Well, the new canoe is not meeting our expectations; just too darn tippy with 3 plus dog. The tandem kayaks are much more stable. Problem is; I can either take along 2 tandem kayaks or a boat that can carry all 4 of us.
I am intrigued by the Porta-bote concept. Honestly, those of you that have them, are they stable and safe?
Will I be able to put 3 plus dog in a 14’ bote and be comfortable?
I would love some feedback before I lay down the $
Anyone want to buy a canoe?
Thanx, Bill
__________________
Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
Of course there are many hull configuration for canoes and kayaks. Our kayaks are very stable (recreational design). I can take 1 other person plus dog in the tandem kayaks no problem. I cannot however fit all 4 of us. I can fit 4 in the canoe, but is not nearly as stable (expedition design) as our kayaks. There are compromises (speed, stability, load capacity) for each hull type.I am thinking the porta-bote may be the answer. A friend has the smaller one (10’) which I am going to check out tomorrow, that will give me a good idea if it is the answer for our family.Still hoping to get feedback from porta-bote owners here?!
Thanx, Bill
__________________
Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
A friend of mine had one at an outing of my fly fishing club. He was very happywith it's performance and attached an electric trolling motor on his. Notice in the picture how many people stopped by to help. More people does not mean less time to get it into the water.
Bonus points if you can identify the AirForums moderator in the picture....
We have a 10' bote (only two of us & the DOG). It fits easily on the cargo racks atop our truck.
It takes about 20 minutes to set up, once you get the hang of it.
Although the bote is not as stable as an inflatable, it is better than a canoe!
There is a great users group on yahoo for the porta bote. If you search floor boards, you will find a member who makes the slatted boards - these boards make the deck a little easier to navigate.
The standard "free" oars that usually come with the bote are, well, marginal - many owners replace the oars & oar locks.
If you are looking at a used bote, the current incarnation is "generation IV" - this generation has a hard plastic transom & seats. The Generation III botes have plywood transoms & seats.
If you want a light weight, easy to transport boat, the portabote is the way to go!
Don't know if you can head up I5 to take a look at the portabote for sale on eBay in Oceanside - might give you a feel for the 14' size. (Also, some of the earlier Gen IV botes had problems with the plastic seats, which have reportedly been resolved.)
According to some stats from Portabote, the most popular size is the 12', for ease of handling & portability.
Unforturnately, unless there is a dealer or you know a friend with a bote, it's hard to judge just how big the bote is or what you can handle. We have the 10' and stow it on the roof rack of our Chevy x-cab, long box truck that has a canopy. With the two of us "older" folk, the 10' is portable and we manage to lift it up on the roof rack & tie it down without much effort.
Portabote does sell an RV mount - it is DEFINITELY for SOB'S!!!
Wow, you gotta check with somebody in Canada for whats for sale in the 'hood! Thanks for the info. We have a Quad Cab p/u with a tonneau cover, so I'm thinking we will need a rack. Thanks for the info.
We have a 10' bote (only two of us & the DOG). It fits easily on the cargo racks atop our truck.
It takes about 20 minutes to set up, once you get the hang of it.
Although the bote is not as stable as an inflatable, it is better than a canoe!
There is a great users group on yahoo for the porta bote. If you search floor boards, you will find a member who makes the slatted boards - these boards make the deck a little easier to navigate.
The standard "free" oars that usually come with the bote are, well, marginal - many owners replace the oars & oar locks.
If you are looking at a used bote, the current incarnation is "generation IV" - this generation has a hard plastic transom & seats. The Generation III botes have plywood transoms & seats.
If you want a light weight, easy to transport boat, the portabote is the way to go!
As the 14' came out in 2004 can I assume they are all Gen IV?
Went for a ride in a friends 10' today...I am impressed. Pretty neat setup. More stable than I thought. I have run all kinds of boats in my life...still run a 40 Ocean out to the canyons fishing for sea monsters, this PB would be just the ticket for taking up North while towing the AS. Going to look at a second hand 14' tomorrow...
Thanx All,
Bill
__________________
Life is Good-Camping all around New England
Good people drink good beer-Hunter S Thompson
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