On 18 Dec 2003 21:27:25 GMT, (Bobsprit) wrote:

Can anyone comment on the ease-of-launch/stowage issue, or -
especially - on how effective their "UV stabilization" really is?

I used a WB 8 for a few years, both with a Cape Dory Typhoon and a Pearson 30.
Good little dink that tows very well, but has limited capacity. I can't imagine
launching it from deck without cursing someone out and I'm stronger than most
sailors.
Several people here have been talking about portaboats as a better alternative
to rigids and inflatables.
On my C&C 32 I now use a Quicksilver 300 airdeck.

Good luck,

RB

Thanks for the feedback.

I have Persephone at a slip, so the capacity required is mainly for
2-person anchorage-to-shore tourist excusions - not ferrying supplies.

Can you compare its stability with other hard dinks?

(Persephone has the typical Hunter split transom and swim platform, so
we aren't going to tax that too much, but it obviously isn't an Avon.)

I looked at a Portabote but have enough windage with the H310's high
freeboard, so I don't want to convert my forward life-lines on one
side into a 10-foot-long-by-two-foot-high bulwark. (Though in fairness
the coach roof does cover some of that cross-section, anyway.)

Unfortunately, neither my cabin top before the mast or the portion aft
of it can accommodate the 10-foot length.

A Niccolls Lite NN10 nestable is much more of interest, but they don't
seem to answer e-mails, so I wonder if they're still in business.

Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:
... I
have litle use for anything that plays sea-anchor, or can't be easily
rowed. Hence, my lack of interest in de-flatables. But, I'm only
interested in a hard-dink if I have a place to put it - if I want to.

Albert,
Have you checked out the Porta- Botes? We love ours. Rows easily and
planes w/ a 3.5 hp outboard.

http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaCover.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBote2.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBoteWake.JPG
--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:
... I
have litle use for anything that plays sea-anchor, or can't be easily
rowed. Hence, my lack of interest in de-flatables. But, I'm only
interested in a hard-dink if I have a place to put it - if I want to.

Albert,
Have you checked out the Porta- Botes? We love ours. Rows easily and
planes w/ a 3.5 hp outboard.

http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaCover.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBote2.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBoteWake.JPG
--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 23:42:53 GMT, wrote:


Porta-bote 8 footer is 50 pounds! When set up, it is the same general size as a
Walker bay. When folded, it gives you a whole new set of possibilities for where
and how to store it.


Aha!.

I had missed the 8-foot version, as most people seem to have a
10-footer. Maybe I'd better take another look at the Porta-Bote.

I understand that it rows pretty well, and an 8 footer would fit on
top of the forward part of the coach roof, but only be 4 _inches_ in
height, rather than 2 feet.

I don't think your "windage " objection has much weight when compared to your
other criteria, and the fact that your cabin is essentially the same height as
the folded boat, anyway. The walker bay, when on deck will have considerably
more windage, because it will be sitting on top of other parts (part of it will
be on TOP of the forward cabin trunk) of the boat, whereas the folded portaboat
will be set down low.

BB

Yeah. On reflection I guess that the differential windage would
probably not be enough to be felt in most conditions - especially if
there's an 8 foot version that I could roof-mount with actually _less_
windage than a WB8. (And less weight to launch.)

I did see one posting from someone who had a 10-foot Porta-Bote which
sounded like it shed little bits of itself and otherwise looked pretty
bedraggled after a few years.

Can anyone comment on quality of construction? I know that a 0.25"
sheet of the basic material is extremely tough stuff. My question is
more "form, fit and finish."

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 23:42:53 GMT, wrote:


Porta-bote 8 footer is 50 pounds! When set up, it is the same general size as a
Walker bay. When folded, it gives you a whole new set of possibilities for where
and how to store it.


Aha!.

I had missed the 8-foot version, as most people seem to have a
10-footer. Maybe I'd better take another look at the Porta-Bote.

I understand that it rows pretty well, and an 8 footer would fit on
top of the forward part of the coach roof, but only be 4 _inches_ in
height, rather than 2 feet.

I don't think your "windage " objection has much weight when compared to your
other criteria, and the fact that your cabin is essentially the same height as
the folded boat, anyway. The walker bay, when on deck will have considerably
more windage, because it will be sitting on top of other parts (part of it will
be on TOP of the forward cabin trunk) of the boat, whereas the folded portaboat
will be set down low.

BB

Yeah. On reflection I guess that the differential windage would
probably not be enough to be felt in most conditions - especially if
there's an 8 foot version that I could roof-mount with actually _less_
windage than a WB8. (And less weight to launch.)

I did see one posting from someone who had a 10-foot Porta-Bote which
sounded like it shed little bits of itself and otherwise looked pretty
bedraggled after a few years.

Can anyone comment on quality of construction? I know that a 0.25"
sheet of the basic material is extremely tough stuff. My question is
more "form, fit and finish."

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 00:16:27 GMT, Dan Best wrote:

Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:
... I
have litle use for anything that plays sea-anchor, or can't be easily
rowed. Hence, my lack of interest in de-flatables. But, I'm only
interested in a hard-dink if I have a place to put it - if I want to.

Albert,
Have you checked out the Porta- Botes? We love ours. Rows easily and
planes w/ a 3.5 hp outboard.

http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaCover.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBote2.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBoteWake.JPG

Thanks for the pics, Dan.

Do you have a 10 footer? I had (prematurely) decided against a
Porta-Bote due to the (mis-)impression that 10 ft was the shortest.

I've since been informed that there's an 8-footer, which may be _just_
what I need. Is yours an 8-footer?

