Patent ID: 7568444

Claim:
A folding kayak comprising: a forward hull assembly comprising a first plurality of pre-assembled elongate longitudinal frame members, including a forward keel portion, port and starboard forward gunwale portions, port and starboard forward chine portions, and a forward deck portion; an aft hull assembly comprising a second plurality of pre-assembled elongate longitudinal frame members, including an aft keel portion, port and starboard aft gunwale portions, port and starboard aft chine portions, and an aft deck portion; a plurality of corrugated splines connecting said forward and aft port chine portions and said forward aft starboard chine portions; wherein at least said forward and aft port chine portions and said forward and aft starboard chine portions comprise elongate tubes, said corrugated splines fitting snugly for rotation within and extending from said elongate tubes to make the connections, wherein rotation of said splines within said elongate tubes facilitates removal of deposits at ends of said elongate tubes; a plurality of forward ribs connected at predetermined locations to said first plurality of pre-assembled elongate longitudinal frame members; a plurality of aft ribs connected at predetermined locations to said second plurality of pre-assembled elongate longitudinal frame members; a unitary flexible water-impermeable skin for covering said forward and aft hull assemblies; a first hydraulic jack mechanism connecting said forward and aft keel portions, actuation of said first hydraulic jack mechanism causing adjustable separation of said forward and aft keel portions within said skin to as to vary a rocker of said kayak; a second hydraulic jack mechanism connecting one of said forward and aft port gunwale portions or said forward and aft starboard gunwale portions, actuation of said second hydraulic jack mechanism causing adjustable separation of the gunwale portions connected with said second hydraulic jack mechanism so as to vary a yaw of said kayak.