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