Origami Launched  
By Bruce Raddatz - Calgary, Alberta - Canada

Hi Chuck and Sandra,

I launched my Origami today. It floats! I'm attaching a few pictures.

I made a couple of modifications. In order to make it out of one sheet of plywood (with lots left for the rudder) I had to have a butt joint in the floorboards. I think you can see them in the picture. My skegs are made from 3/8 inch plywood, trimmed all around with ash to protect the grain. I need to shim the center block for the rear swing- out pieces, as they need to be a bit tighter. Also, I had a couple of small leaks on one side so I'll have to try to seal those. The silicone doesn't really stick to the PVC so I may look for another sealant. I'll try some latex sealant to see if it's better.

The rudder stuff I ordered hasn't arrived yet, but I don't have the sailing rig and the cross piece made yet, anyway.

The instructions and your site say the finished weight of the hull is about 26 lbs. I used marine plywood, ash for the keel, transom and floor supports, and fir for the other trim bits, and mine weighs 50 lbs.

I can't wait to try sailing it, but it's getting hard to find time to work now that the family fall routine has started.

Bruce

Origami Plans are available at:

https://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/origami/dinghy/

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