Thread: WWW (weird and wonderful world) of folding kayaks

Originally Posted by KJL38

I don't know if this is related to either trip but a few years ago I saw this postcard on ebay and saved a copy to try and find more details but never found anything, does anyone know anything about it?

Hi,

I am so glad that Greg and I are not just having a private conversation here....

I assume you don't have a better picture, pity.
I am fairly certain the first word on the boat deck is LONDON, for the second I would like to guess SYDNEY.
The first name of the signature is definitely Colin. I can't make out the family name (Sxxxixxxay ???).

I tried Google with this info, but the nearest I came was a 2009 report on an Aussie who wanted to do the London-Sydney trip on a ... Sea-Doo! Times have well changed....

So no, this is not one of the guys I was thinking of.

However, we may have just found another heroic, and unfortunately unknown, long distance kayaker.

This is getting to be a crowd,

Cheers,

Viktor

Faltboot rather than flatboot! Sorry about that...although ...makes sense!

I know what you mean Viktor about the private conversation! The more contributions the merrier, of course.

I guess what the 1971 finishing date for Pionier Faltboot! means though is 1971 is not so long ago (at least, it seems that way to me!) so there must be people around who have quite a lot of information about the company. Anyone???

GregF

Hello All,

Here is another presentation of the Oscar Speck story that has a couple more interesting facts included:

Letters to our Friends

and here is something about Oscar Speck's house at Killcare:

http://www.bouddisociety.org.au/user...car-speck.html

GregF

Originally Posted by pindimar

Faltboot rather than flatboot! Sorry about that...although ...makes sense!

I know what you mean Viktor about the private conversation! The more contributions the merrier, of course.

I guess what the 1971 finishing date for Pionier Faltboot! means though is 1971 is not so long ago (at least, it seems that way to me!) so there must be people around who have quite a lot of information about the company. Anyone???

GregF

Hi,
I had seen the "flat", but I thought it was a typo.

Viktor

Originally Posted by Viktor

Hi,

However, we may have just found another heroic, and unfortunately unknown, long distance kayaker.

This is getting to be a crowd,

Cheers,

Viktor

It's a bit weird to quote myself, but I just found another one, and this guy is "Live" so-to-speak.
B.R.Faltbootabenteuer

The website is not very informative and I could not figure out whether he plans to do this or is actually on the way at the moment.

Viktor
P.S. I sent him an email and asked. We'll see.

Had a chance to call by Killcare Heights today, so took a couple of photos from the gate of the house that Oscar Speck built in 1952 and then lived in until his death in the 1990s at the age of 88. It was not a great day for the long distance shots across the Bay, but you can still see that it's a pretty spectacular setting. Apparently he did quite a lot of landscaping and gardening at the time and the property was much more extensive in those days. The house (or houses, as, apparently he built the house next door for his life partner, Nancy Steele) are now relatively encroached upon by what looks suspiciously like suburbia, but in the fifties it must have been wonderful

GregF

Sorry, meant to attach this one!

Sandy Robson a paddler from Western Australia is currently retracing much of Oscar Specks journey. Her Blog is at Blog

The photograph of the double kayak certainly seems to be a PBK - you may wish to know that Percy is still going strong - now 98 years of age - his plans can be obtained in USA - there are certainly lots of his canoe designed and home built boats about in UK
I live in Germany, the "home" of the folding kayak and would be glad to assist with any translation work. I have a Hammer single seater - 50 years old which I used in Greenland 2 years ago, on the west coast.
I am vice chairman of the Historic Canoe and Kayak Association, and would be grateful for good shots of the Oskar Speck exhibition.
As this is my first post with you, I look forward to lively discussion with you. BTW there is a book just out about the Australian Folboat company which manufactured folding kayaks for the Australian forces in WW2

TonyF, can you tell us any more about the book you mentioned? title? publisher? links?

thanks
Kelvin