Mail from Portland Pudgy owners: P
Better performance characteristics in one package than any dinghy I've seen...The best dinghy ever made!
Mike M., Harborside, ME
Our Portland Pudgy is finally on "tug DIGBY". Attached are a few photos of the supports Ken made and the final installation. We are extremely pleased as to how "Pudgy" looks as if it were designed for our tug. Nordic Tug
Sally and Ken H., Chocowinity, NC
The Pudgy arrived on Friday. Attached is a photo of the happy crew!
Howard R., Lunenburg, NS
(For more on Howard and Donna's Bahamas cruise, go to their ship's log: http://malolo.ca/shipslog/index.php/malolo.
They encountered three other Pudgies on their trip from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas!)
My grand children can row the Pudgy very well since the seat heights are in the correct relationship with the oar and oarlocks which is critical for a starter. We had a hard time getting them out of the Pudgy when it was time for them to go home!
George H., Bustin's Island, ME
We just got back from our Thanksgiving week of camping on a central California beach. We bought our Pudgy for beach launching and fishing some of the kelp paddies just offshore. We couldn't be more pleased with the handling, stability and "fish-ability" of our new boat. We used a 3hp shortshaft with no problems. Prior to our trip, we added flush-mount pole holders at each corner and added carrying handles aft. We already have more additions planned to "dial-in" our beach launching ease and fishing comfort.
Beach-launch fishing may not have been in your design scope, but you definitely nailed it!
I wish I had more pictures to share, but we were just too busy having fun to bother with the camera.
Well done!
Jim L,, Huntington Beach, California
The Portland Pudgy is a success…It's small, but has a lot of capacity and does well in choppy conditions…Design and construction details are impressive… Got a 2 HP Honda outboard, which pushes it along nicely.
Paul D., Sandwich, MA
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/bluestocking/?xjMsgID=11590
I went to Marco Island at 16 mph, towing the Pudgy... I passed a big boat with about a 3 foot bow wave. I hit the wave square and looked back and saw the Pudgy take air, land, wiggle a little and keep on going... I spent about 500 miles towing my Pudgy. Never flipped over and towed very well. Takes a lot of abuse. A very strong, forgiving dinghy. I have met a lot of people who are tired of the air leaks and did like the Pudgy.
It will last me a very long time.
James V., Islamorada, FL
|
|
|||
We continue to have great fun with the Pudgy.
Bob and Sheila K., Butte, MT
Sometimes words alone aren't enough, so I added a few pictures as evidence of what you already know: that the Pudgy - while certainly perfect for blue water - also has the versatility to be enjoyed for simple recreation on small lakes (and canals). (Although you wouldn't believe how rough the seas can get on these inland Missouri lakes!)
Sandy and Tom S., St. Charles, MO
My wife and I are very pleased with the Pudgy. With the center seat that flips forward to shift my weight, we can row with my wife in the aft seat without the transom deep in the water and the boat trimmed nicely. Having a white running light is marvelous. It tows very, very well.
Rob L., Riverside, RI
I went on vacation for a week and had a chance to sail and power my Pudgy around. There is no dinghy that does everything perfectly, but the Pudgy comes closer than any other dinghy I have ever been on.
Rob L., Riverside, RI
|
||||
I just purchased a 1977 Downeaster 38 ...She is a beauty. The thing is, whenever anyone walks by, the first thing they notice is the bright yellow Portland Pudgy. I am the most popular slip in the marina (in San Diego) because of the Pudgy. I enjoy sailing the Pudgy around the marina and the kids love to row and fish from it. Whenever we are using it a crowd gathers and I am bombarded with questions. The old salts ask about its stability, weight and design and most everyone asks “where can we get one”. I am starting to sound like a sales rep for your company. We love our Portland Pudgy and highly recommend it to anyone.
Michael S., Phoenix, AZ
Some more positive feed back on the Pudgy. We love it! We live onboard our ketch in Sausalito California and my wife has taken to rowing it a mile or two every day as part of her exercise routine...
