Ron:
This one is kinda like pizza. Everyone has a legitimate favorite that
differs from everyone else. We had struggled with this too and tried several
solutions.

The darling of the tender world is the inflatable right now. We bought a 8
foot inflatable that had an inflatable keel that allegedly allowed one to
row it. We fought it for a season in the Puget Sound and got rid of it
without looking back. They have a few advantages but are beginning to
diminish in popularity in some areas as some realities sink in. A good
friend of ours cruises in the Sea of Cortez on a 38'er and says well over
half the cruisers there are towing Walker Bay plastic boats now.

Like the folda-boat, you can run them up on the shore and they row straight.
That means some fun exercise and some exploration in peace & quiet once
you've dropped the hook. You can even get a small sail rig for them. They
are plastic but when they bump up against the hull at night, there is little
noise and leave no marks on the hull. I'll always have one. Our inflatable
had leakage issues, towed poorly and was a pain in the backside to
disassemble very often. Plus they cost 2-3 times our little Walker Bay which
can be tossed up and lashed down on the fore deck with a quickness if
needed.

The Porta-Bote would be even easier. I've checked it out closely at the boat
shows and it probably would be our next choice if we could wear this one
out. Good luck.
Dan

"Ron Patterson" wrote in message
om...
Hello, I'm Ron Patterson. About 6 years ago I bough a 1964 34 foot
fiberglass sloop. It is an old boat but with a much newer Yanmar 27
horse diesel engine in it. The boat has been on Guntersville Lake in
North Alabama ever since I bought it. This is a terrible sailing area,
too little water and not enough wind. However I am retiring the last
of March 04 and we are moving to Pensacola, Florida.

So sometime in April, I will be taking the boat down the Tennessee
River to the Tenn-Tom waterway, and then down that waterway to Mobil
and on to the Rod and Reel Marina on the Big Lagoon in Pensacola. From
there I will do lots of sailing and sailboat fishing and who knows, I
may even take a trip to the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

My question is about dinghies. I do not have a dinghy and am undecided
about what kind to buy. I have been thinking about inflatables,
particularly the Achilles LSR 96 or LSR 104. This inflatable can fold
up and be stowed away while offshore, which is something absolutely
necessary as far as I am concerned.

However I came across a rigid dinghy that folds and can be stowed on
deck. This is called the Porta-Bote. http://porta-bote.com/ Does
anyone know anything about this boat? I have sent for information and
pricing but I was would like an opinion from someone who actually has
one, or has seen one. I was wondering about the reliability of the
boat. Will the folding seams crack and leak?

Any information anyone can supply would greatly appreciated. Or, any
information about other dinghies would be appreciated also.

Ron Patterson