My 3rd. Porta Bote

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Being a former Canuck, there is only one way to solve the winter cover problem...Go south to where you start seeing palm trees. Replace the frame work with a hammock!


I do seem to remember having a few choice words going forward to relieve a snagged jib sheet on the dink where there was zero space where the bow of the dinghy fit forward...

Yeah, we were headed down the W. Coast in our 30 footer with the Dyer Dhow tied on the foredeck. The side decks on the mothership weren't very good non skid. It was blowing 30-35 and I had to go forward to change the headsail. Slipped on the deck, went down with my ribs on the hard chine on the Dyer. Ugh!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, we were headed down the W. Coast in our 30 footer with the Dyer Dhow tied on the foredeck. The side decks on the mothership weren't very good non skid. It was blowing 30-35 and I had to go forward to change the headsail. Slipped on the deck, went down with my ribs on the hard chine on the Dyer. Ugh!

This is definitely another reason I like my PB. It doesn't clog up the foredeck. Even the sidedeck that it's stored on is still passable, but that's because we have such wide decks.

[Cpt Mark]

I had a flat transom model for many years. I now have a rib. I liked the weight, indestructability and unsinkability of the portaboat. While rowing around with my GF water started shipping in when we were no longer protected by the island. She didn't realize anything was wrong and because she was up forward, my back turned to her I didn't realize anything was wrong until enough water got in the front which was lower than the back and we swamped. There we are, sitting in our seats, the gunwhales barely above the water. Laughed our butts off. Swam it to shore after picking up the floaty things turned it over and carried on.

I was anchored and noticed a guy in the water behind a sailboat. They'd all been drinking and I saw he wasn't making any headway back to the boat because of the current. Immediately we deployed the potabote and I motored over to him. he was panicking and his friends had no idea what to do and we all knew he was in trouble. I got over to him and he was so tired and weighed 250 or so there was no way for him to get onboard. I reached over and dragged him in. The sides of the portabote folded over and he literally just slid across. Now he's in the boat that is full of water to the gunwhales. No big deal, just motored back to his boat, dropped him off and motored back to my boat. Easiest rescue I have ever done.

What I don't like about Portaboats is that they are wetter than a rib with big tubes. Maybe they have solved that issue by now. I thought a polycarb deflector up front would go a long way.

[pmclachlan]

What is the best way to get a PB out of the water on the side of a 30ft yacht without scraping the gelcoat on the mother ship? Likewise with lowering it into the water once it is open and solid? I cant find a youtuber who has done that.

[Celestialsailor]

Hi Cpt Mark...Porta Bote has a piece they call a Bow Cap.


Bow Cap

"These bow caps consist of 2 pieces. Bow Cover and Bow Cap. The bow cover is made of black Vinyl material that fits over the front of the hull and covers the ends of the tubes. The Bow Cap/Nose Piece is made of black ABS and attaches to the bow cover. They then attach to the hull with a Shock Cord/Bungee Cord which hooks into the grommets located in the hull of the boat. While this adds a nice finished look to the boat it also helps to keep the boat nice and dry."
This is the first time I have had one. I'll have to see how it works.

[ForeverDes]

Originally Posted by pmclachlan

What is the best way to get a PB out of the water on the side of a 30ft yacht without scraping the gelcoat on the mother ship? Likewise with lowering it into the water once it is open and solid? I cant find a youtuber who has done that.

I set up/ tear down on my foredeck of my 26' sailboat, and simply drop the transom into the water first when launching and pull the bow up first when retrieving.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by pmclachlan

What is the best way to get a PB out of the water on the side of a 30ft yacht without scraping the gelcoat on the mother ship? Likewise with lowering it into the water once it is open and solid? I cant find a youtuber who has done that.

On our 34, and now 37-footer, I just bring the bow of the PB up to the foredeck, and then haul it up over the toerail. Never touches sides, but does slide/pivot over the toerail.

Launching happens in reverse; stern in, pivot over the toerail, hold onto the bow painter.

... same as ForeverDes

[Celestialsailor]

The other reason I got the 8 footer was weight. The folded up weight is 50lbs. This makes it easy for one person to unstrap it and stage it on the cabin roof for assembly. Oddly the PB page states the hull weight as 68lbs. for the new Alpha series with the folding transom since it is attached to the hull permanently. The 2 seats in the canvas bag weighs 30lbs. A total of 80lbs.

When I had the 10 footer back in 2013, I had installed 1/2" PVC water pipe with Delrin roller bearing inside of the tube. Assembling the PB on the cabin top, I then pick up the nose, placing it on the roller lifelines and over she went.

