I've owned and cruised several small yachts, but my big problem was how to get ashore after arriving at my destination. My solution was to use an inflatable tender, but the Avon and similar dinghies were too big for stowing aboard; therefore, the only alternative was a cheap pneumatic dinghy, the sort children play with when at a beach. In practice, I found this Woolworths' plaything could never be made rigid, no matter how hard I tried to inflate it, and always, after being on the water for a short while, I would find myself sitting in a puddle! Getting to windward was almost impossible, because the only way to do so was to paddle like mad with a couple of objects that resembled table tennis bats. Oars would have been better, but similar craft seldom have them, and if they do, they are never long enough, or sturdy enough. Additionally, my cheap dinghy was of poor quality, and before long her rubberized fabric perished, rendering her useless.

After acquiring my first 'proper' boat, a Torbay Class 2 Racer, I chanced upon a Prout folding dinghy. She was the total solution; a small, light, tender, that could be assembled in a jiffy, and, when packed flat, took up little space. I stowed mine on the cabin top. Although my Prout dinghy was only 6 feet in length she could accommodate 2 people. Furthermore, a small outboard motor could be attached to her stern.

The Prout brothers started their very successful boat building business by manufacturing these utility dinghies made of plywood, hardwood and waterproofed canvas. When Prouts ceased building them to concentrate on catamarans, other 'entrepreneurs' believed there was a market for something similar, but because they were competing against one another and there was a downturn in the economy, their fledgling businesses failed - apart from a couple of notable exceptions: the makers of the Seahopper, and the Porta-Bote, both of which are manufactured today.

For people who can't afford these relatively pricey craft, what is the alternative? Well, build your own! An Origami folding dinghy.

She's very similar to the Prout boat, and 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.

For full details visit Woodenwidget.com.

Bill. 02.02.08