portaboat

[erps]

It doesn't look like it will be that difficult to replace the seats with some marine plywood. I haven't done it yet and I'll probably wait until they start breaking. One thing I am going to do soon is paint them white. Black seats get hot in the sun.

[sailingdog]

Bob-

I have a 12' 6" portabote and Telstar 28 trimaran.

Doing what you suggest would probably work quite well on a Farrier design. Doesn't work too well on the Telstar, due to the difference in ama and crossbeam design.

I've stored mine folded on the inboard ama deck, but you don't have one and would have to lash it to the nets. But that should work fairly well. In heavy seas, the portaboat might cause some problems, since the seas can't go through it.

Originally Posted by sailorbob2

I have a Corsair 31 trimaran. I'm intrigued by the Porta Bote and am wondering if any other trimaran owners have one.

I wonder how well it might work to simply haul it over the float and store it assembled on the net with the engine tilted up for short sails.

I also wonder how well it might work to disassemble it and store it folded on the net while crossing from Florida to the Bahamas.

I'm also curious to know if I purchase one of the newer models with the plastic transom and seats, can I easily replace them with the more robust fiberglas or wooden improvements that others have talked about in earlier posts.

Cheers,
Bob

[Triquetra]

Originally Posted by sailorbob2

I have a Corsair 31 trimaran. I'm intrigued by the Porta Bote and am wondering if any other trimaran owners have one.

I wonder how well it might work to simply haul it over the float and store it assembled on the net with the engine tilted up for short sails.

I also wonder how well it might work to disassemble it and store it folded on the net while crossing from Florida to the Bahamas.

I'm also curious to know if I purchase one of the newer models with the plastic transom and seats, can I easily replace them with the more robust fiberglas or wooden improvements that others have talked about in earlier posts.

Cheers,
Bob

I have a 10 foot PortaBote on my Corsair and it works well. When folded, I put all of the parts, including oars into my ama and strap the folded boat onto the trampoline against one of the windows. This keeps the trampoline free to use lines and sails unobstructed, and acts as a sunshade/privacy screen at other times. I do not yet have a motor for mine, but a friend of mine does and the PortaBote really moves with a small 5 hp engine, though a 2 hp would easily suffice. My plastic seats are breaking, so I will also be looking at building replacement seats soon. Another problem that I have is that there is a slow leak at the center stern fold which I either have to periodically treat with silicone sealer or bring a manual bilge pump or both. The black plastic keel also can mark your ama when bringing it aboard or deploying it, but that can be avoided with a couple of well-placed fenders. I hope that this information is helpful. Good luck.

[kaholee]

I have assembled my new 8' Porta-Bote twice and it kind of reminds me of being in a sharks mouth with your hands holding the upper jaw while you push on the lower jaw with your feet. That said, it works great once assembled and does row quite well. I am very much looking forward to getting her limbered up though.

SD, It sounds like you have your Porta-Bote fairly well sorted out. I'd be interested in a diagram showing where you added the extra fittings as I have only towed her a short distance so far, but that is going to change shortly.

Regarding assembly on deck, I have limited deck space (Pearson Triton) and was told it worked well to haul the bow up the mast so that the transom was on deck and assemble her in this position. After my first two rounds assembling her I am not sure you could get the necessary leverage in this position to do the job. Does anyone have an on deck assembly system or method that works well?

[Valiente]

My wife and son took a ride with me in the 10' Portabote last weekend. It seemed marginally more stable with more weight in it and yet was light enough for my six year old to row (not well, but that was due to co-ordination, not thrust). Re: stability. The thing tips readily, but not extremely. You have to get on in the middle to feel relaxed, but once in, it's fine. In light air, you can stand up safely. Frankly, I was spoiled in this respect by a RIB, which is like a raft.

I can see laying a lot of gear on the floor in the centerline without mishap. The boat was utterly dry. Not a single drop of ingress.

I rowed it myself for a while and being quite light, it rows very well. It is clearly superior to an RIB in this respect.

The 2 HP Honda pushed us at five knots. Not a hope in hell of getting on the plane, but I bought it so my smallish wife could hand me the engine one-handed out of the boat, which she did. She then hung it on a mount in the forepeak, unaided. I may alter the transom mount slightly as it is almost too thick (with the flap down) for the Honda and the Honda's tiller arm touches the plastic edge of the transom. I could use it 5 cm higher, and as I have a long shaft 2 HP, this should keep the prop well in the water.

It took us about 15 minutes to fold it up and lash it to the rail. I believe that a properly cut stick would hold open the unfolded boat until the first, middle seat is put in.

I am considering lashing Pool Noodles around the gunwhales should I leave it open to provide a little extra buoyancy should we load it down or should we anticipate rough sea walls, etc. Sort of a "sacrificial anode" for docking. Others apparently use inflatable collars, which I might consider for the nesting dinghy we also have and which I have yet to sail.

[sailingdog]

Kaholee-

I cheat and assemble the boat on the ama deck and netting...not an option for monohullers....

Valiente-

Actually, the boat is remarkably stable... even hauling a friend on-board, over the side, was pretty easy, but would have been a nightmare in most other "hard" dinghies.

A lot of portaboat owners use a stick to hold the hulls apart and help them get the seat in. A friend of mine made a notched board about 6' long that is used as a fenderboard normally, but the two notches are designed to hold the gunnels of the portabote far enough apart to get the benches in.

BTW, as you use the boat, the assembly process will get easier, as the boat relaxes a bit more through use.

[jerelull]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Kaholee-

I cheat and assemble the boat on the ama deck and netting...not an option for monohullers....

An option that I've been told works well is to hoist the bow up the mast with a halyard to assemble or disassemble. Since I use the halyard already, that makes a lot of sense, though I suspect the center seat still needs to go in first.

What I've done is assemble our 12'6" (all wood, maybe 15 years old) across our bow. Once the center seat and transom are on, I splash and put the other seats in

Side issue: On the Chesapeake, many find the PortaBote so easy to row that they don't bother mounting their outboards unless they're going long distance.

--

Jere Lull

[Valiente]

Hi, Jere. Weren't you on alt.cruising with a Tanzer 29 called "Xan"?

[mhjackson123]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

SailorPam-


If you're going to tow the Porta-bote, a towing bridle makes a lot of sense. I’ve also added padeyes to the bow, about four feet from the bow on either side, and to the rear corners as hardpoints to attach lines and such on my friend's boat and plan to do the same to mine. The two padeyes on the sides are used for a towing bridle.

I'd be curious to know how you rigged up the bridle. Any links to photos?

[captbillc]

my new 10ft 8" porta-bote was delivered in april. i haven't put it in the water yet. it has the black plastic seats & transom. i wonder if they are made more durable now. i have 11ft on the foredeck between the mast & the harken furler on my nimble 30 express and hope to be able to assemble the boat there. i still have to figure where to stow the seats & transom. the double ender does not have much room in the cockpit locker. i keep the boarding ladder & cockpit seat cushions down there now.