I purchased a Porta-Bote back in 2007 so while my review is late it certainly wouldn't be a good review to say something good or bad about Porta-Bote's products without having thoroughly tried it out & using it. I was a huge skeptic about paying so much money for a portable boat ($1,500 in 2007) with prices increasing every year literally. I got one of their boats and putting it together took some getting used to but you'll find your routine to get it assembled in a flash. After a few years of use I have to say the boat is still in excellent shape with minor scrapes and scratches on the hull, I even have one small nice gouge but it's on the folding frame of the boat which is extremely thick so it didn't effect the actual hull. To buy one of these you have to complete the online form at the Porta-Bote website or call and a local distributor will contact you. The only complaint I have is that when the boat ships the box it comes in tends to be almost destroyed, though with no damage to the boat. If you get one make sure you mark any damage to the boat on the freight receipt when you get it or that the box the boat came in was damaged even if the boat is perfectly fine (this will cover you in the event there is damage you didn't notice when you signed for it). Overall I'm extremely happy with my boat and I've had people ask me numerous times if I was willing to sell it. Porta-Botes can be a commodity because once people realize how amazing they are, they end up seeking one at below retail cost. I'm never giving up my boat and it was worth every penny. read more

I got a 12-foot Porta-bote from a family friend. It has been in our circle for 18 years. The back has 100% failed and cracked after the years of use. I accepted this to be normal. I reached out to porta-bote through email and I got a generic copy & paste email telling me to go to Home Depot so I gave them a call. I was asking if they sell a replacement back or if it's possible to send it in or personally deliver it to the manufacture to be serviced. To me it's not about how much it cost. This boat has a lot of sentimental value and I would pay whatever price they would ask. The guy I chatted with in the phone was beyond rude. He called me a liar and said that I had personally damaged the boat, or i had let it fly off my vehicle on the highway and it was most likely ran over be another vehicle. All of this is not true. Again, this boat is 18 years old and it's just tired. All I wanted was to know if they could help me out. They were rude, wouldn't offer any help in. Anyway way and had the worst customer service that I have ever encountered. As a business owner myself I am ashamed and embarrassed of their company morals. What a shame of a company. read more

Porta-Bote International - Cracked backing. - Boat Dealers Near Me - Gilroy, California

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Dissapointed with customer service at Porta - Bote. I purchased a 12 footer, and PB agreed to deliver to my cabin in Colorado. They failed to deliver it. They got it to a terminal about 2 hours away from my cabin, and said that they couldn't get it the rest of the way. I had to pay a local $300 to pick it up at the terminal and take it to the cabin. PB nickled and dimed me on that payment, and said they would only pay half of it. Many unanswered emails, unreturned calls, and excuses. I like their boats, but don't believe them when they say they will ship anywhere. They won't. read more

UPDATE: Although my husband did get a call from the owner after a week of trying to resolve the brand new broken motor. We have yet to have a working motor. It will be up to 3-4 weeks until we can possibly get it looked at Inland Marine 5 hours round trip from our house. What a bummer... I still wouldn't shop at Porta-Bote read more

I just purchased a Porta-Bote and it is everything I hoped for. But let me start by talking about the process of ordering this boat and the exceptional service I received from the Porta-Bote team. I bought this boat for a very specific reason -- to serve as a tender for a sailboat -- which meant that I needed a fair amount of information about the Porta-Bote before making my decision. The Porta-Bote team patiently, and quickly, answered every question by phone and email. Once ordered, the communication from Porta-Bote on the shipping status and procedures for receiving the boat were regular and excellent. The boat arrived in perfect shape, and we immediately assembled it. On the first try, we had it put together just as fast as the video. She is tough and forgiving, and the design is really innovative. She is also light. We got her right on the bow and lashed her to the stanchions with some padding underneath. If you are interested in seeing how to raise and disassemble a Porta-Bote on a sailboat, see this helpful video: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=porta+bote+sailboat&&view=detail&mid=A2A412E6F2AA917AB7E5A2A412E6F2AA917AB7E5&&FORM=VRDGAR I know most sailboat owners use inflatable dinghies. Porta-Bote will be much more efficient, takes up minimal space on the deck, and can be assembled more quickly than inflating and deflating a dinghy. Her light weight also helps a lot. Porta-Bote is a really viable alternative! This is a neat and well run company, and a great boat. If you are reading this, you should give them serious consideration. read more

