[Rhodes22-list] Porta-Bote users?

Tue Jul 19 18:12:30 EDT 2011

Mike,

It is true that the Porta-Bote is not cheap, although you can do better at 
the boat shows - at least free delivery and usually an additional discount 
as well.  Unlike an inflatable, they do not sink (internal flotation foam) 
and are pretty indestructible.  Mine is 8 years old and still going strong. 
The hull is guaranteed for 10 years!  Mine was swept off the floats during a 
storm 2 years ago and was crushed between 2 floats that weigh thousands of 
pounds.  I had to buy 2 new seats and do a little cosmetic work on the 
rubber that acts as a rub rail.  Any other boat would have been thrown away.

As with most things, you get what you pay for.  I can find lots of small 
sailboats that are way cheaper than a Rhodes 22 but I would not trade mine 
for any of them.

One man's opinion.

Stephen Staum
'87 R22, Carol Lee
Needham, MA

-----Original Message----- 
From: Michael D. Weisner
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:42 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Porta-Bote users?

I was thinking about a new dinghy (ours is 30 years young).  A PortaBote is
about $2K, with oars, delivered!  Seems kinda pricey.

Maybe I'll just buy another R22 and tow it behind ours!

Mike
s/v Shanghai'd Summer ('81)
Nissequogue River, NY

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Staum" <snstaum at gmail.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Porta-Bote users?

> The 10 footer is probably the largest you could have & stow on board.  I
> was
> thinking of the 12 but the Porta-Bote salesman talked me out of it - too
> long to stow on a 22' boat.  To assemble it on board you have to slide it
> across the cockpit - gunnel to gunnel - and snap in the seats and transom.
> This is doable although not easy.  if you mostly tow like me, it will
> work.
>
> Stephen Staum
> '87 R22, Carol Lee
> Needham, MA
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Sailor Joe
> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:20 PM
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Porta-Bote users?
>
>
> Yes, I was wondering about the practicality of setting up while on the
> deck
> of the Rhodes.  I would probably tow it most of the time but being abl e
> to
> stow it under certain conditions is important to me.
>
>
>
> jlock wrote:
>>
>> I had a 12-foot PortaBote for years for car topping.  That was before my
>> Rhodes, so I just used it as a vacation fishing boat.  I had a 5hp
>> outboard to drive it which was all it needed.  I'd stick with the
>> 8-footer
>> for a Rhodes dinghy.  They get progressively heavier as the size goes up
>> and getting it out of the water on deck could be a challenge.
>>
>> The sail kit looks like a PITA to me.  Besides fitting the mast and
>> rigging the kit includes leeboards which have to be bolted to the sides.
>> I would think that setting this all up to use sail power (and de-rigging
>> afterward) would be impractical.
>>
>> Also bear in mind that besides the folded hull to store, you will have
>> two
>> or three seat sections, the transom piece, and oars to store on board.
>> These may fit under the cockpit seats, but factor that in with whatever
>> else you have onboard.  If you don't use the forepeak much that might
>> work
>> for interior storage of the   PortaBote parts.  The hull can be lashed
>> down on deck somewhere or if you have lifelines they make a handy lash
>> point.
>>
>> The hardest part of launching and retrieving the PortaBote will be
>> finding
>> adequate space to do the setup and knockdown.  Again, that gets
>> progressively harder with the larger models.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> John Lock
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
>> Lake Sinclair, GA
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jul 19, 2011, at 00:34, Sailor Joe wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I'm seriously considering a Porta-Bote to use as a dinghy for some
>>> destination sailing.
>>>
>>> Do any of you use them and if so what size and do you use the R22 engine
>>> on
>>> the Porta-Bote or carry an additional engine?
>>>
>>> I have read that they row well and can be fitted with a sail kit.
>>> Sounds
>>> pretty versatile to me.  Does anyone have experience with towing them or
>>> stowing them on the R 22?
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> View this message in context:
>>> http://old.nabble.com/Porta-Bote-users--tp32088245p32088245.html
>>> Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
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>>>
>>> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives
>>> go
>>> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> __________________________________________________
>>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>
> -- 
> View this message in context:
> http://old.nabble.com/Porta-Bote-users--tp32088245p32094919.html
> Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
>
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
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>
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
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> __________________________________________________

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