Hi Jeff

I guess I should have been more specific,
the dingy in question does not sink to the bottom
but it sinks to within a couple of inches of the surface,
my point is that it is a concideration to me to have a dingy
that you can climb into or pull someone into without it filling
with water, especially when the water is cold, 50 degress or less,
you may not have time to screw around trying to bail out some stupid
boat before your body quits functioning.

Mitch
"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
If the dinghy can sink you had best get rid of it. It is axiomatic that
small
boats must have positive flotation.

"Mitch" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi Ron

I have a custome made fiberglass dingy that came with my boat, the big
problem with it, is trying to board it without sinking it or tiping it
over
my thinking is that if you do any diving or swiming from the dingy
you need to be able to board it from the water without it sinking this
may
also be very handy in any emergency situation.

Mitch


"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