Greenland II

When Folbot closed in 2016, they took an 83-year history with them. I grew up in Folbots, so back in 1999 I bought my own, the big (17.5' with rudder!) Greenland II.

I've had this beast out on streams and rivers many times (like last weekend, on the Battenkill), and it's tough, it can take it, but it's not fun. It's driving a tractor trailer at a sports car event.

Where it's happy is open water. My best memories of it are with my wife in the Gulf of Maine, cruising over three-foot swells. The skin over frame design is not rigid--it's alive, it moves. It's like being part of some big organism. I've never seen any water I thought could swamp it, let alone sink it.

It's not a perfect boat. It's heavy and a little cumbersome. The thwarts are super wide and you sit very low, so you want a long paddle and I often find myself kneeling. It's always popping frame rivets, so much that I keep a riveter in the tool kit in the boat. There's storage for weeks of travel, but you have to get it over the frames. And there were a LOT of improvements in the years after I got mine; the poly washboards became aluminum, the rudder was redesigned, and the seats were improved.

But 19 years on, it barely shows the wear. These were lifetime boats, a commitment to expedition paddling. It's a huge, inconvenient, balky thing, and I love it with all my heart.

These boats are deceptively fast with two decent paddlers aboard. I've never had a hardshell single able to keep pace. They hold a TON of gear and are great for long trips (2-3 weeks for two people including food). They are the aircraft carrier of tandems, meaning they are rock-steady stable even when getting hit directly abeam with 4ft steep waves in an offshore storm at twilight in the fog in Alaska with humpbacks surfacing all around (don't ask me how I know this). Safest boats I own and I own a crapload of boats!

They are easy and fast to load/unload with the big zippers in the deck. It takes me about 20 minutes to put one together, not a big price to pay when I can throw the folded boat inside my camper shell (security plus better gas mileage) and check these as baggage on commercial airlines AND toss them INSIDE float planes (this is a HUGE advantage given changes in FAA regulations concerning float planes carrying hardshell boats). The money saved in one trip via float plane can pay for the boat itself.

I've never had any problems with my boat except when it was new, it was too tight to assemble. I shaved 1/4 off the bow frame. It's still tight, but that's OK.

It doesn't have a hypalon keel like Klepper, but I've only had scrapes, not punctures. Putting it together can bust your knuckles sometimes, but little "helper" tools can be used (I bust my knuckles when joining longerons with the aluminum slider). To me, that's almost nit-picking. I give for-pay tours almost every week through Newport or Mission Bay in SoCal, so it gets good use. It's a good boat for that because of the openness and size of the cockpit. A boat with two little holes for the occupants would freak un-experienced passengers out with claustrophobia. Greenland II is the right boat for people who want a tour in comfort. It can be a butt-buster after 8 hours on a full-day tour, but what isn't after 8 hours? I also do half-day tours.

The boat is very well made. A bit slow, as one would expect with the design. That is why I also bought a Folbot Cooper. I am extremely happy with it.

I bought the GII after using a friend's Klepper double and realizing that folding boats had some real advantages: the ability to store them in a closet being a big one. The things that sold me on the GII: it is very light for a double, it assembles easily and in reasonable time (25 mins solo), it is priced lower than the competition, and it comes with a lifetime warrantee. Those things still impress me, especially the customer support offered by Folbot, a company that is truly customer-oriented. No kidding -- these people want you to be happy with their product.

Now that I've paddled the boat for a couple of years, some other things impress me. First, the boat is very easy to load/unload for tripping and it swallows a ton of gear, thanks in large part to its deck zippers. In this respect, it behaves more like a canoe than a kayak. Second, the boat loves the rough water, handling chop, swells, and rebounding waves with aplomb. It's not a boat for major surf, but it will ride out breaking waves in comfort and give you confidence on those exposed crossings. Finally, it's tough. I think this boat will last as long as my friend's 20-year old Klepper.

Downside? It's slower than a skinny composite double. I travel at about 3 knots in good conditions. All in all, the boat is a workhorse, well suited to wilderness travel with lots of gear.

Two years later, with a second GII under my belt, I'm still in love with the boat and the Folbot experience. The GII has proven its worth on expeditions, sailing, solo "exercise" paddles, and as a photography platform. It's most comfortable and handles best when loaded double, but for a large person it is a perfectly suitable single (with the conversion kit). If you want to roll a kayak, the GII is probably not for you. If you want to paddle in comfort, with great capacity, be able to sail, and virtually never fear capsize, then the GII is a good choice.