Fiting extras to a porta-bote

[Jakko]

I have recently purchase a use porta-bote can anyone tell me how I can fit rod holders and the transducer for my fish finder.

The rod holders I would like to fit to the transom but this being some sort of plastic and hollow I would like some advice please

The transducer would normally screw into the transom on a convential boat, any ideas for the porta bote

Hopeing for some ideas. Jakko

 

[barato2]

Re: Fiting extras to a porta-bote

Jakko---

look at the pics of my 'bote in the preceding thread....i mounted transducer to a board on outside of transom and connected that in turn to the mounting bolts for a rod holder, then drilled 2 holes through transom maybe 1" from top to mount the whole mess. if you didn't want to drill holes, mount the transducer on a board and then clamp it to transom with C-clamps (unless you're in salt water, in which case they will rust to uselessness)

for rod holders, i used same type of Attwood holders and just drilled right through sides of hull and backed em with fender washers or wood backing. these have held up to trolling strikes from 25 lb yellowtail with a heavy rod using lots of drag with no damage, so i'm comfortable that mountings are strong enough....and they stand up to continuous pull of trolling big deep diver lures like Bomber CD30, MR11 Mirrolures, and Mann's Stretch 25 at 6-8 knots......i wasn't comfortable having those on the rod in transom holder due to the obvious stress on transom.

if the pics i posted don't show this stuff clearly, PM me with an email address and i can send you full-resolution pics that do.

 

[Jakko]

Re: Fiting extras to a porta-bote

I have recently purchase a use porta-bote can anyone tell me how I can fit rod holders and the transducer for my fish finder.

The rod holders I would like to fit to the transom but this being some sort of plastic and hollow I would like some advice please

The transducer would normally screw into the transom on a convential boat, any ideas for the porta bote

Hopeing for some ideas. Jakko

Thank for your reply / information I was unable to see your thread and pictures. I would appreciate you sending them, my e-mail address is jackhedger@slingshot.co,nz I am located in New Zealand and most of my boating is in the sea.

Thanks again for your reply----Jakko

 

[Jakko]

Re: Fiting extras to a porta-bote

The e-mail address finishes with .co.nz for some reason when typing the address it screwed that up that part.

Cheers----Jakko

 

[barato2]

Re: Fiting extras to a porta-bote

Jakko--

the link to my photobucket acct with the pix is:

http://s1221.photobucket.com/albums...os Nov 2011/?action=view&current=P1010435.jpg

i'm heading out for holidaze this eve so no time to send pics now but check those out and if you want higher-resolution ones, let me know. if you're in the ocean, you'll also want something over the bow to keep any waves you take over the bow from ending up in the boat.... i have a board but have also seen tightly stretched silver tarp used. i'll check back next week when i get back to town.

 

[barato2]

Re: Fiting extras to a porta-bote

a few pics of the revised woodwork

the bow board which keeps stuff in the bow dry and keeps waves from coming up the PB's "snoot"....i replaced the plastic hunk o junk that PB supplies for this purpose and replaced it with 1/2" plywood, with a hunk of old motorcycle inner tube across the snoot. the "V" shaped boards on top are to divert any waves that do come across the bow from draining into the bote, and work as planned in empirical testing.

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i prefer to use a landing net rather than a gaff for all but biggest fish, as it greatly improves survival rates on catch n release. however, the thing is a pain to have floating around the bote. here's my solution: clips screwed to top of bow board to hold the "hoop" of net in place on bow. last trip, my bow rope fell overboard without me noticing, until it got tangled in prop and motor quit. so it now lives coiled up in the clips right under the landing net.

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the revised rod and gaff holder. top is screwed to top of seats (i use 10-24 machine screws with regular nuts and then wingnuts for locknuts)(i started out using all stainless hardware, but have gone to a mix of SS and mild steel because the corrosion acts as poor man;'s Loctite) and lower section to the angled support under the seat. if you do this, plan on spending lots of time being sure the holes line up, and ovalizing the lower holes and sanding edges of holes round to ease removal of rods when bote hull is flexing. rotary drum sander on an electric drill works great for this.

[/URL][/IMG]finally, here's one of the other side. cutouts in board are for knives and pliers, and holes are for tiedowns to keep tackle box, cooler, etc in place when hull is flexing.

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basically, all this stuff adds about 15-20 min to setup but has been well worth it when i head out to sea.