I have purchased two new Suzuki Outboard motors from Porta-Bote / Suzuki Outboard Team and could not be happier. I started buying motors from Porta-Bote / Suzuki Outboard Team because of price but now I not only enjoy the cost savings, I also know that I will get excellent customer service and have trust in the company. I just got back from applying for a title at the Texas Parks and Wildlife and there was ample paperwork provided to make it a quick process. These folks are great to deal with and I would not hesitate to buy from them again. A shipping tracking number is provided in the confirmation email so I tracked the shipment from Mountain View, CA to Houston, TX and called the carrier when it arrived there. They had it delivered the next day! It is great being able to research a product online and having it show up to your drive way. read more

My first Bote was a 2000 Genesis that I kept and enjoyed for 13 years. We traveled with it first on our Towlite collapsible RV and then later on our 2012 Kodiak Travel Trailer. Having a boat handy for rivers and lakes made each trip ever so more enjoyable. I could not tow a boat since that would have been a double-tow so being able to have the folded hull ride on top of our SUV was the answer. What was nice was the length (12') made it easy to just lay up against the SUV back and then slide to the top. My 5hp motor and the Genesis seats were carried at various times either in the trailer or the back of the SUV. Now for the actual boat review. The ride is soooo smooth. The flex hull absorbs the waves and it's a nice ride . After about 11 years, it did develop a small leak at the back of the hull where I inadvertently had my outboard tilt adjusted wrong for awhile, but even that was easily remedied with a small squirt of 3M 5200 Marine sealant. I sold the boat in 2014 in preparation for buying a newer model and perhaps shorter model. I pull a fifth-wheel trailer now, so this time I plan to haul it using a storage box I'm having installed under the RV. I lucked out and happened to see a 2010 10ft on Craigs list at a good price. I have no issues buying a used PB, they seem to last forever. read more

Stay away from this company bait and switch.... Order one thing and receive another....Customer service sucks ...

We purchased our Porta-Bote and were told it would take 3 weeks to ship to us. A timely email confirmed our purchase. Following the first email a 2nd one gave us the shipping instructions and a way to go online to track it while it was being shipped. Upon the arrival, which was earlier than estimated, we found there was a support piece to the shade that didn't quite fit when inserted into another support connected to the shade. Things got a little mixed up when I communicated which peace I needed and the shipped the wrong one. I called and talked first to Sandy, a very helpful person who directed me to Oliver the person in charge of sending parts. At no time did the question me, ask for the ineffective peace, suggest it would cost me for shipping or anything else. They simply assured me they would fix the problem. And the eventually did. They sent a second peace which does fit. And they followed up to make sure I got it and it worked. Bottom line they were very professional and polite. I would recommend them to anyone. We are planning to take our Porta-Bote across the U.S. on the roof wracks of our Sprinter. read more

Just got a Porta-Bote and am very excited to go fish! Can't wait to get her in the water! Great customer service from Sandy and would highly recommend this boat!!! read more

Cindy Dixon is the International Sales Manager. After purchasing a boat motor, it was delivered to the wrong address. When speaking with Cindy I simply wanted it delivered to me directly per my order. She proceeded to be rude, condescending, interrupted continuously, did not listen to my concerns and acted in a way unbecoming of someone in her position. She continued to discuss her personal woes instead of those of her professional obligations to myself as a customer leaving me highly disappointed. My only hope is that this doesn't happen to anyone else. read more

I had purchased a used Porta-Bote last year (2014). I ordered some parts and accessories directly from the manufacturer. Due to a family illness the purchase was unopened for several months. The parts had shipped in multple boxes and arrived in a timely manner. Upon finally opening the parts I determined that part of the Dolly Wheel kit was missing. I contacted Porta-Bote via e-mail and received a prompt reply from Sandy. Unfortunately several months had lapsed. Not a problem, the part was shipped to me at no cost . I was also notified by telephone from the factory that my part had shipped. This is an example of excellent customer service. I am now a Porta-Bote customer for life! read more

I took delivery of my Porta-Bote in September of 1999. I later bought a Nissan 5hp outboard to use with it. I devised a removable floor (3 sections) so I could have flat places to put tackle box and everything else we take fishing. The Porta-bote is extreemly stable. The boat is 17 years old and is still in good shape and is still in use. Larry St. Clair Nine Mile Falls, WA read more

