Boating Glossary

Beam - the width of the boat at its widest spot.
Bottom of the hull- the part of the hull that is under water. Its form is a determining feature in the boat's navigation capacity.
Bow - the front part of a boat
Bow Trolling Mount- lets you mount a small electric outboard engine to the bow of your Porta-Bote.
Buoyancy - the force that enables an object to float on water
Capsize- to turn a boat over (Not a familiar term with our Porta-Bote as far as we concern…).
Dinghy - a small open boat, usually carried aboard a yacht for going ashore (and a common use of the Porta-Bote as well)
Draft- minimum depth of water needed to float a boat. (Our boat can float even on 4" draft!)
Hull- a boat's shell (and you shall be amazed by our boat's hull…)
Inboard Engine- an engine mounted inside the hull, connected to the propeller by a propeller shaft.
Inflatable boat- a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes and a flexible flat floor (Surely not your choice for sailing after you'll read about the Porta-Bote…).
Motor shaft- the part of an engine that goes from below the motor head to the propeller. This height is variable for a given horsepower; it can be short, long, or extra long.
Oarlock- U-shaped, circular or other shape which holds the oar and secures it to the buoyancy tube permitting movement for rowing.
Outboard Engine (Motor)- a detachable drive unit mounted on a boat's stern.
Pinch - to sail as close as possible towards the wind
Port - the left side of the boat when looking forward
Power boat- a boat propelled by a motor engine.
Rowing boat- a small boat, driven by forcing one or more oars mounted on the craft via rowlocks to push against the water (and a common use of the Porta-Bote as well)
Sailboata boat which uses wind as the primary means of propulsion (with the sail kit you can turn the Porta Bote to an incredible sailing boat).
Sinking- we really don't know what that is…
Starboard - the right side of the boat when looking forward (the opposite from port).
Stern - the rear of the boat
Transom - the outside flat part of a boat’s stern.
Trim - to adjust the sails
Trolling- a form of angling where lines with hook-rigged lures are dragged behind a boat in attempts entice fish to bite.
Water- that big liquid thing that you need to place around the Porta-Bote to get the desired sailing effect :)

Wooden Boats
One of the main problems with Wooden Boats is the maintenance their hulls require. Despite the fact that they are rather strong, Wooden Boats are susceptible to erosion, mildew and abrasions. Wooden Boats main enemy is fire, which can erupt due to fuel leaks. There is a constant need to polish, varnish and paint Wooden Boats in order to keep them in top shape, and once they are flooded, they sink.

Porta Bote doesn't require maintenance at all. it might need an occasional washing. The paint doesn't peel, the material it is made of doesn't break or buckles. Since Porta-Bote's hull is made of a foamy material, it doesn’t sink, even when almost completely swamped.


Aluminum Boats
Many people who are interested in small fishing boats settle for aluminum fishing boats. Aluminum fishing boats have acquired themselves a reputation of durability. This, in part, is true, however, what people do not take into consideration are other factors:
1.Aluminum fishing boats may coast cheaper than other small fishing boats, but their maintenance makes them rather expensive.
2.Aluminum fishing boats are heavy, so lifting them from the car to the coastline, might be quite a chore.
3.Though rather bulky and strong, aluminum fishing boats may erode and corrode, or their hull might sustain bruises.
4.Since their material is tough and heavy, steering or rowing Aluminum fishing boats can be a physical effort which may drain all the fun from your cruise.


Inflatable boats
Porta-Bote is much lighter than an inflatable boat.
An inflatable boat needs to be dried well before it is folded, to prevent mildew.
An inflatable boat is susceptible to ruptures.
Fact is, most people who own inflatable boats leave them inflated, because it is too much of a hustle to inflate and deflate them.
Porta-Bote is light, easy to unfold (6 minutes), easy to fold back, doesn't rupture and takes little room in your garage, or on your car's roof.


The Porta-Bote is an ideal alternative for:

Canoes

Aluminum fishing boats

Fiberglass boats

Inflatable kayaks

Inflatable boats

Ranger boats

Drift boats

Zodiac boats