Tenders

[ebb]

The folding boat is called Porta-bote.

www.porta-bote.com

I guess by the unearthly silence on the subject that nobody has experience with these?

If it wasn't so ugly it seems like the perfect solution for a hard tender for the Ariel. Do you think they'd loan us one for some Class sea trials??

[ebb]

Capt. mmrgsrtmn, suh!

First, jist let me say I LOVE this stuff. Inventing something and making an effort to get it to market - getting a patent - is the only way left that Any-old-person (Everyman) can still succeed with his own imagination. Those that make it big are our heros. It's kind of the lotto of the imagination.

Sometimes it's a righteouse idea and a satisfying, workmanlike solution. The patent will be thumbs in the armpits. The only reward will maybe be bringing astonishment or joy to the onlooker. Sometimes it is just a good idea taken one little step further. Mike Goodwin, who got swallowed by a schooner. got us started on nesting prams There's lots of them (plans) floating around.

Psss s s t, hey skipper, got this great idea for a 3 piece nesting pram that fits over the front of the cabin on the Ariel.....

But check out this marvelous Seahopper first:
www.seahopper.co.uk/
www.seahopper.homestead.com/frontpage.html
http://www.shorebase.co.uk/boating/s...oppy/hoppy.asp

[c_amos]

So I started out borrowing a paddle boat from the marina to go back and forth while I was on a mooring awaiting a slip.



Then, I bought a very used sandpiper 8;
It rows well, even with 2 adults and a Lab.

• Length: 95"
  Width: 47"
  Depth: 18"
  Weight: 75 lbs.
  Capacity: 2 people /425 lbs.
  Motor: 3 HP

Like this one; Link to Sanpiper 8 at boaters world


I have had some of the problems you expect with a hard tender. I had it swamp once in a squall, and it becomes a very effective drogue. I would have hated to be in a bad place (like running an inlet) when that happened.

The mfg says it weighs #75 but mine feels about twice that (the foam may have some water in it).

I loose something like .5 - .75 knots when I tow it.

So I started looking for an inflatable, hoping to be able to fit it in my cockpit locker.

I found a good deal on a used Avon R 280. I arranged the shipping, and should have known something was up when it was too large to be shipped by anything but truck freight!


So I get this thing, and (like everyone says) it rows like a barge.... No, make that a barge towing an anchor....

Link to Avon web site to see the R-280

I tried putting my Yamaha 6 on it, and got it up to a whopping 5.5knots!
Then I put my evenrude 2 on it, and it went just as fast.

It is very stable, and while I have not tried to tow it behind my boat I doubt it would be any harder to tow.

The only place I can imagine putting it is rolled up on the foredeck, where it would be tripped over, just like a hard tender on the foredeck would. Then the idea of deflating and rolling this monster on my deck underway is kinda hard to wrap my brain around.....

So, with the 'too large' R 280, I get the west marine flier in the mail and see their smaller R-200 inflatable for $200 off list.

I go to the store and look at it. It is much smaller folded then the Avon, looks downright suitcase sized. Cool.... or so I think.

It does not fit in the cockpit locker either.

So;

How many are using hard tenders? Are you doing this because you gave up on inflatables?

Has anyone ever found an inflatable that would fit in the locker?

Should my R-280 plane?

[Bill]

C_ , well, you've tried all the others, why not try the Porta Bote???

[c_amos]

I now have a fleet of 3 dink's, 4 if you count my coleman canoe.

I am thinking that each were at least feasable, but I can't say that I see stowing a 10' Taco anywhere on my Ariel.

Now, if they made one that would flatten, then roll up.........

But I think that would look a lot like swimming

[Theis]

I'll come back to the Walker Bay 8. It too slows me down about a half mile per hour, but tows well, and is easy to row. When I carry a small engine, I put the engine in the lazarette when draging the dinghy on a long stretch.

