Portland Pudgy

S

Scotty Mac

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
105
Fluid Motion Model
C-302 SC
Non-Fluid Motion Model
USS Whale SSN-638
Vessel Name
Brown Eyed Girl
Looking at a Portland Pudgy for our R31cb. Saw some comments on the weight of it and was wondering is anyone, who has had one, found this to be an issue. Also do the weaver davits that are made for the pudgy provide enough height so there isn't a problem with drag I've heard about with some RIBS.
We are looking with using a Torqueedo 1003c to power as I'd rather stay away from gas.

Thanks

Scott
 
I bought the Portland Pudgy in 2009 and I had the Pudgy on my R-25 (Classic) for 7 years. It does weigh in at around 180-200 lbs depending on the options you have on it. Placing weight at the extreme end/stern will affect fuel burn so be aware of that. I cannot say to what extent the fuel burn was affected as I never ran with and without the Pudgy to determine that.

I used a Torqeedo 1003 long shaft with it and it did a good job. Running at a low speed with a full charge to begin with on the battery will get you to shore so long as it's within 15 to 20 miles away.

The Pudgy is double hulled (two skins) and is unsinkable and can be righted easily if it capsizes. Hard shell so dogs cannot puncture the hull.... and very stable when getting onboard.

I did strengthen the transom for the Torqeedo 1003 as it placed far too much of a moment force on the transom when running at speed. The thrust is around 80 to 90 lbs as I recall.

I used a block and tackle to raise and lower the Pudgy due to its weight. Check my Photo Album out (Pudgy modification for Torqeedo motor, Raising/Lower Portland Pudgy Dinghy,
IMG_3471)as I place a few insightful photos there some time back. I used a 4:1 block and 1/4" line and the force for raising the Pudgy from the water was no more than 20 lbs for me.

The fixed-length weaver davits that came with the Pudgy worked well for the R-25 (Classic). They are sufficiently small enough to not have the Pudgy's height to high such that it blocked rear view too much. I actually leaned my Pudgy forward to rest on the cockpit's transom rail and a long strap run around the hull ties to the rail. This allowed for a quick deployment by cutting the strap in an emergency. The leaning forward also gave some aerodynamic lift on the boat's stern when running at speed and the swim platform was never awash.

The block and tackle method for lowering the Pudgy had to be used when fueling as one needed to be able to stand on the swim platform to do the fueling. All that was necessary was to have the Pudgy in a vertical position to provide the clearance. The long strap was long enough to hold the Pudgy in the vertical position.

You may have to place your Hailing Port on the Pudgy's hull as when on the swim step the outer transom surface maybe will be hidden from sight. I had to do this for my R-25 (Classic).

The Torqeedo battery is a good quality and will hold a charge for a long time. I had mine fully charged before winter times and come spring time (maybe 4 to 6 months later) the battery charge level was just above 80%. Just make sure the battery is charge at all times otherwise you will have to row. :lol:

Be careful with the Pudgy's oar locks as they can easily fall overboard and sink quickly. I lost a pair this way, but the Pudgy company (David Hulbert) took care of me and sent a spare/replacement set free of charge to me. 😀

The Pudgy was shipped directly to my Marina in a sturdy double cloth bag. This cost $423 (Portland Maine to just north of Seattle-Edmonds). It's cheaper shipping to a commercial address vs. a residential address. This bag had to be returned to Pudgy company in a box they supply.

I made a video of the Pudgy with my son and I onboard and Pudgy used it for their web site.

Have fun..... and good luck.
 
Thanks for the info, seems like you put a lot of thought into the brackets and lifting rig. We have a rail on the swim step so I thinking about a more vertical install.

Thanks

Scott
 
Yea.... that vertical rail on the aft lip of the swim step will mean you have a different solution for your Pudgy for sure and a lot more aerodynamic drag. It's a shame the rail cannot be hinged to fold forward at times.

