Porta-Bote folding boat? Any good?
Harrison
I'm thinking about getting a boat for a little
bass fishing, and saw this Porta-Bote thing. www.porta-bote.com,
and was wondering. Would I be wasting my money. Are these things
any good? They have all kinds of glossy testimonials, and things,
but
does anyone have any experience with them?
Thanks,
Greg
Phoenix
They are fairly sturdy, will hold a small aux. or you can row, and they seem
like they will give you 7 to 10 yrs of use. The advantage is it is fairly
easy to stow them while underway. The disadvantage is they can be fairly
tender while getting in and out, and since you can't sit on the sides (like
you can in an inflatable) they don't have as much room as a corresponding
sized inflatable.
--
Jim
"Harrison" <harri...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:38DE51C5...@earthlink.net...
Ray Thackeray
plane well with a small outboard - I would have thought all pretty good
things for a bass fisherman. The also stow like a surfboard, but can be
a bit of a pain to assemble sometimes.
I'll never forget the hilarious "America's Funniest Videos" clip of a
guy trying to assemble one, he fell in and it ate him!
I'm sure that Porta-Bote hate that, but if you have an RV or just want
to car-top on a rack, they are tough to beat and only need a 4hp
outboard to get you where you're going.
Cheers,
Ray
PS As my company sells Tinker Inflatables, which sometimes are in
competition with Porta-Botes, you can assume that this is a pretty good
endorsement. It's all in what you really need. Tinkers are oriented to
cruising sailors, for whom an inflatable is essential.
wgmoore
Greg & Lori
flexing floor may unnerve some owners.
Later I bought a Mercury Mark 15 from a Porta-Boat owner. He said the
motor was to wild for him. Also the noise that the old Mercury made
bothered his ears. So he bought a new 8 hp Evinrude, and was in
Porta-Boat heaven.
Greg Gardner
Gary S. Colecchio
Yes it is like riding in a waterbed.
Capt. Gary S. Colecchio
West Palm Beach
"The only people who have any business fishing are
young boys and married men. Everyone else should be
out getting laid."
Lyle Ryan
portable, planning hull, easy to carry and store. The "waterbed" effect
is funny, but the boat is always safe.
I have a 10ft in great condition I'm selling in the S.F. Bay Area, due
to too many boats. You can contact me if interested.
...Lyle (lyle...@berlex.com)
Harrison
me a good price. Looking forward to it in a few weeks. Got the
12' in aluminum color. It has new plastic seats, which is great
because that is one of the few things I disliked about the boat I
saw on display at Campers World, the rough wood seats. I got the
oars and the sun shade (for when I take my honey and a guitar out
on the water).
I never had a water bed, so it will be a neat change. I imagine.
Thanks for all your replies. I'll let you know how it goes.
I'm so excited!
Greg
Kurt Schenholm
fast
--
Sincerely
Kurt Schenholm 904 829 3807
KAS Marine
sa...@newglass2.com
www.newglass2.com
J.B. <j.bu...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:556hisggon02u3l0b...@4ax.com...
> Hi. I'm really interested in hearing more feedback from folks
> who've actually used these Porta-Boats, especially for fishing. I'm
> trying to decide between a Porta-Boat (Genesis IV) vs a transom hulled
> canoe.
>
> In particular I'm wondering:
> a) How stable is the boat to stand in while on the water?
> b) Is there a difference in hull design between the Genesis
> III's & IV's?
> c) How does it handle on choppy waters? (I'm planning to use
> it in the local lakes & ponds, not on the open seas.)
> d) Has anyone actually been able to damage one of these boats
> to the point that it was leaking (and how did it happen)?
> e) Was there anything about the boat that did not live up to
> your expectations? What was that?
>
> I've read through all of the reviews & testimonials on the web site
> and have one of the brochures. As I said, I'm interested in hearing
> from people who've had direct experience with these craft.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
> --- J.B.
David Smalley
>
> Hi. I'm really interested in hearing more feedback from folks
> who've actually used these Porta-Boats, especially for fishing. I'm
> trying to decide between a Porta-Boat (Genesis IV) vs a transom hulled
> canoe.
>
> In particular I'm wondering:
> a) How stable is the boat to stand in while on the water?
I was amazed. I quickly moved from stern to bow and back to stern,
including lots of side to side when I tested the boat. If you can't
stand in this boat then you can't stand on land.
--
DAVe
Harrison
tasks I have put it to, primarily fishing. I put a 5 HP
Johnson outboard on it and it really "floats my boat"
It moves well, I can fish where I want, it holds three
comfortably, it is a 12 footer, Genesis IV. I got the
oars. They are ok, don't get the sun cover shade thing
because the brackets you have to install make it
hard to close and poke into the sides of the
boat when closed.
It lives up to all my specifications
(PS> J.B. I couldn't reply directly because your
email address didn't work for me in Netscape for
some reason.)
I get a lot of interest at the dock when unfolding it.
People are amazed. I amaze them when it actually floats and
we go off to have fun.
Choppy waters, what little I've seen of them,
have been no problem. No out of the ordinary
instability there. You can stand in the boat,
although I feel better sitting.
I am happy to recommend it highly.
Greg