I have been impressed with the sailing ability of the boat, especially in heavy winds. Maybe it is because I represent a fairly significant amount of ballast, but I haven't yet found the winds where capsize seems possible!
Bill K., Sausalito, CA
|
|
|||
SUBJECT: My Pudgy (Tug) was a hit in the keys! Lots of inquiries
Thank you for making it available for the trip!...We will be singing praises for the new boat!
Keat P., Woodruff, SC
We have already used the boat at the yacht club quite a bit and have had to show it to many members who saw it on our sailboat and wanted to know all about it.
Thanks for a wonderful boat.
Rex A., Modesto, CA
I'm impressed, it's more stable than I expected and certainly more stable than my International 14 and despite the chop on the bay this weekend it never took water over the bow...
On the way home a pick up truck followed me into the parking lot to find out more about the Pudgy. I think as you get more out there your business will mushroom. I've had a lot of people ask about the boat.
Ray C., Southampton, NJ
We are very pleased with the boat. We are glad that we waited and wish you the best for the future. I believe you have a winner here.
Best Regards.
Vincent L., Sag Harbor, NY
|
||||
I've had lots of interest shown about my new dinghy and have been happy to share all my positive impressions about. I feel the boat has few limitations and is a great addition for any cruiser to own.
Ken L., Seattle, WA
We picked up our Pudgy and are very happy. This last week, we even saw another Pudgy, one of three dinghies atop a huge boat out of Corvalis, Oregon. Plus, we had someone in Canada express a lot of interest in the Pudgy.
Susan S., Kirkland, Washington
TAKE HEART MY YANKEE BRETHREN!
THE PUDGY WILL SET SAIL,
A NOBLE CRAFT OF SHREWD DESIGN
SHE’LL WEATHER EVERY GALE.
NEITHER PROBLEMS OF PRODUCTION
NOR TRIALS NONE COULD FORESEE
WILL STAY OUR PORTLAND PUDGY
FROM HER OCEAN DESTINY…
PUDGY SEAWORTHY AND BEGGING
ME TO TAKE HER OUT AGAIN.
Bert O., Anniston, AL
We love the new Pudgy…You all win the contest on follow-up and customer service. It's a pleasure to deal with your company and you have handled the start up here on the West coast very professionally.
Thank you,
Randy J., Clyde Hill, WA
The Best Damn Bass Boat in the State of Arkansas
Southern Men have some peculiar ideas. They deeply love their pickups, their
huntin' stuff and their bass boats The psychological origins of these habits are
best not explored here. The concept of the bass boat has been furthered by the
development of bass fishing contests with large cash prizes. The usual bass boat
is nothing like any of the salt water varieties but in general is 15-22 feet
long, with very low freeboard, and they are almost invariably over powered, the
plan being that by putting a two hundred horsepower outboard on a 17 foot boat
one can get to the most distant fishing spot as rapidly as possible. Metallic
paint is standard and a little diverter on the stern directs a stream of water
up and behind the boat in addition to the spray generated by a small boat
traveling at 50 knots. The appliances on these vessels include live wells for
preserving the catch, bait wells, swivel chairs, one or more electrical trolling
motors, fathometers and GPS and occasionally a vhf radio. Canopies are
considered swish and looks of absolute manliness important. I have seen a dozen
bass boats pass a school of breaking stripers feeding on gizzard shad. The
bass boat is reserved for the pursuit of the Black Bass, a species of sunfish
that occupies a niche of fresh water lakes and streams.
