We haven’t been pining for a boat that could fit in the back of our Mercedes-Benz 300SD (or the backseat of your Studebaker Lark). But if we were, it would look a lot like the Flycraft: a boat that requires no truck, hitch or trailer. It is a beer raft you can hide in the back of a Honda Civic. It is 98 pounds of damn-good dingy.
While we’d stop short of recommending that you attempt to check the Flycraft in a bag on your next transatlantic flight as a back-up survival measure, you almost could. Conceived by Ben Scribner, a lifelong boater, the Flycraft’s M.O. is ultimate mobility before, in and after the water.
To get to the water, the inflatable boat folds down into something not much bigger, and no heavier, than a couple of bags of birdseed. Yes, not a one-man task, but very much a two. Once in the water, the Flycraft needs only four inches of depth, meaning that shallow creeks and rivers that confound other boats will become your private fishing grounds. The floor itself is completely solid—no squishy, unnerving surface, here—and the pontoon fenders provide a comfortable means against which to brace a knee. And, despite the small footprint, the Flycraft is built for two, meaning it’s the perfect modern-day rowboat for wine and cheese on the river or tiny fishing boat for you and a friend.
Oh, and the boat can also handle anything up to a 30-lb motor. Honda makes a feisty BF2.3, with 2.3 horsepower. In what is essentially a kayak, that ought to be fun. [via Kickstarter; $3,095 with all the trimmings]
