We have had our
Portland Pudgy for several years now. The illustration of davit mounting in the
Portland Pudgy Users Manual is of our
Ericson 41
sloop, Sunshine. The short overall length made it perfect for davit mounting on the very narrow stern of the E41.
The
boat is solid, performs very well as a row boat and with our Torqueedo
electric outboard. The double davit mounting makes it easy and quick to launch and retrieve, and eliminates concern about its weight. It is indeed "pudgy," but this makes it very stable and readily boarded from the
water.
The company and its owner/designer have always been available and responsive to queries and requests (a very refreshing change from efforts to contact the manufacturers of my previous dinghy's with problems or necessary repairs!). I fortunately have not had the need to employ ours as a lifeboat, but I am convinced that it would perform this function if the occasion should arise.