PortaBote

[dobro]

Hi.
I'm thinking of investing in a 12' PortaBote (as opposed to the 3m inflatable that I now have) and I'm curious. Do any of SOS members have such a beastie? It looks pretty good but I haven't seen one on the plastic so would appreciate any info. And yes, I've seen all the YouTube stuff.

[Todd]

I followed a Porta-Bote forum for awhile because I was interested in them, too. What seemed to be very common complaints were fragile seats which were prone to breaking, and a leaky transom. Apparently, the transome has a waterproof fabric across it which allows the sides to fold once the rigid motor mount is removed. After a varying number of folding cycles, it begins to leak. Additionally, they are reportedly very flexy on the water.
I concluded that if I had a real need for a folding boat, I could put up with Porta-Botes' shortcomings. But I don't, so I won't.

[pistnbroke]

you can make your own www.glen-l.com for plans