I have only had it fill up once - after getting hit by a waterspout, tornado, whatever. That was the least of the damage. Tearing the main in half was the most of the damage. But in most rain storms, I only get a couple inches at most, and although that slows me down a bit more, it is not that big a burden. It is easy to get the water out with a Thirsty Mate.

However, recognizing that I may not want the ultimate drogue, I probably will put a self bailer in the bottom of the boat this spring. The dinghy also serves as a valuable resource for garbage, etc. that accumulates as I am cruising.

I haven't found anything better than trailing a dinghy (The Walker Bay is my third). I pitched my inflatable decades ago because it took too long to make useable and was a tremendous drag - empty, and took too long to deflate and put away! most of the time, when I am cruising, I want to get ashore, or get the boat off a rock, or whatever, and don't want to take a half hour getting everything ready.

[ebb]

Porta-Bote. Taco option to a doughnut or foam sandwhich.

Could lash the 8 footer to the cabin on the Ariel. Or a couple 2' stanchions next to the the cabin side. Have to come up with some custom clips. Or a sleeve. At 9' X 2' X 4" it certainly seems possible. Opening it aboard the Ariel is not easy, but then, an idea:
The folding boat could be opened and go thru the labor intensive propping procedure in or rather ACROSS the cockpit coamings. Probably have to do something clever with the stanchions and lifelines. Would be 'safe' there - assembly and disassembly - and you'ld need chaffing gear on the coamings and to launch over the side and get it back on board. Bet you can lift the pointy end and haul it aboard! Boom could be helpful.

But at 47# that sounds like a piece of cake!
Does that include the seats and oars and the cat rig and the electric motor?

Don't think the Porta-Bote can be towed in anything rough, don't know. Any swamped tender is a danger. But it can be rowed, unlike an airboat. It can be rowed, they say, swamped, still floating. It can't be punctured. It's foam doesn't deteriorate, or fill with water, that's something. And I too, except for actual experience, find it harder to conceive getting an airboat ready to use or stow aboard an Ariel.
You have to think of the tender in a possible lifeboat mode. The new WalkerBays have waterwings that look good and add to their versatility. Porta-Bote has a lot going for it too except the assembly part. If I go to the boat show this year, I'm going to ask the P-B person for a demo, or hands-on myself, and try to imagine doing it in the cockpit.


For long distance cruising, another place to rig the Porta-Bote might be along either side of the cockpit to cut down on wind or spray. If you could safely secure it there, so it couldn't be torn away, that would be the most convenient place!

[willie]

The folda boat looks interesting. I have a blow up rubber raft, but can't imagine being able to use it much. It's fun for the kids to play in though.
I'm looking for stitch and glue plans right now. Already have the epoxy, glass, so should be a bit cheaper than the folda boat. I think towing something would be fine for this summer excursions. Can always leave it home if we don't plan on going ashore anywhere. It would work for a place to put an un-ruly crew member also! lol

here's a fun link, pretty small boat, but might work with the additions of the first builder (John the frog gigger)

http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm

[Bill]

Former member, Ken Longe, was talented in the woodworking department. He designed the step extension found in the manual.

Ken also builds small skiffs for personal use and as part of a high school program. We published the plans for this boat:

[willie]

Bill, That's just what i've been searching for. Been on this computer about all day, looked at a bunch, seems like finding the right dinghy would be easy! NOT!
So where do i find the plans? Google came up with some pig latin....

[Bill]

Bill, That's just what i've been searching for. . .
So where do i find the plans?

Need to check the files. The article was three or four years ago. I'll let you know what I find. If nothing else, I can give you Ken's mailing address (not computer literate). Very nice guy. Even though he had to sell his Ariel (wife wanted a power boat), he still writes a couple of times a year.

[Bill]

Ken Longe's story appeared in the January, 2003, newsletter as the lead article. The skiff building article appears beginning on page 12 and includes Ken's home address. Pages 18 & 19 of the newsletter are the "plans" for the skiff. Ken says the skiffs are easy to build "and a good use of your time."

