Hello, JP.<br><br>You can buy clamp-on lights for
the stern and bow from many sources, including
Wal-Mart. I bought a nice set from Cabela's that seemed to
be better made that the others. I believe this makes
the boat night-legal in all waters that you would
care to be in.<br><br>....Ron

Thanks Dave, I will contact West and see if they
have a legal light kit. The harbor masters out east
are pretty tough.<br><br>Also, I will scan in the
owners instructions from PB. I will post or email to
you.<br>It does mention care of the hull by a regular wash
wiht BON AMI and an application of ARMORALL for UV
protection. Also states to keep it covered if in constant sun
light.

Hi all,<br><br>In answer to JP's question, West
Marine (online at www.westmarine.com) sells several
12-volt and battery operated lighting accesories. I
personally have a white "all-round" light that has a 2.5
foot mast with what amounts to a flashlight on the
end. It runs on 2 C-cell flashlight batteries. They
also have a bow red/green light with is also
essentially a flashlight with a special hood over the
bulb.<br><br>Now, it's really important to note that the particular
lights that I'm metioning DO NOT MEET U.S. COAST GAURD
SPECIFICAIONS! However, I use them at night on small lakes here
in Southern California and have yet to have a
representative of the park service or coast gaurd approach me
with a light meter and tell me that I wasn't in
compliance.<br><br>If you really wanted to be a good, upstanding
citizen, West Marine or nearly any other boating supplier
will carry lights that you could use on a PB that will
be up to spec. I personally have considered actually
attatching nav lights to the hull and converting the stern
"all-round" light to 12-volts, and then running everything
off of my trolling motor battery. <br><br>The most
important consideration here is safety, of course. Even if
you have your lighting system completely legal, a PB
still sits really low in the water and might be hard to
see from larger boats. If you're going to be on the
water in your PB at night, be really
careful!<br><br>Happy boating!<br><br>- GD

Hi folks,<br><br>Good advice about the Armor
All....however, I've been able to store my Porta-Botes out of
direct sunlight when not in use, and I haven't
encountered this problem. My older canoe-shaped (pre Genesis
III) P-Bote has a mild buildup of the chalky residue,
but not so much that I was ever concerned about
it.<br><br>In regard to repairing broken seats: I had a friend
accidentally sit on a seat without the center support in the
upright position, and the seat, of course, snapped right
in half. Mental note to P-Boters - make sure those
supports are in place! Anyway, I made a new one by using
the old pieces as templates to cut new ones from 1/4"
plywood stock. I then treated the plywood with two coats
of Thompson's Water Seal, and attatched the supports
with brass hinges. Works really well!<br><br>At some
point, I think Sandy told me that the newest versions of
the P-Bote come with seats made from a polymer
similar to the polyprophelene that the hull is made of.
These seats are much more resistant to breaking, and
they reduce the overall weight of the boat quite a
bit. They can be ordered from Porta-Bote
directly.<br><br><br>Here's one - have any of you had a problem with the
black tubular material (that covers the hinges of the
hull) slipping off or out of place? It's not a big
problem, but it gets in the way when folding the boat up
for storage. Any suggestions?<br><br>Thanks for using
the club, everybody!<br><br>- GD

I am a new member to the club!<br>I am also a
distributor for Porta-Bote in New England (New Hampshire).
<br><br>I have a Genesis IV with NISSAN 5HP 4
Stroke.<br><br>Question: Does anyone know of a light kit that I can
purchase to make me night legal?<br><br>I have a small 12
V.D.C. battery with recharger for power but I can not
find an add on light kit anywhere. As far as mounting
it, are there any "C" clamp mount light kits
available?<br>Any suggestions!<br>JP

All: Ok, the chalky, sun-damaged layer on the
surface of my used P-bote turned out to be only about the
thickness of a playing card, considerably less than the
1/16 inch that I had suspected before. So I spent
several hours scraping the hull to get down to the
"fresh" polypropolene (there is no skin - the
polypropolene material is full thickness) and then applied a
generous helping of "Armor-All" to protect the
surface.<br><br>Lesson learned here for all P-boters - Take the time to
periodically apply Armor-All or similar protectant to your
P-bote. I should mention that Sandy at the factory said
that the boats manufactured today have 3 times the
amount of UV buffers mixed into the polypropolene than
previously used in older boats. I don't know when they
started this.<br><br>Sandy at the factory suggested that
I replace the broken plastic hinges on the seat
support flaps (mine are the Genesis III plywood seats)
with brass hinges from the local hardware store. That
should work fine.<br><br>I still don't have an idea on
how to prevent further deterioration of the black
foam attached to the gunnels and seats of the boat.
Maybe "Armor-All" will work here too.<br><br>Later,
Joel!

