Foldable craft

Abstract

A folding watercraft formed from a plurality of modules movable with respect to each other enabling the reversible configuration of the craft in an erected configuration for use as a craft and a fold (collapsed) configuration for storage and/or transport into exterior dimensions coterminous with a shipping container as defined in international standards.

1 . A watercraft made up of modules and which is capable of collapsing into a configuration with exterior dimensions of, and within the maximum dimension tolerances of, any standard shipping container as defined in Australia and Nea Zealand (AS/NZS 3711.1:1993), International (ISO1496), or British (BS 3951) standards.  
   
   
       2 . A watercraft which is capable of reducing its hull area to be less than 50% while collapsing into a configuration defined in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       3 . A watercraft once collapsed into any configuration as described in  claim 1  that has standard shipping container corner fittings, as described in AS/NZS 3711.3:1993, ISO 1161 and BS 3951 standards, positioned at spatial intervals as described in AS/NZS 3711.1:1993, ISO1496) or BS 3951 standards and within the tolerances as described therein.  
   
   
       4 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 1 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 3:1, 3:1, 1.25:1, 2.5:1, 2.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       5 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 2 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 3:1, 3:1, 1.25:1, 2.5:1, 2.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       6 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 3 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 3:1, 3:1, 1.25:1, 2.5:1, 2.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       7 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 1 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       8 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 2 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       9 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 3 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1, 0.5:1 respectively.  
   
   
       10 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 1 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, respectively.  
   
   
       11 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 2 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, respectively.  
   
   
       12 . A watercraft as claimed in  claim 3 , with module components comprising a stern section, a bow section, port and starboard centre sections, wherein the ratio of lengths of the stern section, the bow section, the port or starboard centre sections, the port or starboard bow section, and the port or starboard stern sections with respect to the length of the base section are substantially 1:1, 1:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, 2.4:1, respectively.