Porta-Bote, HardBody, or Soft Dinghy, Your Choice?

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You Yours

You Yours

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Dec 8, 2005
22
- - Los Angeles
Many choose the Porta-Bote for their trailer sailor dinghy. Others claim the blow-up have preference, and there are those who prefer the Hard Dinghy. Opinions are like backsides, everyone has one. Dinghy’s can be essential, some need power, some need more power, some like to row………Where’s your preference? http://www.marinews.com/details.php?recordid=369 http://www.tackletour.com/reviewportabote.html http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=9609&typeID=397&catID=571
 

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novelman17128

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Oct 25, 2005
265
Macgregor 22' Long Beach
Trailer sailor dingy

For a 20' to 25' sailboat space is at a premium, an inflatable is virtually the only practical option. I have owned a Porta Bote but it was not practical on my 22' Venture. At this time I own a 22' Venture and a small (8') inflatable works well when I sail to Catalina. If I had a 25' to 28' I would consider a larger inflatable and with 29' and larger a Porta Bote would work well in an 8' to 12' range. It could be folded and tied on the deck or if you are sailing to Catalina or the Ventura offshore islands, including Sana Barbara Island it would work well. So ir sepends on your use and the space you have on your boat. Novelman
 
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Skeeter

Horses for courses

Like to row? You will probably be happy with hard dinghy. Scuba dive? Nothing beats the infatable.
 
Capt. Kermie

Capt. Kermie

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Jun 8, 2004
550
Macgregor 26M Delta, B.C. Canada 26M not X
Inflatables only

For trailor sailors the inflatable is the only way to go. Where one puts a hard dinghy when towing on the highway is yet another challenge. It does not take any special skill set to row one especially the ones with inflatable floors and inflatable keels. The keel makes them track very well when rowing or towing behind a Mac or when powering with a small outboard. You can sit with your weight all on one side with no fear of tipping or capsizing and they hold much more weight than the hard counterpart. Not to mention they can be deflated and carried or stored more easily than a hard boat. Since I have a small outboard on mine I tow it behind the Mac but when trailoring it is deflated. I spent my first season with it rowing so I carried it deflated across the bow over the windows just in front of the mast and I could have it inflated in ready to go in 5 minutes and likely faster if my adreneline was pumping. It rowed just fine but I was the only one rowing, everyone else seemed to have a little outboard so I succumbed to peer preasure and got one too. The hard dinghys seem pretty dorky to me and you couldn't give me one for free. Is it Porta-Boat or Dorka-Boat!
 
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Skeeter

Inflatable

The air floor is the only way to go for inflatable. My 8.5 stows nicely below. When I get to Catalina, I bring it up to the bow and use an electric inflator to pump it up and then lower over the side. My motor is the small Suzuki 2.5hp I mount on the swim ladder. I'm able to do this entire operation by myself.
 
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Chris & Lenore - MAc 26S

Hard dinghy...

When looking for a dinghy, a friend called who had spotted a neglected (cheap) fibreglass unit. It does row very well - goes fast and glides forever (not much exercise). It tows like nothing is there. While under sail, we can pull it alongside with no effort. In a storm it tracks straight and stays on the water. It fits easily on the top of our van. We don't worry about rocks - important in the North Channel and other places. We never have to join that "hiss - weeze", "pump up the dinghy" ritual every morning. Disadvantages: - tippy i.e. not compatible with wine consumption or large dogs - needs "pool noodles" or similar along the side or it will "clunk" all night against the hull. - hard surfaces are not comfortable when "slouching" at dinghy cocktail parties After being through a nasty storm with two other boats that had inflatables - we love it. One of the others took flight and broke off the VHF before holing itself. The other flipped (with outboard) and became a submarine. Ours tracked straight, true and on top of the water. To each their own... Chris
 
MrBill_FLL

MrBill_FLL

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May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
tandem kayak

I pull a sit on top kayak. I have put it aboard, but mostly drag it. its not exactlly dry, but works for me.... in so fla. http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h169/ftldiver2/SailingOctHmstd/PA130011.jpg
 
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Night Sailor

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Oct 26, 2004
321
Macgregor 26X Denton Co. TX USA
Pprtabote

I use a Genesis IV Portabote and carry it on top of the truck when trailering. It tows behind when sailing or motoring very well. It's very stable, my 5hp Nissan gets up on plane and tops out at 20 mph per GPS. Easy to row and tracks true. NO worry about oyster banks or rocks, pipes or broken bottles on shore. Only takes 15 minutes to put it up or pack it away solo. Less time with help. Only disadbantage is that in weather colder than 50 degrees it is harder to put together as the plastic gets stiffer. Oh, and it's unsinkable, with or without motor on back, or a boat load of people.
 
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Skeeter

Things that go bump in the night?

Looks like he's added something to cushion it from banging on the hull but that's a big concern with the hard dinghy.
 
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Greg

Dingys

I tried the inflatable boats. They don't row well, especailly against a breeze. Tried several Hard dingys, expensive and one was too big, the other too small. Then I started building my own dingys. That's the ticket. Cheap, and if you want it bigger I have never had a problem selling them. Now I have a small one that will even fit on deck for when I'm out alone, and a big one for when I have guests with me. Built the last 12 footer for $120 complete. In fgact I love building them so much several weekends I could have been out sailing I was home building another one. Starting to get a collection of them now. If you need a dingy for more than one persone, but want a fast easy to build one try Duck Works. The Lark can be built real fast and easy. A good OSS one sheet dingy plan is available on line too. I use one of these for when it is just me and my dog. One sheet of laun and the paint and 1x2's only cost about $15. Only takes a day to make it. Oars on the other hand aren't cheap. Swim Noodles on the gunwhales prevent banging against your good boat.
 
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Blake

One more

I just bought a tote-n-boat folding canoe on Ebay for $250. It is 9'8" long, folds to fit into a 4'x 14'x 4" bag, and supposedly will hold up to two people or 450#. It sets up fairly easily after the first time, with no tools needed except the plastic clamp that is included. I have not tried it out on the water yet, as all of ours is frozen solid, but it looks tippy! This is not going to be a dinghy for large waves, heavy loads, or surf (unless you are looking for adventure), but should be adequate for lakes in protected waters. My used boat, a Mac 26S, came with a cheap plastic inflatable. To me the hassel of inflating on deck, and later deflating and stowing the wet boat in the shallow compartment under the aft birth, insured that this boat would never be used (it was new when I got it). The tote-n-boat should be easy to store and assemble, time will tell if it proves usefull on the water!
 
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