Porta-Bote, a completely collapsible watercraft - SenS-e

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Watercraft Review
Porta-Bote, a completely collapsible watercraft that
transforms from surfboard dimensions into full a
fledged boat
Date:
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Introduction: Boats come in all sizes, shapes, and sizes...but among all
the portable watercrafts available today, nothing quite compares to the
Porta-Bote. This unique, one of the kind, boat folds up to a surfboard size
and becomes a fully functional row or powerboat on the water when fully
expanded. While some people are skeptical about how well a fold up craft
can perform, we found the Porta-Bote delivered respectable
hydrodynamics, solid stability, and most of all...was extremely portable
and effortless to employ.
---------------
First look inside the
new Curado I baitcaster
4/19/04
Watercraft
Porta-Bote
JIP
Material
Length
Porta-Bote Specifications
Buffered Copolymer Polypropylene
10' 8"
Folding Thickness
4"
Width (Beam)
60"
Draft
4"
Depth (midship)
24"
Hull weight
58 lbs
Weight Capacity
585 lbs
Persons Capacity
3
Number of Seats
3
Engine Capacity
54 lbs
Shaft Length
15" (Short shaft)
Bench seats, cup holders, transom
motor mount, rub rails
For the latest pricing, call Porta-Bote
International at:
1(800) 227-8882
or email them at:
[email protected]
Features
MSRP
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Introducing the Porta-Bote Genesis 10ft. model
About Porta-Bote: After a very successful career in the publishing field,
Porta-Bote's CEO Sandy Kaye bought the rights of the folding boat design
in 1973 and have driven the business by redesigning the boat to be more
efficient, introducing new accessories, and much more. The Porta-Bote
design was actually created in 1969 by Sandy's friend. The original
concept was a good one, but unfortunately the first design didn't interest
many outdoor enthusiasts. A little re-engineering by the man himself, and
6 Feb
many outdoor enthusiasts. A little re-engineering by the man himself, and
the Porta-Bote had the right design and features to garner worldwide
sales.
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A deep entry V-hull provides good hydrodynamics in the water. The picture to the right shows
the floor that's flexible and yet stable
Impressions: The first time I saw a Porta-Bote in person was during a
trip to the Eastern Sierras. Trout fishing and testing gear in a remote lake
where the dock held a series of aluminum rental boats and at the end of
the line up was a Porta-Bote. I didn't get to see one folded up until I
visited Porta-Bote and met the mastermind himself. Sandy showed me
the boat as it was opened up, and right there he taught me how to
disassemble it in a few quick minutes. Needless to say, I was quite eager
to learn more about the design and whether this boat could fit the needs
of anglers.
z
The Design: In 1969 the Porta-Bote was born. The portability concept
was always there, but the overall hull design and shape was somewhat
different. The "original" watercraft was a double ended boat, where there
was no bow and stern, just two bows. In this design, the folding boat
didn't have good stability as there was less surface area that supported
the boat. Soon after Sandy took over the business, a redesign was put in
place immediately. Sandy re-engineered the Porta-Bote as we see today,
having a bow and a stern. The new innovative boat now has a wide beam
for much stability, and it has the ability to mount an electric or gas
powered motor, bringing the Porta-Bote to a whole new level in terms of
application and of course the ability to fish from it.
[Left] Bow trolling motor mount [Right] Bow cap for a more attractive appearance
A question that many of you might ask is how can a boat be folded not
just once, but many times, still have seams strong enough to never
leak. This exact information has remained a secret for a long time and will
continue to be this way. What I do know is that this technique is used in
the aerospace industry and that this technique involves the complex
welding of the 4 pieces together via staple wires and appears to have
some type of sealant material injected in-between the panels. Whatever
this exact welding method is, it does a magnificent job at holding the
Porta-Bote together.
Accessories: The Porta-Botes are designed to fit the needs of many
types of outdoorsmen by providing accessories per application. For
anglers there are a few items that are worth mentioning such as the bow
trolling motor mount, oars, sun top, and the dolly for easy transportation.
