FlatFloat is a folding PVC dinghy for boats from 9 to 15 meters. No semi-rigid tubes to ensure buoyancy, but an aluminum and carbon structure that unfolds and installs in 3 minutes, a bit like a folding chair or a tent. Then, you just have to cover this cube-shaped structure with a PVC tarpaulin to obtain a floating and solid dinghy!
"Like a boat, you don't need a lot of air, you need volume to ensure flotation." explains Hans Verheil, founder of the company of the same name.
The idea was to offer " a smart dinghy alternative for small boats that doesn't require inflation." But also to propose a more aesthetic solution to the problems of storage: "On small boats, if you want to keep the dinghy inflated, you have to put it on the deck and it spoils the view." Flatfloat also saves space: "There are always space issues on a small boat."
Quick to install, it can be folded after each use in its bag with advantageous dimensions (86 x 51 x 25 cm). It can also be left flat in the cockpit or on the deck temporarily. The dinghy weighs only 27 kg, a weight equivalent to an inflatable dinghy and easy to handle.
Delivered with paddles already installed for rowing, it can be used for rowing or with an outboard motor installed on the back. You just have to sit on the central bench or on the sides to navigate with 3 or 4 people. " The absence of floats and the height of the structure on the water allow not to get wet", adds the founder. However, we will ask ourselves the question when there is sea.
To develop the Flatfloat, Hans Verheij and Franck Meuleman spent three years testing, innovating and developing this new kind of tender. In fact, they won the innovation award at the HISWA boat show in Amsterdam, before officially launching their product at Boot Düsseldorf in January 2019.
Price : 1 795 euros TTC
