Portland Pudgy Sportsman model, for fishing and hunting

Row or motor to your favorite fishing, duck hunting, or birdwatching spot in this roomy, stable boat!

Fisherman's/Sportsman's Model: The Portland Pudgy is a great rowboat or motorboat for fishing, duck hunting, or nature photography because:

It’s stable. It' s so stable you can stand in it and walk around in the cockpit, making it the perfect platform for hunting, fishing, and photography.

It's roomy. Because of its broad beam and pram shape, the Portland Pudgy has as much interior cockpit space as many ten foot dinghies. On top off that, it has loads of extra storage room in the compartments inside the walls of the boat. There's much more storage space than in ordinary dinghies or most aluminum boats or RIBs under 10'. You can stow all your gear and provisions through the watertight hatches. Even fishing rods, guns, tents, or camera tripods can be stowed in the hull storage chamber via the rear transom hatch.

It's rugged. The Pudgy is made of rugged polyethylene that can take a beating. Unlike inflatable boats, your Portland Pudgy can't deflate. It's filled with closed cell foam under the floor. Here's a quote from a Pudgy owner attesting to its ruggedness:

"We dragged our [Portland Pudgy] up on the rocks and left it there for the day while we hiked to a nearby town. The material the hull is made out of can handle this kind of abuse, unlike our inflatable or our plywood dingy."

It's a great fishing or hunting boat for shallow water. The Portland Pudgy can get in just about anywhere, because it is rugged, buoyant, and has very little draw. Its rounded chine lets it slide around rocks. Its grablines let you drag the Pudgy overland with ease. It's lighter than boats of comparable capacity. It's quieter than wood or metal boats, too.

It's excellent for night fishing. The optional electrical system illuminates the standard built-in compass, and features a Perko pole light, reading light (red for night vision) and an outlet for running a GPS, torch, fish-finder, etc. The pole light stores inside, via the rear transom hatch when not in use. See Accessories List.

It's comfortable for camping. The Pudgy is a great camping boat. The boat is 7’8” long, and the interior cockpit is 6’2” in length. The cockpit area is 16.1 square feet, as much as many 10' boats. It's self-draining when carrying less than thirty lbs, so it stays dry. With a flat, insulated floor, and removable middle seat, you can even sleep inside it. Tent cover available.

"I have found that my SR19 could use some more room for stuff when going boat camping. My solution is to put extra stuff in our Portland Pudgy and tow it behind the Arima. The Pudgy ... is very stable when towed behind the Arima about 50 feet or so. Then when we get to an island or other camp site ... we can row in with the Pudgy. It is a great little boat, made in Portland, Maine. George K. WA

Special Sportsman/Fisherman Colors: The Portland Pudgy is available in dark green or dark gray with gray or black seats and hatches. The yachtsman's model has gray seats, hatches, and motor mount, and has reflective strips on the sides and bow. Other available colors are warm white, sunset yellow, red, and blue.

Back to top

Sportsmen Testimonials: