What does collapsible mean

[Helena Wojtczak]

I have nver seen an explanation or description of what is meant by 'collapsible'. I thought it meant inflatable, till I discovered the collapsibles were made of timber. Can anyone tell me how a timbe boat can be 'collapsible'?

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Only the lower part of the hull was solid wood. The upper part was canvas, supported by a hinged frame. The canvas and its frame were folded down while the boat was stowed on deck, so they didn't require so much space and could, for instance, be stowed underneath a conventional boat hung on davits. See this link for details (mainly of the prototype version):

The Engelhardt Collapsible. [db 02]

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