I now have the new 2018 R-27/OB so cannot install a dinghy on the aft swim step. I now use a SeaEagle inflatable kayak that can hold 2 adults and a child, and have that on the cabin roof, hull side up. It weighs some 25 lbs and can relatively-easily be deployed and reinstalled by me.
 
Ordered and installed the Pudgey on our R-27 about 6 weeks ago. Love the little boat. Portland Pudgey was great to deal with. They sell the complete package for the davits, which weaver makes specifically for the Ranger Tugs (out 4", up 2"). You will need to buy the stand-offs separately.

We have the swim platform rails and these are not an issue with the pudgey.

For raising and lowering, we put a backed stainless eye bolt on the pudgey. We put a dock line on both aft cleats, and use 2 fiddle blocks with a jam cleat to raise and lower the pudgey. This makes it very easy for a single person to raise and lower.

We have noticed little to no difference with our fuel burn. The bow is maybe a tad bit higher than if the boat wasn't hanging off the stern, but barely noticeable. Dinghy is up high enough that there is no dragging in the water.

We also use the Torqueedo 1003c Long Shaft, and love it.

Would highly recommend!
 
Looked at a pudgy and bought a walker bay8 with weaver Davies. Easy to handle and 1/2 the weight. Sails and rows well so I took my ob off the boat. My oars are very reliable.


Stuart Bell
Ranger 25: Shearwater
(561) 352-1796
 
Hello, Scott,

I have a 2018 R-31S, and a Portland Pudgy. With the right combination of hardware, the R-31S and Portland Pudgy work very well together. I use WEAVER MARINE PRODUCT'S PORTLAND PUDGY DAVITS. On my davits, the Portland Pudgy is high enough not to get anywhere close to dragging in the water. While the Portland Pudgy is lowered, it will lay flat on the water while still attached by the davits. With stand-off brackets, the dinghy stands straight up on it's side, stays off of the rail, and is not too high as to interfere with your rear view vision. I find no aerodynamic issue having the Portland Pudgy onboard. I use a TORQEEDO 1003 LONGSHAFT on my Portland Pudgy, with the TORQEEDO 915 WH BATTERY, and it all works very nicely.

* I order my Portland Pudgy with the LIFTING EYES, to connect my stand-offs to from the transom of my R-31S.

* From Weaver I ordered the PORTLAND PUDGY DAVITS, which include the peices that attach to the Portland Pudgy though it's lifting holes. You will need to specify PORT SIDE MOUNT or STARBOARD SIDE MOUNT.

* From Weaver I ordered the 2" UP / 4" OUT UP-SET HEADS, PART #100-UPSET (with the davit heads that are extended out to 4 inches longer).

* From Weaver I ordered the QUICK KIT for easy slide removal of davit heads from swim step.

* From Weaver I ordered two 48"/54" ADJUSTABLE STAND-OFF BRACKETS W/CBE (CLIPPED ENDS), PART #330-SOA48/54CBE.

* I have a hardtop over my R-31S's cockpit. I attached a WEAVER WINCH to the very rear underside of the hardtop, along with the QUICK KIT for easy slide removal of the winch. This makes winching up the Portland Pudgy very easy.

I hope this info helps you in any way. If you'd like photos, please PM me your email address and I'll send them to you.

Greg
 
I have a torquedo short shaft. Will it work?
Thanks,
Lenny
 
Portland Pudgy recommends the long shaft, as the transom is deep and you’ll need the long shaft for the prop to catch the water.

Greg
 
Greg: Do you find that the Torqeedo 1003L places a fair amount of moment on the Pudgy's transom plate to the extent the transom would bend out some ? When I used this motor on my Pudgy I felt that I needed to reinforce the transom, which I ended up doing with success IMO. This aspect concerned me enough to make the modification to the transom. I did place some photos of this in my photo album discussing this. See http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=33329
 
Thanks to all for the great info. I believe I’ll move forward with the pudgy.

Scott
 
Hello, Barry,

No, it doesn’t seem to put too much stress on the transom. It does flex a little, but the Pudgy is built strong. We’ve had no problems with it.

Greg
 
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