Hi!<br><br>&gt;&gt;Sandy at the factory said the
10-year warranty is for the original purchaser only. He
said that the previous owner should have protected the
hull with regular application of "Armor-All" or
similar protectant because solar UV rays will deteriorate
the polypropolene if exposed day after
day.&lt;&lt;<br><br>I am REALLY sorry to hear that response from Sandy.
I thought they would stand behind their product
better than that.<br><br>All of the literature that I
have received in advance of making a purchase does NOT
indicate that not using "Armor All" will void the
warranty, nor was there anything to lead me to believe that
the warranty wasn't transferable.<br><br>I was
considering buying a boat from someone who has NEVER taken
his boat out. He bought it and decided it wasn't for
him (at 70+ years old, who can blame him?). However,
though this boat has NEVER been out, I suppose that the
warranty is useless to me. <br><br>I think that Sandy's
stance on this lowers the value of a porta-bote for the
simple reason that it greatly reduces the resale value.
As word spreads that the warranty is useless,
internet sales of used boats may slump. Part of the appeal
to me was that if I didn't like it, I could probably
resell and get most, if not all, of my money
back.<br><br>I sure wish Sandy would reconsider his stance on
this one.<br><br>Mike

I'll need that good luck. Looks like I'm going to
try to have to get my money back on the used P-bote.
Bummer!<br><br>Sandy at the factory said the 10-year warranty is for
the original purchaser only. He said that the
previous owner should have protected the hull with regular
application of "Armor-All" or similar protectant because
solar UV rays will deteriorate the polypropolene if
exposed day after day. He said they don't see it very
often, but it can happen. He said that, unless the
chalky layer is less than 1/16 in. deep, he wouldn't
recommend using the boat. Mine is deeper than
that.<br><br>Later, Joel!

Joel, all I can tell you is what I have gleaned
from Porta-bote literature. They indicate somewhere
that the material is the same all the way through. If
it is sun damage, perhaps the material a little
deeper in might be OK because of limited light
penetration? I would definitely check with Porta-bote because
I would expect they have some data on this. Also,
isn't the hull guaranteed for 10 years? I'd check
because if so, I'm sure they wouldn't want anyone to
launch an unsafe craft.<br><br>I'm also looking for a
way to protect the foam because it is rather delicate
and a misstep can crack it. I was considering a
urethane varnish, but I'm afraid that might be too brittle
to use on a foam. Maybe you can get replacement seat
hinges from Porta-bote also.<br><br>Good luck.....Ron

1993 with oars, $450, a little bit rough,
though.<br><br>There is an extensive amount of what I assume to be
"sun damage" on the underside of the inner panels (the
underside of these panels contacts the water when the boat
is open, but is exposed to the sun when the boat is
folded). You can scrape grooves in the surface of the
material with your fingernail - it's kind of chalky. The
previous owners stored and used it on their ocean yacht,
so I suppose it sat in the sun all the
time.<br><br>Question. Are these panels made with a surface skin and a
core of polypropolene? If so, maybe it's just the
surface skin that is damaged with the core intact. It
seems that would be okay because the strength is in the
polypropolene core.<br><br>If the panel is just polypropolene,
what can I do (sealer, bondo?) to prevent further
deterioration and protect the integrity of the hull? I'm a
little worried that at some point, I'm going to step in
the bottom of the boat and go through.<br><br>Any
advice? I suppose I'll also contact the P-bote factory
for their response on this.<br><br>Also, although the
marine plywood of the seats and transom is in real good
shape, about half the plastic hinges that hold the seat
support flaps are broken (repaired with strips of
webbing).<br><br>Also, the black foam lining the sides and seats is
flaking off pretty badly. Is there some kind of sealer
that I can spray on it to prevent further
deterioration?<br><br>All in all, I'm looking forward to using my P-bote,
but I'm wondering if I bought a lemon. Any
opinions?<br><br>Post here! Thanks, Joel!

