Porta-bote new 14ft

[Ken Davison South Wales]

I watched the video and I think the weird shape stem is the start of what makes it stable on the water.

 

Having boarded numerous inflatables with diving gear I must say it looked very stable, I know that a 13' clinker dingy would not allow the same thing.

 

The thwarts locks the whole thing into a rigid unit, this is not uncommon with fibre glass boats, remove the thwarts and bulkheads and you end up with a very flexable hull.

 

I believe there is a stern board which supports the outboard and from the size of engines hanging from them this must be very strong.

 

Add to this the liability laws in the states only a complete fool would market something that was a danger to the users.

 

The funny part of the video was the lady puting the boat to gether, when she finnished it was flat packed Dare I say typical

[Marshian]

You would not get me in one of those any further thatn 20 yards offshore. I think i can swim that far !!

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Hi Marshian,

 

Life Jacket would solve that problem

 

With any form of craft you pick your spot and weather conidtions, most boats and even large ships have their limitations.

 

I have considered a yak, but as 99% of my local fishing is done on my lonesome, I have weighed up the risk and decided it is a none starter.

 

A portaboat with a small outboard would be a safer option, but when you weigh up the total cost I would be better advised to buy a 16' to 18' boat and keep it on the local marina.

[Simon Everett]

Thank God, sense prevails at last!

Those portaboats are designed to be used as a tender and not much more. Just for getting from anchored boat to beach/harbour wall from a mooring. That's all.

If you really hanker after a boat Ken keep your eyes on the ads in places like Boat Mart, Boats for Sale, even the Autotrader and Loot.

The best time of year to buy a small boat is from October - February, provided you have somehwer to store it. That is the time of year when everyone offloads and they don't want the hassle over the winter - so the prices plummet.

Now, spring is here, summer is just around the corner and everyone starts thinking of/dreaming about days in the sun and then the idea hits them...why don't I buy a boat for this year (getting any sense of Deja Vu here Ken). Demand goes up, people are in a brighter frame of mind and more optimistic so the prices go back up again.

Just some thoughts for you to muse upon....

Simon.

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Spot on Simon, a local told me to leave it and my pocket as I have booked up for quite a few charters this year.

 

The guy who taught me about using small boats said there is nothing magic about it 80% common sense 20% maintainance and I don't think he was far wrong.

 

Most of the accidents I have seen have been down to pure stupidity and the others down to poor maintainance.

 

The best laugh I ever had was the guy who came roaring out of Poole Harbour entrance playing the big I am with my new cruiser and promptly ripped the ar** end out on the Hook Sands just outside the harbour mouth.

 

Learning about buoys and having a look at harbour charts and less posing would stopped that one happening.

[kentangler]

I don't think the Porta Bote is as weak as you suggest. It has been tested in rough seas, and some are 30 years old. For just getting a few hundred yards offshore in good conditions, they are probably OK. The biggest plus is you can launch anywhere. HOWEVER! The price is too high for what is really a polythene boat! I could buy a good used Orkney 16 for half the price. The only problem is, too few slipways, and the ones we do have here are jammed up with bloody jet ski lunatics. There is a real problem with these twits at Herne Bay. They leave the slipway where there is an 8 knot limit at full throttle, despite being shouted at by the warden. There have been collisions, and all sorts of problems.

I was just looking at the Porta Bote option as a possible way of launching away from idiots for a quiet bit of fishing, but I must agree it looks a bit naff. You certainly wouldn't get me in a bloody kayak, even more dangerous than a Porta. At least the Porta has a speed of 23mph with a fairly small outboard motor, and can carry 1000lbs in weight.

You cannot seriously suggest a kayak is safer, or looks less idiotic for a fishing craft.

[Newt]

Porta Bote is a lot more sturdy than some folks seem to think. I'd match it against a 'regular' welded aluminum or fiberglass boat of similar shape and dimensions.

 

However, the big selling point is that it will quickly fold flat so transport and storage isn't the issue it can be with more normal craft.

 

For instance, if you travel via caravan and don't want to tow a trailered boat, you can fold this boat and strap it to the side of the caravan. If you cartop your boat, there is no way you could get a regular boat this size on the car safely.

 

I'd say if you have space to park a boat trailer and are able to tow it, you can get more boat for the same money but chances are good that if you fold your regular boat to store it, it will never be quite the same afterwards.

 

I have to doubt if the nay-sayers have ever been in one of these and am very sure none have seen a porta-bote collapse when in use.

 

[ 01. April 2005, 10:57 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Guest stevie cop]

I don't know whether it would collapse or not, but I know it would turn over quite easily. It would get swamped pretty easily too.

[kentangler]

Steve, what makes you think it would turn over? You can stand up and cast in one of these because thay are incredibly stable. A 6ft beam would be hard to tip over in an ordinary boat, if you look at the video, they pull a fully laden diver over the side right up near the bow! That's with two other divers also standing in the bow. Try that in a conventional 12 footer, and they would all be in the drink.

[Guest stevie cop]

The thing is, it's got a dead flat bottom. Flat bottom boats are as good as useless in the sea. O.K, it may be failry stable in flat calm water, but with a few choppy waves it's a different matter. I know that some of the fast boat designs are flatish towards the rear of the hull, but they have weight to them that still makes them sit in the water rather than on it. That fold up boat hasn't got any weight to it at all, and that's what makes it unsafe in all but flat water.

 

Even estuaries can get very rough when it bolws up suddenly. My boat does about 22-23 knots and one day last year I had to try to make a run for it as a nasty squall was heading down the river towards us. I couldn't outrun it and we got hammered. That fold up boat would have sunk.