Setting up the Porta-Bote takes just a few minutes. Everything snaps into place then is secured
either via cottle pins or nuts, bolts, and washers
Watercraft
Outboard
Complete Rig for Porta-Bote Tests
Porta-Bote Genesis (10ft)
Honda 2HP 4 stroke
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4 Feb
Outboard
Honda 2HP 4 stroke
Number of Persons
2
Real World Tests: With its unique construction and ability to fold and
unfold in minutes, we knew this would be an fantastic watercraft to take
on local lakes and on trips to remote watering holes. The 10' Porta-Bote
Genesis was taken to Anderson Reservoir where we hand launched it
early in the morning before any fishermen were able to get onto the
water via the standard launch facilities. The boat held Zander and I, a 27
pound Honda outboard, 1 gallon of spare fuel, Porta-Dolly, accessories,
and a load of fishing tackle.
Powering across the lake is effortless as the boat planes quickly
Maneuverability: Although the 10' Porta-Bote is capable of holding a
5HP outboard, we used a 27lb outboard that produced 2HP which was
plenty of power for use in medium sized lakes. When we fished from the
Porta-Bote, moving around using both a gas motor and the oars was
simple. The boat has a deep V entry hull at the bow that cuts through the
water with ease. While we ran from point to point fishing, we made good
timing and used minimal gas as the Porta-Bote planes fairly quickly, even
with a 2HP motor. When we reached our destination we used the oars to
go into stealth mode as we moved closer in to target sweet spots. When
hitting shallow areas, the Porta-Bote only needs 4 inches of water to float,
but we recommend the use of oars at this time rather than your outboard
or trolling motor to prevent any damage it may cause to your motor shaft
and propeller. Having this ability of moving about in shallow areas will get
you to fishing spots others might not be able to reach in larger
boats. Because the hull is somewhat flexible, it does take some energy to
put the Porta-Bote in motion while motoring or rowing. When using the
outboard or oars, our results showed that the flex is so minimal that it's
not a real concern.
Stability is excellent and allows anglers to stand up and fish
Stability: The stability of the Porta-Bote Genesis is actually quite
impressive on the water. Even with the Flexi-hull, both Zander and I were
able to stand up and fish at the same time, but do so with caution and
always wear your lifejacket. Because only the bow section has a deep V,
the rest of the boat is fairly flat with a beam of 5 feet across. The wide
beam gives the watercraft much more surface area to float on and
provides the stability that I welcome especially when standing up and
tossing lures.
Standing at the bow while on the water isn't an option with the Porta-Bote
due to its design, and when landing, be careful because if you step in the
bow section, the body weight will cause the boat to lean towards one side
due to the deep V hull entry.
[Top left] The oar mounts are built onto the side of the boat. [Top right] The cup holders on the
seat provides a solid place to put your beverage. [Bottom left] The top portion of the Porta-Dolly
hooks easily onto the boat. [Bottom right] A solid plastic transom provides a strong place to
mount the motor
Because the hull is constructed out of a copolymer Polypropylene, it takes
impact from waves and wakes from other boaters very well. The Flexihull absorbs the impact softy, minimizing any roll or instability you might
feel such as in an aluminum boat. The design results in an easier and
comfortable ride, no pounding waves like a stiff hull, and the feel of
stability as you move about the water.
Safety: How safe is the Porta-Bote? Virtually unsinkable, explains Sandy
Kaye, CEO of Porta-Bote. The Porta-Bote has been designed to stay
afloat and leveled even when filled with water. Polypropylene alone is
already buoyant, and with the addition of the inner-side foam material
and hollow seats plus transom allows even greater floatation. For anglers
who don't like to fish on inflatables fearing they will get a hook in it, well,
the Porta-Bote will not have this problem. In addition to the boat being
unsinkable, its stability is good and while we fished standing up, we felt
completely safe in both calm and open waters.
Porta-Bote's CEO Sandy Kaye pounds on the side of the boat to show how durable it is
Durability: Before I explain how durable our Porta-Bote test unit is, I
would like to share with you what applications the hull material
Polypropylene is used for in today's products. Many of you see and touch
this type of material daily. This thermoplastic is used to make car
bumpers, fibers for carpeting, housewares, refrigerator parts, bottle caps,
bottles, medical products, fishing tackle boxes, and much more. Because
a buffered Copolymer Polypropylene is highly resistant to extreme
temperatures and chemical harm, has excellent moisture barrier
properties, and good fatigue resistance, it is the perfect material in which
to compose the Porta-Bote.