Al

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 00:16:27 GMT, Dan Best wrote:

Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:
... I
have litle use for anything that plays sea-anchor, or can't be easily
rowed. Hence, my lack of interest in de-flatables. But, I'm only
interested in a hard-dink if I have a place to put it - if I want to.

Albert,
Have you checked out the Porta- Botes? We love ours. Rows easily and
planes w/ a 3.5 hp outboard.

http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaCover.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBote2.JPG
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/PortaBoteWake.JPG

Thanks for the pics, Dan.

Do you have a 10 footer? I had (prematurely) decided against a
Porta-Bote due to the (mis-)impression that 10 ft was the shortest.

I've since been informed that there's an 8-footer, which may be _just_
what I need. Is yours an 8-footer?

Al

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 20:56:47 +0000, Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:

I'm really attracted to the Walker Bay 8 as a dink that appears sufficiently
small to fit inverted on the foredeck of my little Hunter 310, and light enough
to possibly be able to man-handle on-and-off without using a jury-rigged
harness.

However, I note that it's made of injection-molded polypropylene.

Can anyone comment on the ease-of-launch/stowage issue, or - especially - on how
effective their "UV stabilization" really is?

Also - is Niccolls Lite still in business? Their NN10 looks really nifty.

Thanks.

Al
s/v Persephone

I've had a WB 8 for probably 5 years or so, and it's sat upside-down on Far
Cove's foredeck the entire time. I haven't noticed any UV degradation.

To launch, I just pick it up and throw it in the water. I HAVE retrieved it by
just yarding on the painter, but it puts quite a but of strain on the lifelines,
so I usually rig up a rope "harness" (either end of the transom and the bow,
connected at the center of the boat) and winch it up with the main halyard.

I love the little boat, it's been dragged over rocks, it carries 3 "in a pinch",
runs beautifully with a small electric trolling motor, rows well...I haven't set
up the sail rig because I suspect the daggerboard is too far aft to allow it to
sail well.

Only downside (apart from the daggerboard location) is that it IS a tad on the
small side. Great for one, OK for 2, 3 adults is "marginal". I'd like the 10,
or maybe build a 9ft "blunt-ended" scow instead.

For the money, I'd say you can't go wrong. Remember, you could buy a new WB8
every 5 years for 15 years before you spend what you would on an inflatable...

Lloyd Sumpter
"Near Cove" Walker Bay 8

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 20:56:47 +0000, Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:

I'm really attracted to the Walker Bay 8 as a dink that appears sufficiently
small to fit inverted on the foredeck of my little Hunter 310, and light enough
to possibly be able to man-handle on-and-off without using a jury-rigged
harness.

However, I note that it's made of injection-molded polypropylene.

Can anyone comment on the ease-of-launch/stowage issue, or - especially - on how
effective their "UV stabilization" really is?

Also - is Niccolls Lite still in business? Their NN10 looks really nifty.

Thanks.

Al
s/v Persephone

I've had a WB 8 for probably 5 years or so, and it's sat upside-down on Far
Cove's foredeck the entire time. I haven't noticed any UV degradation.

To launch, I just pick it up and throw it in the water. I HAVE retrieved it by
just yarding on the painter, but it puts quite a but of strain on the lifelines,
so I usually rig up a rope "harness" (either end of the transom and the bow,
connected at the center of the boat) and winch it up with the main halyard.

I love the little boat, it's been dragged over rocks, it carries 3 "in a pinch",
runs beautifully with a small electric trolling motor, rows well...I haven't set
up the sail rig because I suspect the daggerboard is too far aft to allow it to
sail well.

Only downside (apart from the daggerboard location) is that it IS a tad on the
small side. Great for one, OK for 2, 3 adults is "marginal". I'd like the 10,
or maybe build a 9ft "blunt-ended" scow instead.

For the money, I'd say you can't go wrong. Remember, you could buy a new WB8
every 5 years for 15 years before you spend what you would on an inflatable...

Lloyd Sumpter
"Near Cove" Walker Bay 8

Albert P. Belle Isle wrote:

Do you have a 10 footer? I had (prematurely) decided against a
Porta-Bote due to the (mis-)impression that 10 ft was the shortest.

I've since been informed that there's an 8-footer, which may be _just_
what I need. Is yours an 8-footer?

Hi Al,
No, Mine's a 12' model. Spacious for 2 or 3 people, comfortable for 4
and we can squeeze 5 into it.
As a lot of people have heard me say before when this topic comes up,
I'm a convert. We have had a 10' Avon for years (and still have it, but
haven't used it since we bought the Porta-Bote 2+ years ago). I'll be
happy to wax eloquent on the details as to why we like it so much, but
the short answer is that as a tender, it is MUCH better than our Avon in
all ways except one. The inflatable is easier to board from the bow at
a crowded dinghy dock.

We have also not had a chance to confirm that it works well as a skin
diving platform (which the Avon is great at). We should get a chance to
do this on a Channel Islands trip we are trying to put together for next
summer (the water here in N. Calif. is too cold for me to enjoy spending
a lot of time in the water

You asked about fit and finish. No problems with ours, but a few people
have had some minor issues. The factory, however, stands behind the
product and resolves any problems. Yahoo.com has a listserver dedicated
to the Porta-Bote. Check it out the archives for a real look at what
the owners talk about. Rarely are any problems mentioned. One
important issue to me is the ruggedness, We never worry about rubbing
against rocks or running it up on the beach.

They also come up on Ebay now and then. In fact, that's where we bought
ours.

--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean" http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG