Note: If you got here by another web site or referral, this is only part of a series. See the entire series. Click here and start from the bottom.
My wife pulling the Pudgy along on the built in wheels.
In April I ordered a Portland Pudgy dingy sight unseen. I promised that I would tell everyone how I liked it six months later. Well, here is the beginning of the series two months late. I will say that that the dingy is everything that I hoped with almost all positive results, with a few rather large but easily correctable negatives. I think I will start this series of posts just familiarizing you with the craft and get into the positives and negatives in later posts.
The first thing you need to know about the Portland Pudgy is that this is a serious tool meant for serious use. The name is a little whimsical, but this is an expedition level tool built for everyday use and abuse. I really think that the company should market to governmental agencies and explorers for this craft because of it's versatility. I owned, for a short time, a Walker Bay 8. When I was looking to build my own dingy or buy one the Walker Bay is what I was trying to match. Now that I own the Portland Pudgy I realize there can be no comparison. For the type of sailing that I do, I would never consider owning a Walker Bay after using the Portland Pudgy for a season. Our boat and our lives depend on our dingy working at any time for any reason. When your wife is dropping a 45 lb CQR four feet down to you, you don't want to be worrying about stability, strength, and tubes full of air.
If you are a coastal sailor that uses your dingy once or twice a month, a Walker Bay is a great (if not a little unstable) craft. If you are sailing full time, the Portland Pudgy should be on your short list of craft to check out. Next Up: How I use the Portland Pudgy.
2 comments:
I'm thinking of buying a Pudgy & found your comments quite interesting: however, you indicated that there were some negitives but haven't mentioned them. Please share the bad along w/the good.
Best regards,
John Leddy
s/v AQUA MIRUS
We too are considering the purchase of a Pudgy in early 2010, and have followed your postings closely. First of all, my congratulations on experiencing the voyage of a lifetime - what a great time for you and your family. Also sorry for the loss of your Pudgy.
As with John, we are also interested in any negatives that you might have about the Pudgy. Nowhere have I seen anything negative about the Pudgy other than price. Our concerns are more around whether a 7'8" hard dinghy can do the job of carrying a max of 4 adults to and from shore safely. The rest, such as good rowing and sailing capability are fuzz on the peach.
Dorian I, Maple Bay BC
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