Now that we know more about the hull material, let's see how it did
during our on the water tests. The Porta-Bote's hull, only 1/4" thick, and
during our on the water tests. The Porta-Bote's hull, only 1/4" thick, and
took on zero damage as we stepped on it from both interior and exterior,
landed it on various rough surfaces, and during transport on top of an
SUV. To further prove its durability, Sandy Kaye smacked the unit with a
hammer right in front of my eyes, where the hammer bounced off and
not even a scratched was noticeable on the side of the boat. With a hull
like this, you won't have to worry about dropping lures inside the boat nor
having any problems when the lure runs up the side of the Porta-Bote.
Because Polypropylene are subjected to degradation when exposed to
certain conditions of UV radiation, the Porta-Bote is completely covered
with a ultraviolet inhibitor to prevent any damage from the sun's harmful
rays. To further add protection to the Porta-Bote Genesis, each edge is
fitted with a rub rail that will take the brunt of the damage especially
when landing.
With the Porta-Dolly, anglers can transport all their gear in one trip
Portability: This watercraft wasn't named Porta-Bote for nothing. The
boat is extremely portable and very easy to store. The Porta-Bote Genesis
can be folded down to a surfboard size of only 4 inches thick! When
folded the Porta-Bote 10' model can fit on top of sedans, trucks, SUV's,
jeeps, RV's, planes, and other boats. We transported the test unit on the
roof racks of a 4Runner, tied on with ropes, and we were off in minutes to
our fishing location. The boat and the hollow seats are also light enough
for one person to haul around, either loading, storing, or bringing it down
to the launch area. Speaking of launching, one can purchase the PortaDolly that hooks onto the side of the boat, and in seconds you are
wheeling your way to and from the water with all your fishing tackle and
motor in one trip.
The Porta-Boat is king when you consider portability. It folds down to only 4 inches thick and is
light enough for one person to handle
Comfort: The Porta-Bote is pretty much a shell made of Polypropylene.
Since the hull gives some flex, standing up on it will not cause much
fatigue because it's almost like standing on a spring as the floor of the
boat will absorb any shock, making it especially easy on the knees. The
only addition we would like to see are padded seats. Right now the seats
are molded out of hard plastic and sitting down on them all day can be
tiring. Some people actually modify their rig by adding a captain style
chairs with a backrest which provides much better ergonomics while
seated.
The ability to launch before anyone else is a big plus, allowing Zander and I first shot at fish
before any of the boats could even launch
Warranty: Not many boats, especially portable ones, come with such a
advantageous warranty like the one Porta-Bote offers. Because this boat
is extremely durable and the Polypropylene is virtually bulletproof, PortaBote provides a 10 year limited warranty on the hull and hinge.
Ratings:
Porta-Bote Genesis (10ft) Ratings (?/10)
Extremely durable and high quality material,
the copolymer Polypropylene is an excellent
choice for this boat and the company does a
good job in craftsmanship
Great performance on the water. It's
hydrodynamic, stable, portable, and works
very well for fishing
The special factory pricing is actually quite
good for a boat like this. Solid hull, durable
construction, and beats both aluminum and
inflatables in portability taking in
consideration in hull type and performance
The hull alone is pretty simple and doesn't
hold much features, but the seats have cup
holders and also acts as a floatation device.
The rub rails are a plus to further protect the
boat from any harm
An impressive unique design that allows easy
transportation. It folds up small and is
lightweight. The boat is built to perform well
while being portable
This watercraft can be used for fishing where
you would take an aluminum or inflatable
boat. Its extremely portable design allows
anglers to take it where they want either on a
car, private plane, boat, RV, and much more
Construction/Quality
Performance
Price
Features
Design (Ergonomics)
Application
10
9.5
8
8
9
9.5
Total Score9.0
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
! Extremely portable!
"
"
!
Innovative design
!
Quick setup/disassembly
!
Durable
!
10 years limited warranty
!
