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Tag Archives: portable boat

Porta-Bote Folds to 4-Inches Flat Opens to Fish Deep or Shallow, Big Fish or little!

Oliver Gildersleeve with a fine Michigan Salmon caught off his Porta-Bote.  Photo by Kirsten Gildersleeve

Porta-Bote fully assembled.APtravelnews-June 30th,-Goose Holler’ Farm, Crossville, TN.– I’ve known Sandy Kaye for decades-met him originally at an OWAA Outdoor Writers Association of America conference in Wichita, KS in the 1984. He had a great idea that he turned into what is known by thousands across the USA, Japan and Europe as the “Porta-Bote.” I’ve had two of them (one got eaten by my sons goats in MD., where I stored it in his barn, they ate the edges off of it). The other one was used in the Keys to do my “Big Fish, Small Boat” articles for my column in the Miami Herald and freelance markets. Loved that boat! It had a Tohatsu 6-hp engine and you could stand anywhere in the boat when fly casting. A very stable casting platform. So it was, with much pleasure to meet Sandy’s folks; the Gildersleeves at the OWAA Conference this past weekend in Knoxville, TN. The boat was demonstrated on the TN. River and opened the eyes of many writers and outdoor enthusiasts to the excellence that has gone into this 90-pound craft, that can take 2 or three people comfortably fishing, then when put away, taking only 4-inches of space (picture a Paddle board width) The boat has optional wheels to roll it to the water and take it back to car, SUV or truck-no sweat! You can row it, sail it or power it and it moves along at quite a pace with only a Suzuki 6-hp motor. Today’s Porta-Bote features an easier setup than ever before! The stern opens and closes like a pair of barn doors. They swing out for folding and in for setting up to use. Many features have evolved from the original easy, breezy setup to make it even easier and quicker! Go www.porta-bote.com and check out this terrific boat!