[alansmith]

I have netting between the amas and main hull. I just leave mine collapsed and tied next to the amas. I have acreage to assemble. I put a wet towel on the akas or amas...depending on which way i want to deploy or retrieve.

Can't puncture one. They don't rot in the sun. I'm 70 years old and can still pick up the collapsed hull and carry it under my arm. Can't sink it. Rows damn well. Takes me 10 minutes to assemble and even less to disassemble. All the parts go into my departed father's Navy sea bag. Couldn't be happier with a tender. Paid 400 dollars for a used 10 footer.

[skipgundlach]

Our 10' aboard Flying Pig:

Meanwhile, it had the drop-in, hard transom; far more robust than the folder which, admittedly, if it wouldn't break nearly immediately with anything more heavy or pushy than a trolling motor, is very fancy.

However, a Johnson 6HP (same weight as an 8HP - I wish I had one) 2-cycle would plane me and the admiral and our dive gear at 15 knots while sipping fuel. I've had 10 sub-teens in the boat in Marsh Harbour, Abacos, and 4 heavyweight adults in Little Farmer's Cay (slow circumnavigation, the waterline up rather much), quite happily.

I've taken it, in the middle of entirely nowhere (no rescues if we sank or had other misadventures), to visit Johnson Cay in the Jumentos, in 6' swells; the return trip was with the waves, and I was concerned for purling, but the bow flexed and we rode right up on the bottoms of the waves.

Definitely a great boat. And if you get one of the ubiquitous center-bottom holes in the transom folder thin stuff, EternaBond, in the 2" x 4' segment, will last you and everyone you meet who needs it for the rest of your life...

[Celestialsailor]

To buy used is the way I usually go. Not because I'm broke (but getting there) but mainly because I like to get good deals on things. The 8s are really hard to find used. Especially near to where I am since all the PBs cannot be shipped UPS,USPS of Fedup.
At almost $6@gallon for gas, that also restricts driving more that 100 miles to get one.
I first saw one in L.A. for $1100. Then one in Oregon for $500. But they would not hold it for a month as my friend was going to be driving back from Washington in that time frame. I was going to pay for it first of course...to each their own. Then I ran an ad on craigslist (In search of). I got a nibble in a week and we agreed on $550. ...SCORE!!!
The 12 footers seem to be the most popular and go $700-&1200. They go for a bit more when the outboard is included. Then a few want outrages money...$2500 for the whole set up.
The 10 and 14 footers are the next most popular and generally go for the same price as the 12's. In 2013, I picked up my 10 footer for $400. I was driving back from Mexico, through Arizona to spend a few boat bucks (1 boat buck=$1000) on a refit and the one for sale was miles and miles from anywhere. The guy had leg surgery and didn't have enough strength to assemble it and no one wanted to come the distance to see it. It was almost unused.
The 8s are the most difficult to find. They have the same beam as the 10,12 and 14. So they are huge inside. Have just 2 seats instead of 3 and 4 seats (making them lighter) but most people do not use a PB for their motherships. Mostly RVs and sport fishing dudes with a Nissan coupe. They work great for that. They do not want an 8 when you can just as easily put a 12 on the roof. Beer takes up a lot of room!

I did gather though that most people buy them with the idea that they will use them all the time. The opposite is true. Most end up dust covered in their garage or strapped to the side a Road Barnacle RV.
I thought I would mention too...they will eventually break down in the sun. It takes a very long time but I did see one in La Paz Mexico that had been strapped to a deck, that had been in dry storage for years and years. To that resolve I am making a zip up sheath for mine.

[bailsout]

I started with a port a boat folding transom which later tore. Took me about rhe same amount of time to assemble and disassemble as my inflatable two person heavy duty kayak. My wooden classic ketch has no lifelines and so stowing an inflatable that would fit in the cockpit locker sold me.

[mitiempo]

Good video of an Aussie couple's experience with a Port a Bote and how they have improved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHHrLTMZSYg&t=919s

[Mike OReilly]

One thing I did early on with my PB is abandon the special brace that they tell you to use to open the boat. Seemed like an unnecessary bit of hardware. I find it's just as easy to use one of the seats as the initial brace.

I usually slide the mid-seat in, but I don't try and fit it into the bracket. I just use it as the brace. Then I can easily put in the other seats, and transom, and then go back to the brace/middle seat.

Interesting video. I see they use a halyard and bridle for lifting. We do it all manually, although there usually are two of us. I also detach my lifelines at the bow to make it possible to slide the PB in/out over the toerail.

[sailingharry]

[QUOTE=Mike OReilly;3656351]I've had a 10' PB as my dinghy for must be close to 15 years now. It's been a great tender for our two cruising boats.[QUOTE]


When I saw the subject line pop up, I figured for sure that you were the OP! 😁