Virtually unsinkable
Minus
No padded seat option
Tiny amount of flex in hull can
result in slight lost of energy while
in motion
Conclusion: For anglers that love traveling to secluded fishing holes far
out in the countryside, have limited transportation, or minimal storage
space but still want a solid hull craft, the Porta-Bote is the one stop
answer for all your needs. This boat is quick and easy to set up either
alone or with a buddy, getting you on the water in a fleeting amount of
time. The Genesis 10ft model we tested demonstrated extremely good
hydrodynamics as our 2HP Honda outboard put it in motion with little
effort. While standing up to fish, both Zander and I felt extremely safe
due to the stability of the watercraft, this boat is virtually unsinkable and
the material used to build the hull and its secret hinged design is
ingenious. After decades of producing these boats
Porta-Bote has confidence in its product tacking on a
10 year limited warranty, which is unheard of in the
industry. The Porta-Bote is the ideal watercraft for
anglers on the go, and the fact that anglers can
transport this boat with ease, and still have to make
no sacrifices when it comes to features and
performance, make the Porta-Bote an easy choice for
our Innovation Award!
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Portabote - Practical Sailor Field Testing
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PORTA-BOTE VS INFLATABLES
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Volume 24 · Number 21 FOLDING
PORTA-BOTE FIELD TEST
GREAT DURABILITY
An Alternative to Inflatables and RIBs.............
HI PERFORMANCE
Porta-Bote is a fast, unique, folding dinghy for people who "like" inflatables.
NEW 14' (4.28M) PORTA-BOTE
PORTA-BOTE CLIMBS MT. EVEREST
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SEE IT USED AS A DINGHY
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FOR THE BLIND FISHING ENTHUSIAST
0nce upon a time, tenders were essentially wooden or fiberglass rowboats. Then came inflatables, which are easier
to stow, less likely to damage the boat they are tending, and more stable. True, inflatables are not a joy to row, but
boat owners in this country have never been too fond of rowing, anyway. When manufacturers noticed that many
people didn't deflate their inflatables, opting to stow or tow them, and that the lowly tender could be used as a
runabout, the RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) was developed with a fiberglass bottom surrounded by inflatable tubes.
RIBs retain some of the disadvantages of inflatables. They're not as rugged as a rigid dinghy and they will
eventually deteriorate if subjected to long-term ultra-violet (LTV) exposure. They generally provide poor stowage.
Their basic configuration wastes interior space - the side tubes intrude into the cockpit so that usable space is
limited. And it's very difficult to add things like cleats; with inflatables - any type you have to buy rubber cleats and
fittings and glue them on.
What And How We Tested
Porta-Bote, a design concept that's been around for the past quarter-century (over 50,000 in use, worldwide),
provides a good measure of stowability in a boat that's fast and roomy. It's made of polypropylene, with
polypropylene hinges that allow it to be folded to the size of a large surfboard. We ran Porta-Bote through pretty
much the same range of tests that we used in testing stowable inflatables. We noted things such as ease of
assembly, time to assemble (in the case of the Porta-Bote), and quality of workmanship.
We tested a 10' Porta-Bote with a 4-hp. Suzuki. We set up the same acceleration course we had used for
inflatables. We laid out a string of floats on 50' centres, and measured the time it took to pass each float with two
people aboard. We then took the boat out into open water and measured top speed. Lastly, we just ran Porta-Bote
through a series of turns, tight and otherwise, headed for whatever chop we could find (including some fairly serious
boat wakes), and generally had some fun.
http://www.porta-bote.com.au/practical-sailor.htm
Pagina 1 van 2
Portabote - Practical Sailor Field Testing
18/02/15 14:05
The first Porta-Bote we ever saw was a double-ended skiff that
was described to us as "sea-going origami." That was a long time ago; more
recently, Porta-Bote replaced the double ender with a square-back model that
makes much more sense with an outboard. This "Genesis III" series of boats
comes in three sizes- 8', 10', and 12'. We tested the 10' model.
Porta-Botes are made of polypropylene, almost 1/4" thick. There are three
chines running the length of the boat; each of these is actually a hinge. transom.
With the seats and transom stiffener removed, you can fold Porta-Bote's centre
hinge up and end up with a flat package measuring about 10'10" x 24"x 4" that weighs in at 59 lbs. The three seats
and the transom stiffener bundle up nicely. The folded boat can be lashed to a rail or stored on or below a deck.
Assembling the Porta-Bote is quick and easy. The entire operation, after a bit of practice, takes about six minutes.