Even if it weren't for the price of fuel, bass boats never seemed to make much sense to me. Consequently, when I set out to replace a long line of leaky inflatables, the Portland Pudgy seemed like the perfect compromise. Not only may I carry it as a tender on my larger boat, it is an excellent bass boat. It is maneuverable, beachable and has the advantage that when I cast a plug into some obstruction on the bank I can simply reel myself in to extricate the lure. Propulsion is equally flexible. An inexpensive trolling motor and a 12v battery will allow me to fish a whole day. On the other hand, I can mount a two or four stroke outboard and proceed at a stately 6 knots. The mast step forward allows an umbrella for the sun or rain.Now I don't have a live well, but I find that fish will survive on an old fashioned stringer since I do not go fast enough to drown them. Within reasonable limits I can carry a companion although some of the local fisherman might exceed the weight limits of the hull. A fathometer attaches to my trolling motors and runs off the battery as does a chart-plotting gps. Since my boat is international orange I outclass the candy apple metallic dream machines. In short, never think of a Pudgy as only a dink or rescue-sailing craft. It can also be the best damn bass boat in Arkansas.
Cecil F, Little Rock, AR
More adventures of the Pudgy, Wolfgang Pauli
If you are an inveterate gunkholer but your boat draws 3 feet or more you may be missing a big part of cruising solitude. A Portland Pudgy gives you a chance to discover your own spots on the water.
The recipe is simple: Find an isolated cove and anchor the "big" boat. Put the Pudgy overboard. Decide how far you want to wander. If it's close, row there. Further away select from 1. A trolling motor. 2. An outboard 3. Sailing, depending on the wind. Two accessories are valuable to me. One is a Garmin 100 series fish finder with the transmitter on the keel. The other is a plotting GPS. These may be powered by the Pudgy's own battery or by two six volt lantern batteries wired to give 12 volts. Being so equipped one can construct one's own chart of water depths and locations.
But suppose you are not interested in voyages of discovery. Put your copy of Proust or James Joyce in the water tight locker and go to some cut-rate sports store such as Academy or WalMart. Buy a patio umbrella for about ten bucks. Mount the umbrella in the mast step and open the shade. Anchor or tie the Pudgy to a branch and read the stuff you always wanted to but didn't have the environment. Stretch out by removing the center thwart. Of course you have PFD cushions and or a vest. Cool beverages may help. Sun block and DEET are prudent. A hand-held vhf allows communication with the larger boat and allows one to hurl epithets at stink-potters who make a wake too close to a small anchored boat. And behold, the rebirth of your soul!
Cecil F., Little Rock, AR
New Applications: The Stealth Pudgy, Wolfgang Pauli
My Pudgy, "Wolfgang Pauli" has been put to a variety of uses.
Limnology for example to discover the microplankton of lakes and rivers. However, it is now Duck Season here in the South. One may approach this as "the hunting of the duck" or "duck hunting". I am interested in the former, rather than the latter, preferring to demonstrate my skills rather than punching holes in the sky with express 3 inch magnum 12 bore projectiles to slaughter semi inedible creatures. In either case, I mount a trolling motor, from WalMart on the transom, ship a big 12v battery, and buy a camouflage slicker for three bucks. I take the big (32 feet) boat with the dink in the davits and find a remote spot in what we call a "slough". I anchor and put a dozen "blocks" (cheap decoys) in Pudgy. Camera in hand, I set off to find an isolated cove out of sight of the big boat. I pull the dink into the high grass and cover it with the "camo". Now I may either make some version of duck sounds while sitting in the boat, or wander off in the mush and mire. The goal is to see the birds as they "set" and marvel at what a glorious sight. The motor is almost silent and with luck, nothing is disturbed, even more blood thirsty hunters.
And here you have it, the Stealth Pudgy!
Cecil F., Little Rock, AR
|
||||
A dinghy on a dinghy thingy.
Michael N., Austin, TX
Thanks for the prompt and pleasant service. We're now ready to enjoy, and show off, the Pudgy.
Sandy & Tom S., St. Charles, MO
Many thanks to all our wonderful Portland Pudgy customers!
All photos on this page were taken by Pudgy owners.
|
Dinghy Gallery |
||||
| Links and Comments |