Porta-bote

[Peter Kafer]

I noticed on the chat feature that some members were discussing the Porta-Bote--the folding dinghy. I used one last year while cruising the Exumas. Part of the discussion was centered around the motor and some thought you needed a long shaft motor. I used a Tohatsu, 2.5 HP standard shaft with no problems. Amazingly, I could get the boat up on a plane with just me aboard.

Someone suggested that with their luck it would fold up on them in the water. Impossible.

We liked the Porta-Bote. We folded it and strapped it to the outside of the lifelines when crossing and dragged it behind when island hopping. It was easy to assemble on board, we just suspended it from a halyard against the mast.

It does have some drawbacks. 1) hard to transport assembled on board; 2) the seats and transom take up a lot of room when unassembled; 3) the boat feels a bit tippy, but you can get used to that and it is really quite stable under normal circumstances (I did get dunked in the drink when standing in an aft quarter with the outboard!); 4) hard to board from the water.

We have replaced it with an inflatable. 8' Porta-Bote for sale, used 1 season, 4 months (transportation could be a problem, though).

[LOLA]

Do you have photos?

Approx shipping costs ?

[Peter Kafer]

At this point, shipping is not an option since I have no way to package the thing up and since it has to go motor freight. At the time, the dinghy is in Kentucky, but our sailboat is in Brunswick, GA. It would be possible to bring the Porta-bote to Brunswick on one of our trips to visit the boat. So any buyer would have to be somewhere near S Central Ky or one the way from there to Brunswick or within a reasonable distance from Brunswick. I'm pretty much resigned to using it as a fishing boat on lakes at home. No pix.

[Suky Cannon]

Hi Peter,
The discussion on chat was about a motor for Catalina 25 sailboat - Portabote sells motors.. I bought my 5hp long shaft there 3 years ago. Great price, no tax, easy delivery. Used a local certified mechanic to file the warranty work. But now it seems that they don't carry the 25 inch shaft which is what Terri needs... DRAT.
Thanks for the info on the Porta-Bote.

[Terri]

Hi, I think Dws and I were speaking about his interest in a Portabote also the other nite on chat. Still hunting for o/b.

[___/)ances With Sails]

YES
Im considerin an 8'er! How much exrta room does the seats and transom acquire???? The "PB" site fails to mention this extra undertakin. I currently have a 2hp 2 stroke shorty but am not enthused with it(oil to add), lookin to sell it w/ thy daysailor. Perhaps ye wanna trade(daysailor fer????)!!!!

Apparently, I really need to hold one of these babies to justify if it IS what I want.

Am considerin one of these before a sit-on-top kayak.
No room(or time) but fer one or the other.

But I am curious, as Terri has mentioned.

[zeehag]

i tried portabote for a while wheni was new o ownership back in 1990----i didnt like it--it was not stable and i didnt like the way it handled in th ewater--i prefer a rigid inflatable or aregular inflatable with solid floorboards--even a good old walker bay rigid plastic dink to a portabote--but that is me and others may enjoy the fold up and fold in capabilities--i didnt like the wobbles it had while underway with a decent 6 hp engine---evinrude 2 stroke--on it.....wasnt adequate for doing workon my boat ---was tooo sloppy and unstable for attempting to clean my own waterline...lol...goood luck.... ....