Porta-Bote

Sgeir

Sgeir

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Aside from the costs, any good good reason not to get one? I really dislike inflatable dinghies and am fed up instructing Mme S to get the patches re-done.
 
Ok, Dyl,
but what do you think of them.... do you have any direct experience of handling/ownership?
 
TiggerToo said:
Ok, Dyl,
but what do you think of them.... do you have any direct experience of handling/ownership?
Click to expand...

It is way out of my price bracket

but.....

it was light, rowed very easily, felt extremely robust and stable and would trim much better with all the gear and or wife in the stern

I reckon that it would motor really well

it folded away very quickly

towing a dinghy burns my arse to a crisp


and....

you can get a sailing rig for it

so I would love one

but for me a porta-bote costs more than I would ever spend on a car




D
 
Last edited:
Sgeir said:
Aside from the costs, any good good reason not to get one? I really dislike inflatable dinghies and am fed up instructing Mme S to get the patches re-done.
Click to expand...

Well you don't see many if any at all in use amongst the long term Caribbean cruising community. It may be that the plastic is, well, more ' plastic ' in the heat. I have seen one collapse when somebody tried to get back in over the side from the water. and even with the smallest of egg beaters the distortion when being pushed along by an outboard is alarming.
 
We have had one for 12 years, in the Oz sun, they last for ever - well longer than an inflatable. Ours is 10 foot 6 inches and I can carry it single handed. When sailing we could take it apart and tie it to the lifelines, but we have davits and simply lift it with ropes around the seats. It sits nicely folded on a roof rack. It rows well and we are now using it with a 5hp outboard, we did use a 2hp. It motors well. It works well in chop, as being slightly flexible it 'gives' with the waves. We have not tried the sailing rig, I'd have thought it would have lots of leeway.

They are extortionate, or seem to be, just 5 bits of plastic, but as they last so well - they turn out to be good value for money.

Jonathan
 
We've used one for 30 years. Originally got it as a dink that can be pulled up on coral, which it certainly can be without damage. Ours is an 8' with a 3 hp, and it is definitely the preferred boat for taking dogs ashore as it is completely indestructible. That is certainly not your first impression since it is just a few pieces of plastic, but it definitely holds up. Way too ugly for anyone to steal it. Another nice feature, besides being too butt ugly to steal, is that it can be towed cinched up to the stern and since it is plastic when you slow down and it bumps into the hull there is no damage. We keep ours about 5 feet astern riding up on the quarter wave and feel comfortable with ignoring it. I think it rows well.

The only downside is that a 3 hp is enough to get it on plane with one person in it and it feels very unstable at speed. The complaints about them collapsing would apply if you don't put them together per the instructions. Assembled right, they are slightly flexible, but nothing too obvious. Highly recommended.
 
the one I tried

Delfin said:
We've used one for 30 years. Originally got it as a dink that can be pulled up on coral, which it certainly can be without damage. Ours is an 8' with a 3 hp, and it is definitely the preferred boat for taking dogs ashore as it is completely indestructible. That is certainly not your first impression since it is just a few pieces of plastic, but it definitely holds up. Way too ugly for anyone to steal it. Another nice feature, besides being too butt ugly to steal, is that it can be towed cinched up to the stern and since it is plastic when you slow down and it bumps into the hull there is no damage. We keep ours about 5 feet astern riding up on the quarter wave and feel comfortable with ignoring it. I think it rows well.

The only downside is that a 3 hp is enough to get it on plane with one person in it and it feels very unstable at speed. The complaints about them collapsing would apply if you don't put them together per the instructions. Assembled right, they are slightly flexible, but nothing too obvious. Highly recommended.
Click to expand...

the one I tried was spanking new

it felt stiff,stable and tough

I would have had doubts about is longevity.... but these last two posts are very re-assuring



D
 
I wrote this last year:

Folding / inflatable hybrid tender?

I was reading a recent Libby P article about folding boats. It occurred to me that a folding / inflatable hybrid would be ideal. A bit like a RIB, but with an inflatable transom as well as topsides, and the sides of a semi-rigid hull pulling apart, curving into shape as they did so.

Has anyone seen such a thing, or should I contact the patent office?


http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?324103-Folding-inflatable-hybrid-tender
 
I have a friend who had one. Being flexible it is a bit strange but very impressive, stable, rows ok and goes ok with an outboard. Actually goes ok with two outboards. If you can afford one I would say get one.
 
DaveS said:
Is it just me that thinks that in Dylan's clip the bow seems very close to the water?
Click to expand...

That was my thought too, a couple of small waves would soon have it shipping water.

I recently acquired a Stowaway (from the '70's) in extremely good condition that suggests it may not have had a lot of use. It has an alloy frame with plastic pipe joints that kink as it folds. The outer skin is PVC material but it is not patched or torn anywhere. It folds to a large suitcase size and can be carried in one hand. Plus it looks a lot more stable than that one, but the lack of bouancy has put me off testing it so far. Maybe now the weather is warmer . . .

But I love the rubber duck, it is so stable, carries huge loads & rows perfectly well for my needs, even into strong currents or winds I can make progress, but the two together might give me a heart attack.
 
Thanks for all of the comments, folks. I have very little bandwidth at the moment, sitting out another spell of strong winds so I shall look at Dylan's vid and the other links when I get home.

Thanks again.
 
Amazing.
This thread posted by a man who cannot even remember his waterproofs. Little chance then of remembering a slack handful of nuts and bolts. Stick with the patches Charlotte.
 
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