Anatomy of a Folbot.
It all begins with the highest quality materials.
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Stainless Steel Keel Brackets. Close up of Stainless Steel Keel Bracket These corrosion proof, tough brackets allow assembly without tools. Unbreakable Molded Urethane Cockpit Fittings. Close up of Cockpit Fittings Our cockpit fittings are proprietary to Folbot and are designed to withstand any abuse. Adjustable Seats. Close up of Adjustable Seats You can adjust our seats forward and aft, as well as the angle of incline, for a comfortable ride. Anodized Hinges. Close up of Anodized Hinges These corrosion proof hinges are designed to fit in tight spaces and fold flat, helping reduce the size of the carrying cases. Anodized Aluminum Washboards. Close up of Anodized Aluminum Washboards Etched and coated with clear anodizing, these tough washboards stay cool on hot, sunny days. Polycarbonate Keel Ends. Close up of Polycarbonate Keel End Our rock solid keel ends are injection molded with glass fiber to increase their strength and rigidity. Drawn Anodized Aluminum Tubing. Close up of Drawn Anodized Aluminum Tubing We use aircraft grade 6063 T-6 seamless tubing for a very high strength/weight ratio. Polycarbonate Frame Plates. Close up of Polycarbonate Frame Plates These proprietary parts have a spring clip allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. They are fiberglass filled for increased strength. Tube cradles are molded on the back side to increase strength and rigidity. Drawn Anodized Black Aluminum Cross Frames. Close up of Aluminum Cross Frames Shaped from our aircraft grade aluminum tubing and anodized in black, these cross frames have a very high strength/weight ratio and will last for years of maintenance-free use. Hypalon Skins. Close up of Hypalon (synthetic rubber) Skin Hypalon (synthetic rubber) laminated to both sides of 1000 denier tire cord makes up the hull fabric used in all Folbots, while a sun-resistant, urethane-coated polyester is used for the decks. The 35 oz. Hypalon is an expedition-quality fabric that has proven to be very reliable and durable, even for use in the military where we are told the boats are treated anything but gently. Other well known applications for Hypalon are in white water rafts and as roofing material (due to its resistance to UV). Both the deck and hull fabrics are extremely puncture and abrasion resistant, and will withstand many years of hard use. The bow and stern keel ends are further protected by a custom-extruded solid aluminum rub strip. Zippers. Close up of YKK #10 Zipper Easy access to gear has been accomplished by zippering the decks of a number of the kayaks. The zippers are brutes (#10 YKK) and are guaranteed for the life of the boat. All closures have been designed with water tightness in mind, with Velcro storm flaps over the zippers. Sponsons. Close up of an inflatable Sponson All Folbots feature inflatable sponsons that run the full length of the boat. When inflated the sponsons tension the skin, locking the longitudinal frames into the cross frames, add additional flotation, and flare the hull out just above the water line to give increased stability. Our sponsons are not integrated into the skin. Instead they are housed in special hull pockets and are easily replaced, should that ever be necessary. Sponsons are guaranteed for as long as you own your kayak. |