Porta Boat - Durability & Suitability

[alctel]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I've heard PBs are considered undesirable by thieves, although I've never been in an area where dingy theft is a problem.

It's because it's amazingly ugly, esp from the rear - looks like a cardboard box. I actually laughed out loud the first time we tied up to a dinghy dock with all the other boats.

Mine is a very used second hand one was well that is battered to all hell, so that doesn't help.

Lovely boats though, it's nice to be able to row places. I'd like to trade out my 10' for an 8' though, 10' is slightly too long for me to open up comfortably by myself on the foredeck.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

The ad was posted late last night (8:00PM about). It was removed shortly after that.

I am just in the market and so went to look.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

I am just in the market and so went to look.

That's why I posted what I did, so you would know.

Trying to help you and others connect to get what you want via the forum.

If the seller follows the rules on boat postings for sale, it may appear on that forum again soon. So I suggest keep an eye on that forum.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by alctel

It's because it's amazingly ugly, esp from the rear - looks like a cardboard box. I actually laughed out loud the first time we tied up to a dinghy dock with all the other boats.

Love my ugly PB duckling [emoji6]. I figure with the whopping 3.5 hp engine we'll be the least desirable dingy for crooks to steal. It's kinda like our whole boat ... old, with few fancy doodads showing. As long as I can anchor near some snazzy benne or hunter, I figure we're gonna be safe from coveting crooks.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

As long as I can anchor near some snazzy benne or hunter, I figure we're gonna be safe from coveting crooks.

Now THAT'S why I come to this forum, to learn the tricks!

[ejlindahl]

Tried to post this last week for a recent query but I messed up. Here it is now:

See replies below after each of your questions.
:
***************
I am looking at a used 8' with a 4 HP engine. The 4HP is over weight for the 8' boat (55 lbs), not sure why the owner bought that. Will this be a problem?

I think PBs can take a 5 hp. On my 10' I use a 6 because that is what I have (57 lbs) A 4 hp will plane the PB with one, maybe 2 light people, which is very nice. I'd stick with that until you use it a bunch with what ever hoist system you get and then decide if it is ok or not. A 2 hp will not plane unless you are on the very light side, and then not very fast.

. I am ok with installing something like the NovaLift or similar crane. Or even dinghy davits on the back of the boats.

Heck if davits are an option definately do that and keep the 4 hp on the boat all the time, except for longer or really rough passages. Stop here, you're done!

So my questions are:

1) when in port, can I just lift the PB with motor attached on a three point (bow / aft) rope / cable rig? I assume so on dingy davits. How about on a crane? I would think so with 2 attachment points on either side of the transom. On a crane you'll have to monkey around to get the balance point

1a) Cranes don't seem to have much horizontal reach. Can they in fact lift a PB (with or without motor still attached) without banging the hull. Have a beefy one custom made to get the reach you need. It might be cheaper than you think. Go to where all the commercial fisherment get work done, get exactly what you want.

1b) Can they swing the PB over the lifelines? Have it made high enough

2) How difficult is it to get the motor disconnected and up on deck using a crane or a block and winch. Its done all the time but its harder if its rough.

2a) Difficulty getting a 55 lb motor up on some kind of mount and locked down? not with a crane and your mount is within the swing of the crane

2b) How do you lock down a motor to prevent theft? drill a hole in the top of the transom and run a bike cable thru it, the motor and your boat. You can make a cheap long one with 1/4" plastic coated SS cable and a couple swages. West Marine has the tools and you can quickly make it up right there. Don't use a thimble so the loop can squeeze thru a smallish hole in your transom, (make the loop fairly large). The transom hole can also be used for your lifting bridle. Also your 4 hp probably has 2 clamps which have holes in the handles. Find a pad lock with a hasp that will go thru both clamp handle holes (and a cable to the mother ship). A theif can't unclamp it from the transom now unless he knocks out the pins that attach the clamp handle to the clamp screw. That provides fairly good security. A 2 hp may only have one clamp so that is not as effective

3) Has anyone used the boom to do this? not me, but people do it

4) Difficulty assembling / disassembling on deck. depends on size and flatness of (flush?) deck. probably its a hassel on a 33'. My Corsair 31' trimaran has a big tramp area which is the best for this. Get a Corsair!

5) Difficulty getting it into the water once assembled. If you're not too old just heft it over the life lines, with the motor off, and lower it in with the painter. More wear on you lifelines tho.

6) If just hung in port, at night, what it the probability of theft. Depends where you are. Probably ok in most places

[jwcolby54]

Thanks a million for the detailed response. I really like the idea of the PB as a dinghy. I will be a liveaboard at anchor a lot so having a nice little PB with a motor makes sense. It's just me and my 'stuff' to haul. A very occasional passenger.

It's just the details of getting it aboard before heading out that gives pause.

Given the very low total weight including motor, I am leaning towards fixed davits. Or a fixed davit for the outboard end and a crane for the (much lighter) bow end. Not sure how that would stand up.