All fittings are stainless steel or anodized aluminium. Once you put the Porta-Bote together, you have an open
dinghy with a 5' beam. The seats and gunwales carry enough foam flotation to keep the boat afloat and upright
even if swamped.
Performance with a 4-hp. engine was, in a word, startling! The boat, even with a 200-pounder and some gear
aboard, jumped up onto a plane in less than 50', with no movement nor other acrobatics required on the part of the
driver. With only a driver, we reached a speed of 15.2 knots. As a reference point, the easiest-planing RIB we
tested, the Apex A10, could only achieve a partial plane and a top speed of only 9.3 knots, with a 4-hp. motor and a
solo driver.
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The Porta-Bote has a soft ride, apparently because much of the force of waves hitting the boat is soaked up in the
hull's flexing. It's a nimble boat, not surprising for a beamy, essentially flat-bottomed craft. What we found surprising
was how accurately it steered, exhibiting very little of the skidding on turns that we'd expected. The handling of the
Porta-Bote was very good. Accurate turns could be negotiated at speeds that were somewhat above our testers'
confidence levels.
Stability is excellent. You can stand almost anywhere in the boat without danger of tipping. Porta-Bote is roomier
than a comparably sized inflatable. Unlike an inflatable, the entire interior of the boat is available for loading gear.
The Porta-Bote's polypropylene sides aren't apt to damage a fiberglass or wood hull, even in a forcible meeting.
The Porta-Bote isn't likely to be damaged either. The hull material, which carries a 10-year limited warranty, is really
tough. Hulls are available in pearl white, olive drab, and aluminium colours, which are molded into the plastic so that
they can't come off. The hull requires no maintenance other than washing occasionally..
An important advantage of the Porta-Bote over a RIB is its price. A 10' Porta-Bote costs about half of what you'd
expect to pay for a comparably sized RIB. Incidentally, Porta-Bote's pricing is a refreshing change from the usual
industry practice.
Bottom Line: Inexpensive, fast, stowable Porta-Bote is a good performing, low-cost alternative to an inflatable or
RIB.
Registered® Copyrights © Trademarks™ 1996 - 2011 By Porta-Bote International. All Rights Reserved ®
website by George McKay - Surge Computing Services Pty Ltd - www.surge.com.au - surgewebsites
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Folding Porta-Bote Test reviewed by Allan Burgess
Overall the Porta-Bote provides just the right balance of portability, fishability, and excellent
design.
Our score: Highly recommended!
The Porta-Bote is a brilliant idea! But like any new idea it takes a bit of getting used to at first.
Actually, the Porta-Bote isn’t exactly a new idea at all. These craft have been manufactured in
the United States and sold around the world for over 40 years, over which time over 100,000
Harbour & Shipping
have been sold. They have also been around in New Zealand for some time as well, but
chances are you haven’t seen one yet.
Southern Fishing and
Boating
When the Porta-Bote first arrived by courier truck, I must admit to being a little concerned
about how time-consuming it was going to be to put it together! I also wondered about the
durability and toughness of a boat that could be folded into such a small package!
We quickly removed the extensive packing and set about assembling the 12′ 6″ model on our front lawn. Having never even seen one before,
other than in a photograph, we were delighted to discover that the whole job took little more than 10 minutes. With practice it was easy to see
that this time could be reduced considerably. Disassembly took us just four minutes.
The whole boat is locked together with stainless steel lock pins, bolts and wing nuts – you don’t even need a spanner.
As you can see in the pictures, the Porta-Bote is put together by first “opening” the hull. It is spring-loaded to some extent, and so requires you
to hold it open with your leg until you get the center seat in place. According to the instructions, the Porta-Bote hull is stiffer in cooler weather
and so requires more effort to open.
With the middle seat in place it is a simple matter to bolt the transom inside the bladder and then insert the two remaining seats. The whole
business is simplicity itself. Even if you were no good at making model airplanes as a kid, I can promise you that you’ll have no trouble at all
with this.
We couldn’t wait to try the Porta-Bote out and were soon off to the Kaiapoi River.
