, created a very supportive approach from me. Nice and easy process to pay &
download.
As for the plans, they are easy to read but not patronising.
Great intro discussions about materials, tools & techniques. They really help to build
confidence.
Pictures are excellent...'worth a thousand words' as they say. They really help you visualise
what you are trying to achieve every step along the way.
Valuable appendix of links & addresses. I wouldn't have known where to start looking for
some items.
I liked the variations section. It helps people to create something for their specific needs. I
was interested in something lighter than the 30kg Seahopper I was planning to use.
James
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As an amateur boat builder myself, I have an eye for a boat that gives me a lot of usefulness
in return for my time and money. When I first saw this boat, I begged Benjy for the rights to
sell it on our website. I just knew it would be an instant hit and sure enough we sold several
sets the first day. In fact now we find that it has outsold all the other hundred-odd plans that
we offer.
As editor of an ezine for amateur boat builders, I know what folks want to build and for many
this is it. If you have a microcruiser you can lash it on deck and use it to row ashore from an
anchorage. If you are an apartment dweller, you can store it in a closet and use it on
weekends at the local pond. If you are camping, tie it to the top of your car or caravan and
use it for an extra dimension on outings. The instructions are crystal clear and perfect -
either for someone who has never built anything or an accomplished craftsman.
Chuck Leinweber
www.duckworksmagazine.com
www.duckworksbbs.com
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When I first saw the Origami I was dubious. Folding dinghies were not my thing, but reading
through the site my opinion was swayed. I started thinking back to the times one of these
would have been very useful on the 18' micro-class sailing boat we used to cruise up and down
the local coastline on.
Benjy was kind enough to supply a set of plans for review and once again I was scratching my
head. I am used to line drawings and offset tables and the like. Here the plans are a full
colour 70 page PDF "book" and the tracing and making of each part is described with infinite
detail in a step by step textual manner with photos. The first read through is a bit
overwhelming because there is so much information. On the second read the logic falls into
place - even the complete novice will find the information required to successfully build
Origami.
The amount of work that has gone into the writing of these "plans" (instructions in the
noblest form is a more adequate description of the document) is clear throughout. And the
insights into tools and materials to use clearly come from one who has built boats in wood!
Well worth the modest sum and I am looking forward to seeing many of these folding dinghies
built and used in ports around the world.
Tony Grant
Editor - www.amateurboatbuilding.com
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.....I think she's the answer for anybody who wants a cheap, light, instantly assembled, little
folding dinghy. At £25 for the plans, and a pittance for the materials, I believe she must be a
bargain.
Bill
www.smallsailboats.co.uk
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