[ejlindahl]

I thought I would revive this thread with a query as to how folks regard the seaworthiness of the Porta-boat. The bow is so dang low that I am concerned about scooping up a big powerboat wake or just taking in some water every few waves in a good wind chop. Frankly I haven't used my PB that much. I wasn't as concerned about this in my ancient 8' Livingston nor my old 8'-6" Archilles. Any one out there that have testimonials about it being able to keep it's snout out of the water. I'll try and post a pic of a hack job bow deck someone built as an improvement to the Manufacturer supplied bow cover.

[bletso]

For sure their bow cover isn't worth a fart in a wind storm.

[Mike OReilly]

So far I've not had much problem with this. I do occasionally ship some water over the bow, but mostly the bote just lifts over the waves, probably b/c it's so light. Mostly I use the bote without the cap on, b/c it's really just for show.

I have considered trying to construct some sort of bow canopy. Maybe when I have nothing better to do .

[msponer]

Our 12' Portabote demonstrated how tough it is last week. The wind shifted while we were anchored in the Tuamotus, and we ended up with a 25nm fetch in ~20 knots of wind. A ~3' wind chop chafed through the painter in the middle of the night, and the lee shore was a nasty tangle of small breaking waves, sharp reefs, and rocks.

It had an 8hp 2-stroke on it, and I fully expected it to have flipped or at least swamped. Instead, we found that "Stiffy" (what my kids named the Portabote) had made it through the surf, bounced and floated and been pushed high up onto the rocks without damage. I think it's super light weight and non-puncturability made the difference in this case.

But our Portabote experience hasn't all been roses. We have the new Alpha model with the metal transom and plastic motor mounts. The cheap pop rivets they used to secure the motor mounts worked themselves loose, and we lost the plastic boards. We've replaced them with plywood. The rivets they use to secure the rubrails are sharp, and have dinged and scratched the paint on our transom. The black rubrail on the keel popped off, and we had to hammer it back on.

Still, for our present needs, I would easily get one again. Definitely the larger 14' one, because I think more size is better for speed, stability, and dryness. If we ever do the 'super size' upgrade to our davits that I fantasize about, then I'd look at a ginormous inflatable rib or aluminum tinny (we once had a Quintrex from Australia and loved it).

[clockwork orange]

There is a similar but much better looking and higher quality tender available in Australian but unfortunately along with the higher quality comes a much higher price. Sorry, I can't remember the name at present.

[ejlindahl]

Msponer,

Since you are "out there" what do you think of the PB's seaworthiness regarding it low bow and scooping up water in waves. Have you crossed surf lines very often with it?

[msponer]

Originally Posted by ejlindahl

Since you are "out there" what do you think of the PB's seaworthiness regarding it low bow and scooping up water in waves. Have you crossed surf lines very often with it?

I've never landed it in surf bigger than two feet. If it is bigger than that we tend to not go or anchor and swim in.

The most adventurous thing we've done with it is 8nm grocery (beer) runs across an atoll. With 8hp and two adults it does about 12 knots. Three adults and we do 9 knots. On one trip the wind freshened to ~15-18 knots on the way back, so we had whatever chop you'd expect with a 8nm fetch: maybe 2'? No waves were being scooped up through the bow, but it was soaking wet with splashing. It felt a little unsafe, but mostly because the boat was flexing and pounding so much. We wouldn't have felt unsafe in that way in an inflatable.

For most dinghy trips I feel like we are significantly dryer than if we were in an inflatable. However, I've only had the 'light' style of RIB, the kind with a flat hull and only a small V in the bow. I don't know how a heavier RIB with a bigger V in the bow would feel in small waves.

For the 12' size, I feel very safe with 2 adults and 2 kids. With 4 adults and 2 kids it feels overloaded and sketchy if it is not mostly calm. I worry about dipping the rail and swamping it, which I would not with an overloaded inflatable. This, and more dryness, is why I wish I'd gotten the 14' model. I don't think it's as important as I once did to be able to fit it assembled on the foredeck, since it's so quick to fold up.

I feel that for most conditions the portabote is significantly dryer than an inflatable. Because we aren't sitting on the inflatable tubes, which have a way of allowing even small waves on the beam to roll over the top and get our pants wet. With the Portabote in the same conditions we tend to have dry pants and wet shirts. I feel that's an improvement.

Again, my super favorite dinghy is something like a Quintrex 310. I used to have one, and with the deep V bow and an 8hp, we could plane upwind in chop and stay dry doing it. My fantasy is for better davits, that could handle a tinny of that size or slightly larger.

We also have a Portland Pudgy, which tows better, rows well, sails, is easier to drag up on the beach because it has a keel (the Portabote is really flat on the bottom and feels like dragging plywood through the sand), and feels fundamentally unsinkable and safer -- which is why it's my daughters boat. But it's not big enough for anything more than two adults, and it's tricky to sail upwind with two adults. But it's a very capable and safe boat with a single adult, we've easily sailed it several miles between anchorages (at 5-6 knots) when moving the mothership. Including in the San Blas, where there is open ocean style swell in the gaps between reefs.

[ejlindahl]

Thanks msponer.

Great post with lots of good info.