SAILING THE PORTABOAT

[eskfreedom]

I have read lots about the portaboat. Plan on getting one with a sailkit but cant find any input on how they sail. Anyone have one with a sail kit and how do they sail. Cant wait to get one.

[ShadowRWolf]

wow never seen that before good idea

[iiii]

We have had our 10'er for 11 or 12 yrs; great boats. Sorry, never tried the sail-kit.

[Delezynski]

Eskfreedom,

For the record, we have an 8 foot PortaBoat and LOVE IT! If you look at our web pages, you will see we use it a lot.

We have talked to a number of people who have, or have hada sail kit on the PortaBoat. NOT ONE WAS HAPPY with it. Sorry to say that.

The 8 foot model is just to small to sail unless you sit on the floor. the kit from PortaBoat is flimsy and does NOT look like it's worth the $$. I thought about building a sail kit of my own with something from a sailing board, but it was just not worth the time.

Greg

[Latitude9.5]

we have a porta bote I am not near as impressed with the newer models, plastic seats, plastic transom, etc.... as the older ones. Mine all have cracks in them, as far as sailing one, no experience there.

My only major complaint above and beyond the plastic parts are you can't put the porta bote in davits (we didnt have davits on the old boat which is when we bought the porta).

I know I'm not alone in the plastic seat and transom issue as I have seen a few at the anchorage that were in the same shape, same exact cracks. I just don't think they fair well with 365 day a year use.

[eskfreedom]

Has anybody sailed the new lateen rig they got or have they always had it i realy want to be able to sail my dink

[Minggat]

I sail my Walker Bay a lot. It's my sports car around marinas and anchorages. People love to see me sail around in a dink as much as I love to sail it. I get a lot of "thumbs up" when people see me for the first time.

[alaskadog]

I have owned a 10-foot Portaboat for a few years. I bought it with the sailing kit. I used the sail only twice and then sold it. It is slow to rig and once rigged it is not fun to sail. The balancing boards are a pain to use and to tack you must essentially get in the bottom of the boat. It is not user friendly. The portaboat itself has some positives and negatives for use as a tender. I do not use it as the tender for my sail boat. Due to the size of my sailboat and the deck shape and configuration of the rigging, I had rather inflate my Zodiac in a roly anchorage than put together the Portaboat.