The Porta-Bote hull is designed to fold down to a package just about 4” thick, and so can easily be transported on a car roof-rack. Space saving
on storage is another obvious advantage of being able to fold the Porta-Bote down to such a convenient package. It would be ideal for anyone
living in a high-rise apartment or townhouse, because it could be stored against the inside wall of your garage, or tied to the rafters, unlike a
tinnie. Your neighbors wouldn’t even know you had a boat!
Assembly at the Kaiapoi boat ramp soon drew a small crowd of interested onlookers. Our earlier practice on the front lawn paid off and we
had the Porta-Bote together in no time flat. The hull itself weighs about 88 lbs. When you add on the seats and transom, it was still light
enough for two people to carry down to the water. You could also drag the fully assembled Porta-Bote on your own if you wanted to, though
there is a handy two wheel Porta-Dolly available so you can get to “out of the way places” that you couldn’t drive to.
The hull is made from UV Buffered Copolymer Polypropylene 1/4″ thick. The color runs right the way through so any scratches don’t show.
This hull material is incredibly strong. It is unaffected by sunlight, saltwater, acid, and won’t even burn! Most importantly the hull is resistant to
even the sharpest rocks that would puncture the hull of a tinnie!
Once on the water it was soon obvious why Porta-Bote has been so successful over the past quarter century. It handles extremely well. It is a
pleasure to row, even for someone as rusty as I am on the oars. The oars are foam filled to make them float if dropped overboard.
During later “testing” on Lake Selfe, in the Canterbury high country, I soon came to appreciate just how easy this craft is to row. On this lake
you’re not permitted to troll with a motor so I had a go at rowing speed instead. The action of a lure when trolled behind a rowed boat is
much more lifelike than when using an outboard. I hadn’t rowed far when a giant rainbow erupted out of the water quite some distance
behind us. I let go of the oars and gabbed for my rod. This big fish rocketed up out of the water several more times in quick succession before
my lure snapped off at the knot. “Never mind,” I thought, “there are plenty more in here!” And so it was, my son Stephen and I caught and
kept a fish each as the evening progressed.
At Lake Selfe, we also discovered another important feature of the Porta-Bote: our muddy boots made an awful mess on the floor of the hull
but this washed straight off later with the hose! The seats are covered with thick foam, as is the inside top of the hull. This material gives the
Porta Bote considerably extra buoyancy. It will still float even when full of water. The foam covered seats are also very comfortable to sit on.
Under power with our 5-hp Johnson outboard the 12’6″ model flew along. The manufacturer claims speeds up to 15 mph with a 5-hp
outboard. I don’t doubt this for a second.
It maintains excellent directional stability under power as a result of its deep keel design. It is also worth noting that it floats in just four inches
of water.
What a great boat this is. For me it is just ideal for fishing on lakes around the South Island. It is particularly suited to fishing Lakes Lyndon,
Selfe, Georgina, Evelyn, Pearson, Taylor, and Katrine, in the Canterbury high country, where the regulations do not permit fishing from boats
that are being mechanically propelled.
The Porta-Bote enables access on these and other South Island lakes and rivers where otherwise shore access is difficult. The West Coast has
many waters that feature native bush to the shore line. At these places even the most modest craft is a huge asset. The Arnold River and Lake
Poerua instantly come to mind as being ideally suited to fishing with the Porta-Bote. These delightful waters are almost unfishable from shore.
Holiday anglers in the Marlborough Sounds could also make great use of a Porta-Bote for sea fishing. Wetting a line for a snapper just off
shore is a very pleasant experience indeed! It would also be a great little craft for whitebaiting, setting a mullet net, or as a ship-to-shore
dinghy. You can even use it as a sailboat!
The travelling angler will also greatly appreciate not having to tow a trailer everywhere he or she goes, instead either carrying his or her PortaBote on a roof rack or strapped to the side of his or her camper van.
Some Canterbury anglers also use their Porta-Bote for salmon fishing. The method is to launch at the Gorge and drift downstream, stopping to
fish likely looking holes on the way. I can’t wait to give this a go myself. It would also be a good boat to cross the rivermouth lagoons when
salmon fishing.
Overall the Porta-Bote provides just the right balance of portability, fishability, and excellent design. Our score: Highly recommended!