Hi, Dave. Well, I purchased the Fishin' Buddy
fishfinder and it works great, including the sidefinder
feature. You were right about the transducer tube. Above
about 5 mph, the tube creates a lot of drag and begins
vibrating and I have to tilt it out of the water. I am
going to experiment with how much immersion is needed
for good readings. Right now, the tube is immersed
about 8-10 inches.<br><br>Anyone else have experience
with the Fishin' Buddy?<br><br>Thanks.....Ron

Hey Mike:  Thanks for the tip!  I called on it but it had already been sold. 
I'll let you know if I see one over in your neck of the woods. 
Joel!<br><br>p.s. welcome to the club

Hi Joel!<br><br>I stumbled across this ad while
looking for a porta-bote myself. The combination of
shipping charges and base price makes it "not a good deal"
for me. However, if it is local to you, it could save
youy a few hundred dollars off the price of a new
one.<br><br>"1995 portaboat 12 ft., 12 feet, folds flat and set up
time 10 minutes by one person single outboard engines,
fiberglass hull, $750.00, (817) 346-2635 Location:
Ft.-worth, TX"<br><br>Good Luck. Let me know how it comes
out, and if anyone sees a good deal on one in the
Southeastern US, let me know.<br><br>Mike<br>no1g8r@...

Hi - I've bought both my Porta-Botes used through
a "free classifieds" publication called The
Recycler. I don;tknow if there is a edition of The Recycler
published for your area, but you can check at
www.recycler.com and find out. You might find someone willing to
ship it to you or something. Also, there is a national
(I think) publication called Boat Trader. Not sure
of the URL, but they do have an online presence.
Personally, I find that Porta-Botes turn up more often in the
Recycler than in the Boat Trader.<br><br>Good luck - P.S.,
the Genesis III and later models are highly
reccomended for their "sqaureback" feature - the older
conoe-shaped boats are good, but the motor and passenger
capacity suffers a bit. Have a look at the Founder's
Homepage for more comparisons.

All: I am a new club member. I live near Dallas,
Texas. I don't yet have a Porta-bote, but am planning on
purchasing a new or used one (preferrably used to save a
little $$, if I can find used) real soon. My family has
started rv camping recently and the P-bote seems just
right. At some point, either sooner or later, I want to
get the sail kit. Anybody have good or bad
experiences with those?<br><br>Anybody know of any used
Porta-botes at this time?<br><br>If you want, you can email
me at wjstarling@....<br><br>Thanks, Joel!

I haven't used one on a Porta-Bote myself. I've
seen a lot of tube fishermen using them and reporting
good results. One aspect of the Fishin' Buddy that I
suspect I won't like is thatit looks like that thick
transducer tupe would have a lot of drag to it and require
raising out of the water to move the boat at higher
speeds.<br><br>None of this is really particular to Porta-Botes. I
like the arrangement I have now with the clamp-on
mount, because I basically attatch it and forget about
it - even with the boat going at top
speed.<br><br>Anyone else?

I have a small family with a 10 year old and 15
and a 15 year old. Does anyone have any experiance
with tubing with a porta Bote. Also, has anyone
purchased the sailing kit and how do you like
it?<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>Tim

Dave, I was interested in your comments about
fishfinders. You said that you might get a Bottom Line Fishin'
Buddy if your old one went "deep six." I notice the
prices have come down on these units. Boatersworld.com
sell the basic model 1200 for $149.99 including
shipping. This sounds pretty good. I wonder if you or
anyone else has tried one of these on a
Porta-bote.<br><br>Thanks.....Ron

Dave, great job setting this club up - it's
really helpful to be able to exchange ideas and
experiences.<br><br>I stumbled across your personal Port-Bote page last
year and that's what encouraged me to buy a 12'
Genesis III, sight unseen. You seemed to be having so
much fun!<br><br>Keep it up......Ron

Hey Gang,<br><br>Thanks for using the club - glad
to see it getting some use! If you haven't already,
have a look at my personal Porta-Bote page
(<a href=http://www.home.earthlink.net/~dwhogan/portabote.html
target=new>http://www.home.earthlink.net/~dwhogan/portabote.html</a>) to see
what I've done with mine. If any of you
have photos or want to talk about modifications you've
made to your own boats, please post them!<br><br>Also,
I just got a letter from the president of
Porta-Bote International with some info on the new Genesis
IV Porta-Botes - here it is:<br><br>Dear
Dave,<br><br>Just visited your new Porta-Bote owner's site. Looks
Great!<br><br>The Genesis IV has structural plastic seats with
stainless steel seat supports. Weighs 40% less than the
wood seats and have beverage cup holders molded
in.<br><br>Still using the marine grade hardwood transom until we
can find a Coast Guard approved plastic that is "fool
proof". <br><br>Best
wishes,<br><br>Sandy<br><br>-----<br><br>I'll try to get some photos of the new
seats. Anyway,
thanks again - and happy boating!<br><br>- GD

