The CAR BOOT CANOE is our latest development boat, a 15ft "Prospector"
type Canadian Canoe for a load of two adults or equivalent. She splits into
three sections that nest and fold over each other, so that you can fit the
dismantled boat inside many estate cars.

First Time Afloat! At this distance you can't even see the joints. Yes we
should be wearing buoyancy aids - but it was boiling hot, flat calm, we
forgot them, and we were itching to try her out! We found her to be
pretty stable for a craft of this type, yet still very easily driven.

She is made of fibreglass but unlike many others (because it makes the
moulding more difficult) does have "tumblehome", which pays dividends when
you're paddling - you don't have to reach out as far, reducing arm strain.

When dismantling her the smaller of the two end sections is removed altogether and fits (upside down) in the middle. This is shown above, but unfortunately not very clearly as you are seeing white-on-white...

...the other end then folds over the top, making a neat package that measures 161cm long, 85cm wide at widest point, and 70cm high (5ft 4" x 2ft 10" x 2ft 4"). That will fit into most if not all estate cars from Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus size upwards.

So having started with a 15ft canoe you end up with something that is 
approx 5ft long and 3ft wide. Apart from not having to lift it onto a roof
rack you won't be worrying about the windage on the motorway, and
carried inside the car it won't affect your fuel economy.

Even if you have somewhere to leave a canoe assembled for the Summer,
it is useful to be able to store her in a smaller space over the Winter, and
perhaps take her with you to other places on holiday - without struggling
to get her or on a roof rack etc (particularly when singlehanded).

As standard she will be for paddling, but we also intend to offer our
stainless steel outriggers (for rowing), and/or an electric motor.

The bulkheads at the joints are neatly incorporated with the two seats - whilst on display for the first time at Beale Park Boat Show (June 2010) many potential customers did not notice them at all, until pointed out. She has a symmetrical bow and stern, but with the seats (and bulkheads) at different distances from them, designed such that the bow when paddling solo is the stern when paddling with two. This gives better weight balance.

As with our other boats we use(massively overspecified!) half inch chromed brass bolts with captive threaded fittings to screw into - this way there are no nuts etc to lose. The large diameter thread does up relatively quickly and the handle on the end gives enough leverage that you don't need to use tools. A rubber washer waterproofs the bolts that are situated below the waterline. Assembly takes two minutes.

(Almost certainly less time than it would take you to get a non-sectional
canoe on/off a roof rack!)

There will be lots of options to customise your boat including items such as the inlaid bow detail shown here, brass keel protector strip, buoyancy tanks, motor mount etc.  The ultimate indulgence will be an all-wood version, built in cedar.

Standard boats will have glassfibre hulls, possibly upgradeable to high-tech
carbon/Kevlar to save weight and make handling of the sections easier.

We think pricing will start at somewhere around £1,250 for the "standard"
version. That would still include wooden gunwhales etc but not items such
as the veneer inlays and wicker seats shown here - they look great but
are time consuming and therefore expensive to make.

The Car Boot Canoe as shown here would be approximately £1,500.

EASY WAY TO PUT IT IN A CAR...

If loading singlehanded the easiest way is to put one end of the middle up on
the bumper, the other on the ground (preferably with a bit of carpet
underneath), then load the other sections into it...

... when it's all nested lift the end that's on the ground, and slide the whole
package forwards into the boot...

... Hey Presto, a 15ft canoe that fits right inside your car! It's shown here in a
BMW 5 series estate (97-04 model); we also know it fits the mid 90s Vauxhall
Astra estate, but haven't had the opportunity to try anything else yet.

WHAT NEXT?

If the idea of the Car Boot Canoe interests you we have now started a
waiting list for the first boats, which (judging by our previous new product
launches) would be advisable to get yourself onto early. 

As we don't have final production boats or firm pricing yet we're not asking
for complete commitment - but would take a refundable deposit of £100.
If you then don't like the production model and/or final pricing we will
give the deposit back in full.

This page will be updated as we get closer to the finished item.

Please feel free to email or phone us with your suggestions, comments
or requests. Email: mail@nestawayboats.com

Tel: 01202 423094 or 07768 600595