An original Klepper folding canoe, from the 1930's, is now on show at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth.

This folding canoe which was first invented a hundred years ago by German tailor Johann Klepper.

Klepper invented the boat to respond to the soaring popularity of canoeing in Europe. Seeing a gap in the market for a highly portable boat he designed a canoe with a collapsible wooden frame and waterproof skin, which is still used today.

Even the military recognised the genius of Klepper's design and the canoes are still used by the Special Boat Service for covert operations. The canoe's small size means they are light enough to carry and be hidden easily. They can also be dropped to the water from helicopters or surfaced by divers and some are even designed to fit a machine gun or mortar.

Ben Lumby, Exhibition Manager, said: "These are just such ingenious boats and their 100 year old design still holds in today's high-tech world. The SBS still use them for operations and I'd quite like one for the back of my car!"

Kleppers are still considered among the most robust folding canoes available today. The frames are made from seasoned mountain ash, a very strong and flexible material. The decks are made from Egyptian canvas, which is both waterproof and breathable. The folded boat is easily transportable and can be assembled in around 15 minutes.

Many feats have been accomplished in Klepper canoes; Roald Amundson took them on his 1926 North Pole exhibition and, in 1928, Franz Romer made the first recorded crossing of the Atlantic in a sea kayak. He travelled almost 4000 miles in a 6.4m custom-built Klepper.

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