Porta-Bote International
1074 Independence Ave.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: 650-669-8413
Travel 1003 on Porta-Bote - The Torqeedo ShopThe Torqeedo Shop
18/02/15 14:19
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Travel 1003 on Porta-Bote
BY CHRIS, ON JUNE 13TH, 2011
Geoff Maloney has just taken delivery of a 1003 and has passed on some photos and a some performance data when running
on his Porta-Bote. Here’s what he has to say about it…
Monday 6th June 2011; Sunny, Wind 7 knots SE, top of the tide, 11:30 am
The Porta Bote: 3.85m long, 1.2m beam, 35Kg empty.
The Torgeedo Travel 1003 electric Outboard: 3hp, 12.6 kg.
Loaded with 2 adults average weight 70kg each plus safety gear,
anchor, rode, buckets etc
Geoff and his Porta-Bote
‘Retrimmed ‘is with the lovely wife sitting on the forward seat!
Just over 6 kph gave us the best
range at over 8 kilometers – stay
tuned for the test with the solar
panel.
Humming!
Porta-bote loaded and ready to
roll
Results of the tests are shown in the table below. This boat is clearly easily driven because even
at full speed with two on board the motor does not need to draw its full power.
By the way, the adverse conditions you see in the photos here are midwinter in Cairns, Australia.
Tough work for the test pilot—
but somebody has to do it.
Speed and Power of Torqeedo 1003 on Porta-Bote
INSTALLATIONS, TRIALS
GREY NOMADS, TORQEEDO 1003
6 comments to Travel 1003 on Porta-Bote
Capt. Mike
AUG UST 6, 2011 AT 9:48 PM · R EPLY
I use a 2.6 m Porta Bote her in the U.S. and am glad to see your report with the electric outboard. Thanks!
chris
AUG US T 14, 2011 AT 1:19 A M · REPLY
Hi Capt Mike,
you might want to drop by again soon—I’m expecting another report from Geoff about the use of a solar panel with the Porta-Bote. And
thanks for the link to the solar powered zodiac story.
Cheers,
Chris
Sean Eugene
AUG UST 22, 2011 AT 9:25 AM · REPLY
http://thetorqeedoshop.com.au/travel-1003-on-porta-bote/
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Travel 1003 on Porta-Bote - The Torqeedo ShopThe Torqeedo Shop
18/02/15 14:19
Thank you for the real world data on this very interesting motor. I’m in the market for the Travel 1003, but was holding off purchasing one, as it
could be an expensive experiment. This is exactly the kind of data I was looking for.
Mick connolly
OCTOBER 3, 2011 AT 11:05 AM · R EP LY
Hi
Where did you get your porta bote from?
Mick
Kendall
JUNE 13, 2 012 AT 7:58 AM · REPLY
Hi,
I recently took delivery of the exact same setup as this and have started doing a bit of testing myself. I am also testing the v8 prop from the 503
and will post detailed info similar to what Geoff has provided once I have a few more runs in different conditions etc.
So far using the 1003 prop there is no differnce between having 100kg or 200kg on board as long as the weight is well forward. And with another 70kg added to
this, only reduced the speed by about 0.3kph for the same wattage.
Another thing also became quite obvious. Salt water adds about 10% to the performance when compared to fresh water.
The following data was taken with 105kgs including myself, motor, gear etc and on fresh water with a wind speed of around 15kph and sitting on the rear seat.
Note the improvement at 400 watts when sitting forward!
SPEED KPH SPEED KPH
WATTS AGAINST WIND WITH WIND
50 2.4 2.5
100 3.3 3.5
200 4.3 4.7
300 5.1 5.5
400 5.5 6.6 – Note. Moving to MIDDLE SEAT = 8.1, FRONT SEAT = 8.4
500 6.1 7.2
600 6.5 7.7
700 7.0 8.4
800 7.5 8.9
850 7.7 9.0 = TOP SPEED
900 7.9 = TOP SPEED
Once I’ve done some testing with the 503 prop I will post the results.
Will also include range aswell next time.
John
FEBRUARY 14, 2013 AT 6:51 AM · R E PLY
Thanks you guys, great work testing, taking notes & passing on about the Porta-bote set up looking at 2.8 mtr. bote, myself only freshwater,
impoundments or coastal use, solo fishing great to have “real world” info I’d pay you for it if I could ! maybe a cold one someday.
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