My Porta-Bote Experience

turbo2

Recruit
Joined
Jun 17, 2015
Messages
2
Ok. just for fun: in 2005 we took a road trip from AZ to AK. 7000 mi towing a camper with a stripped 15 pa van.
Bought portabote 14' for fishing in various places on the trip. Now store it all in AK for summer ventures. Started out
with electic trolling motor, eventually, after a few years traded some stuff for a Yamaha 15 hp 2 stroke. Yowzaaa!!
Been fishing on the ocean with it ever since. (in alaska). sure, it's too heavy, but running 10 miles down the bay,
and then getting home when weather starts to move in, the 'excess' hp is simply awesome. Holeshot like a bass boat.
Zero to hull max is about 'one alligator' at full throttle, and then you back off to about 3/8th throttle. The load doesn't matter much.
Just warn everyone to hang on. We;ve fished all day with 3 guys on board, a 6 gal tank under the 3rd seat, and then
run home with two 'bins' of salmon, which weigh about 50-70 lbs each.
Paying microscopic attention to speed and handling is the key. the long keel pipe, and the flexibility of the hull
when quartering across waves makes the hull twist and induces 'oversteer', so keeping your steering arm braced on
your knee and making quick, tiny adjustments to changing water, wave and hull adjustments is critical.
Scariest moment was fishing near shore in a fog, and a big bull seal came up to look at us. He probably weighed
600 lbs. having seem them hopping into and onto boats in Cabo, I knew he'd sink us in a flash if he decided to hop
aboard for any odd or remote reason. Got the heck out of there.
Yes I know its crazy. but I don't want to tow my bayrunner baja all the way to alaska to fish with it. Reeeally with I had
it in alaska, but.... the porta bote has probably had 600-700 salmon come aboard across the years. just too much fun.
Biggest: a 45lb king on the Kenai River. avg: 6-12 lb in Valdez. goin' again in August.
The porta bote is a compromise. but a tough little player. I'm not sure what we would have done without it.
My wife has even rowed it out into the bay, without an engine, and caught her limit all by herself, while the 'boys'
were sleeping in. it rows like it is weightless. amazing.
We store it on the shore at our favorite protected campsight. propped up, stern very high, and secured, and the tide comes in,
fills the front end, and then leaves and drains out. perfect. bail out the last quart or two, and go fishin'!
So lets see: at 95 lbs, I can load it onto my van top rack solo. it's so tough you can run it into rocks and not hurt it, the foam
rail holds all kinds of lures and filet knives safely and securely, it doesn't rust in rain or salt water, isn't injured being stored
all winter in freezing temps.... love it. if they made a 9.9hp etec, I'd buy it. that'd be perfect.
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Welcome aboard, Turbo.

Moved this to a new thread since it's more than just the best motor for your P-B. And the other thread was inactive.
 

turbo2

Recruit
Joined
Jun 17, 2015
Messages
2
interesting. I can't even find the original thread anymore. when I sign in an check "who's online" it doesn't seem to work.
Not sure which parts of this site are functioning. when i look for porta bote, portaboat, or porta, not much comes u[
on the 'search' window. what am I doing incorrectly?
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Click "Forums" on top of this page, then scroll to the bottom and click on "M-R Manufacturers" Or since this is in the Porta-Bote section, click Porta-Bote under the Navigation Bar. While you're down at the bottom of the Home Page, under the manufacturer links and What's Going On, it says "There are currently XXX users online" Click the blue "users online"

BTW - Everything works.
 
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