We have one copy remaining of the Jan, 2003, newsletter. The bidding can begin . . .

[CapnK]

I have a Walker Bay 8, haven't towed it behind the Ariel, but did use it for 2 years behind the Com-Pac 23D. It tows fine, paddles fine, is tough, and like Peter reports I saw around 1/2 kt drop in speed (average) when towing it. Have towed it on trips up to 50 miles in length, though thru no major storms. I wish I could bottom paint it - stowage on deck is too cumbersome. ( Just made a sail for it a week ago (pic below). Plan to shape a daggerboard and cobble together a rudder for it, should be fun this summer on the bay, and I can go sailing regardless of whether or not Katie Marie is in sailing shape. )

Last summer, a couple transients stopped in at the marina who I just *had* to paddle over and have morning coffee with when I saw them - an older couple, and a younger couple, on a CD 28 and CD25 respectively (Carl! ). They both had Portaboats, and spoke highly of them. They'd been out for about 90 days, from Chas up to the Chesapeake and back. Sometime in the next year or two, I plan to make a nester for the foredeck, using pink sheetfoam and epoxy instead of wood. Light and stowable, I hope.

(Edit: Bill and C'pete - Due to circumstances (yet to be seen as fortunate or not) with a certain female, I have been moving my stuff this past week. I'll be scanning newsletters later this week. If approved, I could post a scan of than particular article post haste, sometime later this week.)

[tcoolidge]

Had a friend who carried a portaboat on his Islander 30 and loved it. Said it was easy to handle, easy to row and very stable. He was one of the odd ducks who valued function over form to the degree of finding ugly but functional a thing of beauty though. Have looked at them as an option for my Ariel but have concerns about stowage. Only logical place seems to be along the cabin trunk, which has some drawbacks- blocks light from entering, ruins the graceful lines of the boat, takes away side deck room going forward, interferes with inboard jib track. Securing them to the lifeline stanchions might work but the thought of green water coming over the boat and smacking into it gives me visions of stanchions ripped from the deck and other such unpleasantness. So in the meantime I'll stick with my WB 8, which has served well for many years. It does slow me down a bit but when I'm going anywhere that I drag a dinghy along I'm not usually in a hurry anyhow. Have also found it does remarkably well in rough conditions. Takes on surprisingly little water although I always keep a knife handy just in case I need to cut it loose. A good cover would probably eliminate what water is does take on. And it's a little disconcerting at first when it surfs alongside (and ahead of you if the painter is long enough) in a following sea.
Have been toying with the idea of building a two piece nesting dinghy that would fit over the cabin ahead of the mast but so far it's only in the theoretical stage. Too many other things to do, like sail and sand and paint. Maybe when I get everything done. Yeah, right. I forget. I own a boat.

[willie]

So if i build something like this, stitch and glue method, add a skeg for rowing/directional stability....

http://www.cajunsecret.com/cajun.htm

And another link so you get the idea...

http://www.unclejohns.com/boat/default.htm

What will it be like getting in and out of, from the mother yacht?
My only experience with doing that has been down in California, looking at an Alberg 35 on a mooring. Had to take a small pram out to her, back to shore a couple times for gear, etc. Was quite an experience the first time! I think the little square dink was about 6'x3', and had about 2'' of freeboard with me and gear. Fun time. Those folks just happen to have the salvage outfit involved with the 2 masted square rigger on the beach down there now. getting some info from them i'll post later if anyone is interested. Nice folks. Anyway,

I like the idea of the flat bottom double ender for ease of construction, and think it would work. Looking at about 10' so i can fit pieces from 4x10 luan ply. If i make the bottom wider, like about 40"?? i think it would be stable enuf to get in and out of.Might be more on the lines of a drift boat. Would put some foam under a couple seats, and some oar locks, etc... Any ideas?