Porta-Bote recommendations - good or bad ?

B

baz

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
6,083
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
I'm looking for a reasonably priced dinghy, that weighs no more than around 50-70 lbs, can accommodate 2 adults and a small dog, takes up minimum space (the folding type appeals to me), does not have to be mounted on the swim step (I'm not wanting a dinghy of any shape or size on my swim step), and can be powered with a small HP OB.

I've come across the Porta-Bote folding dinghy and from my readings I'm impressed with it as it meets all of my requirements.

https://www.porta-bote.com

I especially like it as its can be held on the outside off my R29 CB's port or starboard side, on top inside the CB's rails, or laid flat down on the cabin top and slid under the two CB seats, much like a surf board. The latter is appealing as in this position there's no aerodynamic drag involved nor any increased side area for the wind to exert pressure on, and best of all, the swim step is kept pristine and uncluttered leaving full stern viewing.

I'd be interested to hear back from anybody having this type of dinghy, be it bad or good, and if there are other competitive models/brands to the Porta-Bote.

Thanks.... 🙂
 
Thank you. 🙂 .... I agree I should have done a search as there's so much valuable information available in this forum.
 
Baz:

I have this https://www.pacificinflatableboats.com/ ... -230-aero/

I bought it off Johnnythek who bought it from Andrew Custis.

When it's rolled up, it's easy enough to lug around. I strap it to my swim step in its bag.

I really like it. I power it with a 2.5 Suzuki. Weighs about 50lbs. It's a little tight with me, Laura and our dog Sheriff, but it does the job. We look like a clown car when we're going if we have extra things like a cooler and other party supplies, but we don't feel unsafe. At least I don't.

I use a 12v pump to inflate it, but the foot pump does the job in <10 minutes. I like my 12v pump because it turns off when it reaches the desired PSI so I can do other things while the boat fills. I can inflate it in the cockput of the 21ec.

I think a Porta-Bote would be a major pain in the butt to assemble without a solid flat surface, like a beach or parking lot.
 
You need a large enough solid surface to assemble this type of boat and I doubt you have enough space in your cockpit to do this. The smallest one is 8.5+ feet long and 4' 8" wide when assembled. I've used various folding boats in the past and while the concept is great and appropriate for some circumstances, I wouldn't want to attempt to wrestle this in my cockpit unless I had something bigger than a 31.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top