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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