Friends who have lived aboard for 24 years (mostly at anchor), and travel
annually from Nova Scotia to SC and back, have used a Porta-bote for the last 5
years and love it. Every time I see them (twice a year) I ask if they still
endorse it, and they say yes, for all its minor faults, its still the best, and
certainly the best value. They complain about some of the non-hull
construction, but the hull itself has taken a huge beating and show no serious
signs of wear. Since they often anchor a distance from town, they appreciate
that the Porta-Bote will plane and stay fairly dry. Their engine is small (8
HP?) but they are both light so it planes if not loaded down with groceries.
With 3 or 4 people it doesn't do as well, but it does stay drier than an
inflatable. They avoid overloading - when we visit they do 2 trips, and it may
be faster than one overloaded trip.

This issue has come up before here, so I'm sure a few others will add their
opinions.

BTW, I have a Trinka 10 and a Fatty Knees 8, both excellent rowing dinghies, but
they will set you back a bit. The old Trinka wouldn't fit on my new boat, so it
got retired to my brother's cabin on a lake. I like rowing, it being the only
exercise I get while cruising, but I'm more likely to pay for a mooring near the
town dock than anchor out. If I were doing it again on my now more limited
means, I'd get a Porta-bote.



"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