I no longer have my porta-bote, but came across this page and decided to provide my two-cents worth as a former owner. I DO recommend the boat, as it does do everything they said. I bought it since I live one block from San Francisco Bay, and wanted to just putter around the bay, without having to have a boat trailer, registration, etc, to worry about. And while it does just "fold up" for easy storage, that is really somewhat of a misnomer, as there is more than just the boat itself. There are the wooden seats, as well as the wooden rear section that the motor attaches to. There is the motor, as well as the separate gas tank. There is a rope that is needed if you want to tie up to a dock, or just to pull the boat in as you are ready to get it out of the water. And regarding the dolly, which is optional, it is very much needed, as otherwise, when you put together the boat, unless you have at least two strong people, it is difficult to get it to the water from the parking lot, and vice-versa. So the dolly is almost a necessity. Then, as you wheel the boat to the water, once in the water, you then have to figure out how you are going to disconnect the dolly and then, what to do with it! I finally figured out to use bungie cords and after into the water, to unhook one side of the dolly and then pull it up out of the water from the other side. You then have to put the dolly into the front of the boat, so it will be ready when you come back in. Then, you have to figure out how you are going to hook the dolly onto the boat, while it is still in the water, in order to then pull the boat out of the water! It takes some figuring, but as someone else said, once you get used to it, it is ok. But my point to all of this is, that there is a lot more to it, than just "unfolding the boat" and putting it into the water. I can tell you from experience, that with everything in my backyard, I would first have to haul all of the seats, and motor mount boards, to the truck. Then, take another trip back and forth, bringing the motor and gas tank. Then, another trip for the boat itself. Then finally, I would bring the dolly. I have a pickup truck, and I can assure you that my truck bed was filled up by the time I got all of this into the truck! So you then, get to the water, and you spend a few minutes getting all of this out of your truck, and assembling it all. The opposite happens when you come back in and have to then put it all back in the truck, only to then have to haul it all back into your backyard, once home. So yes, you do not have to worry about a boat trailer, or vehicle registration, although you may or may not have to register the boat itself [I did], but be prepared as it is not as simple as just "unfolding the boat", or just "hanging it on the side of an RV", as there are many other parts other than just the boat itself. But then, after all of this, there is the issue of how it performs in the water. My own experience is that it is really good if you have totally calm water, but if the water is in the least bit choppy, well, it is not fun at all. And also, if another bigger boat comes up and passes you at a fast rate, which will be common, be prepared for the wave that will follow, and be prepared on how to maneuver the boat so as to not capsize. My own recommendation would be that this is a great boat for someone to use in a river, where they haul it there on occasion, to do a little fishing or just to cruise a river. But I would not recommend it to someone for use in a big bay such as San Francisco Bay, [or no way, in the ocean!] unless the waters are totally calm, which can change from one minute to the next. On that same note, one of my good memories was when I took my porta-bote out way back before 9/11, and was just floating around just off of the south end of San Francisco Airport, as I wanted to watch the planes come in. Man, talk about having a great view, that was it! But of course, if I did that now I would probably be hauled in by the Coast Guard or Homeland Security, but I really did enjoy that view! Anyway, I hope this view offers some insight. It is a good boat, but just not for all circumstances. read more

We have a 10' Portabote that we carry on our 42' sailboat. We bought it new in '16 because we have a canoe stern which doesn't lend itself to davits very well. We keep it stowed on deck against the stanchions, and we can sail in heavy seas without worrying about a dinghy hanging off the back. It does hold quite a bit. We can get laundry and groceries in it and still ride comfortably. Now for the down side - we have limited deck space, so assembling it can be difficult, (the pins on the transom are one of the biggest problems - they use a wing nut & washer, but you can't get your fingers in between the nut and the foam inside the transom.) It can be especially difficult to assemble in a rolly anchorage, it is also squirrely because of the flexibility of the hull, it doesn't handle well on plane and with their max 6hp motor it's also hard to get on plane with 2 people, it doesn't drain so if you have it down and if it rains real hard, it fills up and you have to bail it out especially if you leave your motor on (imagine doing that with buckets dropped from the deck at 2am - we just did and it was not fun). The seats are bulky; we bought a custom duffel bag for them, but they still take up quite a bit of room. We also carry an inflatable kayak for tooling around because honestly sometimes putting it together is too much hassle especially if you're not staying in an anchorage for long. We like our Portabote, but it does have its down sides. read more

We purchased our 12 ft with a 6hp 4 stroke towhatsu in Florida in 2008. I installed homade brackets on our 5th wheel pullout to hold the "Bote" and stowed the motor and parts in the camper basement. The boat did great in the shallow waters of Florida bay, fishing and snorkeling on the keys,Atlantic, Gulf and Everglades. We hauled it back to our home in Colorado and used it in the high mountain lakes fishing. Last year was the Alaska adventure with salt and fresh water salmon and halibut fishing, we would have put it in the arctic ocean but it was still frozen. The boat still looks great and has saved many times it's cost in rental, the motor has been a flawless performer also. It's not a high speed adrenalin rush but big adventures can be had in a 5 minute set up. One small negative, my 5th wheel fell apart so we got a new one then ordered the factory mounting brackets. Make your own theirs are flimsy POS'es read more