: My husband's birthday is coming up and I am looking for a pattern to a kayak
: we recently saw. We talked to the people who had them, and they said they
: were made in the 70's by a high school shop teacher and they thought the
: pattern came from POPULAR MECHANICS. I have been searching and searching
: everywhere I can think of and have been unable to find anything. Perhaps
: somebody has a copy of this or can tell me where I can get one quickly!

: The kayak is made out of one sheet of plywood and is collapsible. The gussets
: (I think that is what they are called) are held in place by pressure and
: the sides have some sort of taping or fabric stripping around them to make
: it flexible, enabling them to fold flat.

: If anyone can help me, please respond to my email, bubba41437@hotmail.com

: Thanks!

I think you're looking for the plywood folding kayak that orginated in the early 60s. It's not a skin on frame. I've built three of the things so far, and they are the perfect boat for kids: easy, rugged enough, and utterly stable (my kids paddle them standing up, haule their friends around, and generally have a ball). You can build one in a weekend and can carry a dozen at once on the average roof rack. I think it's a terrific way to get kids hooked on paddling. Google "plywood folding kayak" and this is what you get:

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/articles/foldingkayak/
...the original PopMech pages, I think.

http://www.ida.net/users/tetonsl/kayak/
...basically the same stuff, but funkier

http://www.vhcbsa.org/camping/kayak.pdf
...ultra-organized Boy Scout version of the same boat

http://www.troop37.net/Kayak_Plans-2000.pdf
...yet another Scout version

These boats will win no awards for naval architecture--but they're great.

--Scott