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porta-bote or inflatable?
In article ,
(JAXAshby) wrote:
Well, anybody have knowledge of both for a dinghy?
I have both, and use the Porta-Bote almost exclusively. It rows easily, it
motors easily, it carries large loads.
Hey! We actually agree for once! except....
It also takes upwards of an hour to
assemble from scratch on deck (including getting together the three seats and
transom from down below, the bag of hardware, twisting it up on deck,
assembling, rigging a hardness to attach to the main halyard, putting into
water, mounting the engine, getting fuel can and safety gear)
It takes me about 20-30 minutes the first time of the season -- mostly
figuring things out again and working against the stiffness. After that,
it's 10-15 minutes to set up or down.
I guess it would take longer if I were doing it entirely alone -- part
of that would be resting and consuming a refreshing drink -- but my wife
helps hand things out. We have dedicated spaces for all the pieces, so
they're easy to find or stow. The motor's on Xan's transom when I bother
to bring it. Boat rows well enough that we only bring the motor when
we're going some place we haven't explored extensively.
Addressing another of Parallax's messages: For 5 at once, you will want
a large dink for all but the shortest trips. The 12 will definitely work
& be mostly dry; the 10 may. Stowing the seats and transom will be a
hassle. They take up about 5'x2'x1.5' or slightly more space than the
Sevylor. With a little sewing, though, you could make up bags to stow
them on deck.
And DO bring the Sevylor: Gives the kids something to do. A 12v inflator
makes the job a lot easier, though I have to use the foot pump to get
the pressure high enough; a few pounds makes a world of difference.
--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/
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