My first boat

Rossja

Rossja

Active member
Grew up with Bayliners and Regals, all +20ft, never did small boats. Just got in to duck hunting last year, and everyone keeps saying get a boat. Well I got one, it was free from a buddy at work. It's a "porta-bote" http://www.porta-bote.com/ . He also gave me a yamaha 2 stroke motor, I think it's a 2.5hp. Going to try and make the best of it and hopefully I can make it in to a shallow water duck boat. Here are the first pictures, just got it off the truck, will try to take them along the way. Feel free to pitch in ideas, not even sure where to begin. But dont bust my balls too bad, it's free and all I got.

Will post pictures tomorrow.
 
Welcome to duck hunting! A free boat is the best you can ask for...especially a free boat that doesn't have 90% wood rot. A free motor is unheard of and your friend has just become suspect. Hahaha. Get out there and play around with it. Figure out what it can and can't do, how fast, how shallow it will go. Figure out a way that you can camo it.......if it needs camo at all. If you intend on using it on a body of water that has a lot of pleasure boats tied up, simply use it as transportation to get you to your blind spot and then ditch it down the bank. I think my next sneak boat will have a paint job on the top that makes it look like a dock. Where I'm at, it will blend right in.


dc
 
Good advice from Dave. Free is good as long as the hull is sound. You just gotta figure out how to make it work for you.

I'll second that. Been searching google, can't find any pictures or modifications for making it a hunting rig, but have found some good mods for basic operation. It seems so flimsy when you pick it up and move it but watching videos on youtube it looks like it will take a beating. Hopefully it floats. Going to take it for a short test run this weekend (shame, it's opening day Saturday) make sure it runs and floats then work on modifying it.

here's a picture I pulled off the web of what it is.

image.axd

From the porta-bote website:
duckboat.jpg

duckblind.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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Some guys here have also hunted with porta boats as their first boat, I am certain they will chirp in.

Although I have never seen one, let alone sat in one, I would assume a folding boat with a small motor like that should probably not be taken into too much rough water, strong tides, or strong winds!

Best of luck!

Anthony
 
Getting a lot of good feedback. biggest thing I've realized...early season, good weather, back water boat only! Still gonna use it though, make the best of it, and continue to hitch rides on the real duck boats.
 
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