Hi Bill,<br><br>I have a Genesis III and I have
attatched the fold-down seats from K-Mart (or wherever) to
the benches with a few modifications. You can see
photos of the seats on my Porta-Bote info
page.<br><br>Originally, I used the fold-downs with the seat clamps (sold
separately) that consist of a steel base to attactch the
fold-down to, and two steel rods that clamp onto the bench
in the boat with wingnuts. However, it didn;t hold
the seat very securely. So what I did is
this:<br><br>1. I drilled two 1/4'' holes in the steel
base.<br><br>2. I dropped a 1/4" clevis pin through each hole.
When the seat is attached to the base, the pins are
loose, but cannot fall out.<br><br>3. I removed a
section of foam from the bench to accomodate the seat
base, and drilled holes corresponding to the holes in
the base through the bench.<br><br>4. To attatch the
seat, I simply place the base into the area where the
foam was removed, making sure that the clevis pins
drop through the holes in the bench. Then, I put
cotter pins through the clevis pins under the
bench.<br><br>The fold down seats make the boat much more
comfortable, and swivel for fishing or steering the boat. I
know exactly what you mean about back support - this
solution came after much trial and error!<br><br>Lemme
know what you think!

Bill,<br>I think the 2-Hp motor will push it
along at a stately pace. Our 5-hp motor moves it at
7-10 mph with two adults. Experiment with motor angle
and weight distribution - it make a big difference in
speed. I haven't clocked the speed with me alone in the
boat yet, but it seems a lot faster, possibly 20 mph.
I'll let you know.<br><br>Regarding a backrest, I'm
working on that too. Becuase of the foam, you can't use
the ones available from K-Mart, etc.. You need to
protect the foam, yet make a secure attachment. If I come
up with a solution, I'll post it.<br><br>I think
there is a "Bimini top" type of canopy available from
Boats & Gear (the people who send you literature when
you request it from Porta-bote's site.<br><br>Good
luck....Ron

Ron, <br>Just bought myself a brand new 12'
Genises III. Haven't gotten it out on the water yet.
Hopefully this weekend. I only have a 2hp- 4stoke Honda to
push it with. Do you think that will be enough to move
the thing? Also, do have any suggestions on more
comftable seats for the boat? Something with a back rest
maybe. I'm aslo interested in a canopy, any
ideas?<br><br>Bill

Hi, All:<br>Took my 12'Porta-bote with 5 Hp
Nissan motor out on New jersey waters over the weekend
and had a great time. Used it in and around Toms
River and Barnegat bay. This is my second year with it,
and we're getting better art setting it up. It takes
about 10 minutes from off the cartop to launch (15
minutes if we have an audience). Always get a lot of
questions from onlookers.<br>Bought a Garmin III+ GPS unit
this year and really love it. It's great for locating
new boat launches as well as finding your way back to
your launch site.<br><br>Happy boating......Ron

I see there's a sailing rig available for the
Porta-Bote. Has anyone actually sailed it?<br><br>Seem to me
that the hull rides awful high to get the thing to
tack. But I'm willing to be convinced different.

I have a 12' portabote excellent condition 12'
with dolly and sailing package. I live on Vancouver
island, BC Canada, near the Washington state border.
Selling it for $650.00 US (firm).<br><br>For more info
and a photo pls e mail me <br>stevec@...

Dave<br><br>I want to thank you for your
reply.<br>I called Porta-bote and ask them what was the
different and they told me the big different is the new
seats are no longer made of wood.<br><br>Gary Barnett

Hi Gary,<br><br>Thanks for joining. I'm not sure
that there is a big difference between the Genesis III
and IV. The Genesis series introduced the
"squareback" design, and I think that I, II, and III only
introduced small changes in the seat supports and hardware.
I'm on Porta-Bote International's mailing list and I
think that if Genesis IV offered some huge changes over
Genesis III, they would have sent out a mass
mailing.<br><br>- Dave

Does anyone know the different between the Geneis III and the Genesis IV
porta-bote.<br>Thank Gary

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