porte-boat

[Cal28]

Reading Dave's post below about a dingy prompted me to ask about a porte-boat (A Folding Foldable Portable Boat Dinghy Porta-Bote Porta-Boat Portaboat * Portabot)

While looking at sailboats to purchase several weeks ago ... I got my first ride in one and was impressed ... specifically with their compactness and durability ..

It's a purchase that's way down on my list at the moment ... but I am scouring the 'used' sections of Craig's List to evaluate pricing ...

Any feedback on them as well as recommended outboard for the smaller size?

As usual, thanks in advance.

[erps]

We like ours, the ten footer. The wife and I can set it up on the deck of our boat and toss it over the life lines in under ten minutes. It rows decent. I have a 3 hp Johnson that will get me and the dog up on a plane. It will not get the wife and I up on a plane. I don't worry about scratching it up. It's already ugly and scratches aren't going to make it look worse. It's much more stable than our rowing dink, but not as stable as an inflatable. Still, after taking off most my SCUBA gear, I can haul myself out of the water over the transom without tipping it over.

What I don't like about it. The black seats get hot in the summer. I painted the areas you sit on with white paint. The oars are cheesy. I'm eventually going to modify a set of oar locks and use the oars from our rowing dink. Although the boat doesn't take up any room folded up, you still have to find a place to stow the seats and the transom.

[sailingdog]

My wife bought me the 12' 6" for use as a fishing boat for freshwater lakes. I've been using it as a dinghy for my sailboat though and am quite happy with the way it works.

It rows pretty well and motors even better. I use a 3.5 HP four-stroke Tohatsu on it.. and it works well, even with four people aboard.

[Cal28]

Originally Posted by erps

We like ours, the ten footer. The wife and I can set it up on the deck of our boat and toss it over the life lines in under ten minutes. It rows decent. I have a 3 hp Johnson that will get me and the dog up on a plane. It will not get the wife and I up on a plane. I don't worry about scratching it up. It's already ugly and scratches aren't going to make it look worse. It's much more stable than our rowing dink, but not as stable as an inflatable. Still, after taking off most my SCUBA gear, I can haul myself out of the water over the transom without tipping it over.

What I don't like about it. The black seats get hot in the summer. I painted the areas you sit on with white paint. The oars are cheesy. I'm eventually going to modify a set of oar locks and use the oars from our rowing dink. Although the boat doesn't take up any room folded up, you still have to find a place to stow the seats and the transom.

Thanks for the feed-back ... both positive and negative ...

and fyi ... that AV has me whoosie here ... afraid of heights ... great shot!

[Cal28]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

My wife bought me the 12' 6" for use as a fishing boat for freshwater lakes. I've been using it as a dinghy for my sailboat though and am quite happy with the way it works.

It rows pretty well and motors even better. I use a 3.5 HP four-stroke Tohatsu on it.. and it works well, even with four people aboard.

SD ... thanks again

I was really impressed with it from the moment I set foot aboard ...
as I mentioned ... that purchase is down the road ... unless I find one at a price I just can't pass up ... but it's definitely the way I am leaning
(and I read your post somewhere about Tohatsu as well)

[Valiente]

I have the ten-footer I bought second-hand from a fellow Sailnetter, actually.

I endorse pretty well all the comments so far. I use a Honda 2 HP four-stroke on mine because I don't care if I plane... We find it quite stable and it's a companion tender to a nesting, sail-equipped dinghy that will be for "people moving"; the Portabote will be the "pickup" as it ain't pretty and I have no problem chucking jerry cans and anchor chain in it, whereas the nesting dinghy is nicely finished fibreglass.

The Portabote rows quite well and I regularly use it for trips around Toronto Harbour. I believe I'll solve the problem of seat stowage by installing netting in my saloon as I have seven feet of headroom and I only need six-one.

I particularly like the fact that it stows down to a small surfboard in size...it can be easily lashed to the lifelines more compactly than the smallest kayak.

[Cal28]

Originally Posted by Valiente

I have the ten-footer I bought second-hand from a fellow Sailnetter, actually.

I endorse pretty well all the comments so far. I use a Honda 2 HP four-stroke on mine because I don't care if I plane... We find it quite stable and it's a companion tender to a nesting, sail-equipped dinghy that will be for "people moving"; the Portabote will be the "pickup" as it ain't pretty and I have no problem chucking jerry cans and anchor chain in it, whereas the nesting dinghy is nicely finished fibreglass.

The Portabote rows quite well and I regularly use it for trips around Toronto Harbour. I believe I'll solve the problem of seat stowage by installing netting in my saloon as I have seven feet of headroom and I only need six-one.

I particularly like the fact that it stows down to a small surfboard in size...it can be easily lashed to the lifelines more compactly than the smallest kayak.

Valiente

That fold-down stow ability was one of the main reasons I was interested in the porte-boat.

As I mentioned ... it's aways down on my priority list but if one comes along at the right price ... I will have to break down and get it.

Thanks for your comments.

[lancelot9898]

Originally Posted by Cal28

Valiente

That fold-down stow ability was one of the main reasons I was interested in the porte-boat.

.

That too was one of my reasons for looking into the porta boat. However there are a couple of reasons why I decided against getting one.

1. Warrenty repairs. While the material the boat is made of is virtually indestructable, I've heard of problems with the hinge material and difficulity getting resolution. Not to mention there is no store front where I could deliver a defective boat back to the dealer and answers from the porta boat folks all seem to be boiler plate responses and here I am interested in buying much less returning one to them.

2. Towability. While the need to tow is less than most inflatables, there are occasions where being between close anchorages that towing would be desireabe to preclude disassembly and reassembly on deck. Plus I don't think assemblying a roll up inflatable on deck would be much more difficult than the assembly of the porta bote. ??

Actually a third reason is the price.