Paper boat: a version with a more realistic rigging

Everyone knows the eternal little boat made with a sheet of paper. But there are a variety of boat folding models: sailboats, motorboats, boats, catamarans, old riggings, the world of origami has no limits! Here is one with a real headsail!

Winter evenings, long boat watches, rainy afternoons with the kids - there are plenty of opportunities to learn new folds and improve your skills. So impress your friends by making original paper boats. Here is a first model with a more credible headsail than the classic folding.

For this model, we use square papers, whose two sides are, ideally, of a different color.

Preparation of the folds

The first step is to mark folds. For this pattern, you need to make the 4 basic folds: the diagonals and the halves. If you have a two-color paper, the boat sail will be the color on top.

Du papier carré bicolore pour l'origami
Two-tone square paper for origami

The second step requires bringing three of the four points to the center of the figure. Just follow the traces of the folds previously marked.

Ramener 3 pointes au centre de la figure
Bring 3 points to the center of the figure

Then the tip of the base triangle is folded down to 1cm from the edge.

Baisser la pointe vers le bas jusqu'à 1cm du bord
Lower the tip down to 1cm from the edge

Here is the tricky part of this folding. You have to pinch the high and low points that prefigure the sails to reverse the fold. The other folds are in valley, while the folds of the 2 sails are then in peak.

Pincer les deux pointes pour marquer les plis en crête
Pinch the two tips to mark the ridge folds

Hoist the sails!

The figure will slowly take shape thanks to the marking of the folds.

La figure se forme
The figure is formed
La forme préfigure le voilier
The shape prefigures the sailboat

Then, fold the bottom point to create the flat bottom of the sailboat. It is possible to stop at this point. The folded tip creates a base that allows the sailboat to stand.

Remonter la pointe du bas jusqu'au bord de la coque
Bring the bottom point up to the edge of the hull
Le pliage tient debout sur la pointe repliée vers l'arrière
The folding stands on the tip bent backwards

A keel to stay stable

To continue folding, it is necessary to unfold the last fold, turn the figure over and repeat the same operation by folding the bottom point to mark the fold in both directions. Finally, it is necessary to unfold the bottom of the figure to reverse the folds of the bottom point and turn it towards the inside of the shell.

Déplier la figure pour inverser les plis de la quille
Unfold the figure to reverse the folds of the keel

The operation is easy but a bit tricky. You have to proceed step by step.

La quille est rentrée dans la coque
The keel is in the hull

And here is your finished sailboat!

Le voilier en origami à deux voiles
The origami sailboat with two sails

To your papers!

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