"...a unique little tender...that can row, motor, and sail well, and its full-length keel enables efficient tracking when towed...

The boat's designer, David Hulbert...wanted a dinghy that also could be used as a proactive lifeboat...'When I designed the boat, I had bluewater sailors in mind,' Hulbert says, 'But I'm seeing a lot of interest in the boat as a tender or just a safe little boat to sail on the lake.'"

David W. Shaw, January 2008,  Soundings, "Little Boats, Big Jobs!"

"The Pudgy seems to perform each of its various jobs well..[towing, rowing, motoring, sailing, and self-rescue]...The Pudgy's seaworthiness will make it a great boat for beginning sailors...This is a real boat, designed to do a real job...Given a choice on an offshore passage between the Pudgy and an inflatable life raft or the average dinghy, there's no doubt which I'd choose."
Gretchen Piston Ogden, March 2007, Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors. Boats of the Year edition.

"The wish list…

·       We wanted a dinghy that would fit on the foredeck with enough room left over to work the windlass and sails.

·      For convenience, safety and security, it should fit on deck in a “ready to go state”…

·      Our new tender had to be able to carry the two of us, our dog, and a reasonable load of supplies.

·      In the water, it had to be stable enough to use as a fishing or diving platform.

·      We enjoy rowing for exercise and sightseeing, so a good rowing hull was high on our list.

·      A sail rig would be a nice plus.

·      Durability was important. We did not want to be stranded somewhere by a dinghy with a hole in the side.

·      Light enough to get on deck easily.

·      Did I mention we wanted this magic package at a low price?"

Bill Kinney, one of the first Pudgy owners, in Good Old Boat. May/June 2007, "Seeking the Perfect Dinghy (Here's one that comes pretty close to ideal)".

"Because of its life-saving capability, we think that any serious cruising boat owner ought to give this tender a long look. "

Chris Cornell, Power Cruising. December 2006, "A Dinghy/Life Raft Hybrid"

"The multi-purpose vehicle craze continues, this time with a bent toward saving lives. The new Portland Pudgy does triple duty as a rowing dinghy, a sailboat, and a life raft...the Pudgy is exceptionally buoyant...
Must have options for the safety-minded include the inflatable exposure canopy and the sea anchor and rode, stored in a watertight compartment. The sailing rig, which comes with a telescoping mast and reefable sail, can also be stowed neatly away..."
Showboats International April 2007. "Portland Pudgy: Three Boats in One."

In August 2006 Sail Magazine ("Hard Times...solid alternatives to inflatable tenders"), Peter Nielsen has good things to say about the Pudgy.

Check out the article on the Portland Pudgy in Soundings magazine, May 2006: They call the Pudgy the "nautical Swiss Army knife that floats."

"Every so often a common product is revamped and turned into something really new, and one wonders why anyone hasn’t thought of this before. Such is the case with industrial engineer David Hulbert who has created a new and improved version of the dinghy. Please, raise your glasses to the Portland Pudgy..."  Carey London, June 30th 2003, The Boating Channel

"The trim little vessel…resembles a tubby nutshell pram. It has pleasing lines and is as carefully engineered as any high-end, oceangoing yacht."  Adrift No More, a Lifeboat that Sails, Twain Braden,  March/April 2003, Ocean Navigator

Regarding plans for a test of the Portland Pudgy in heavy seas, by Zack Smith, heavy weather sailing expert:  "While Smith is no stranger to life-threatening conditions, the U.S. Coast Guard has expressed concern about this particular test scenario, especially due to the strong currents and wave patterns associated with the waters beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. ...Says Smith, 'I’m not worried about my safety for a couple of reasons: First, The USCG in Maryland has already completed a buoyancy test on the Pudgy and rated it at 1,875 lbs. before it started to submerge. Second, the Pudgy is a rotation-molded, double-hulled boat that’s made from a rugged polyethylene hull that is impact- and puncture-resistant. In other words,' Smith continued, 'it can’t sink.'" April 2005, Fiorentino Para Anchor (The Pudgy passed the heavy seas test with flying colors.)

"Recently, rigid multifunction self-rescue dinghies such as the rotation-molded Portland Pudgy multifunction dinghy[3] and the Clam [4], have been introduced, challenging the idea that sitting in an inflatable liferaft and waiting for rescue is the best solution to the problem of abandoning ship. These boats are meant to serve as everyday tenders and as pro-active self-rescue dinghies. The Portland Pudgy is also becoming popular as a recreational sailing dinghy and motorboat. Because they are designed for self-rescue they are exceptionally buoyant and have great carrying capacity relative to length." Wikipedia

"I am a blue water sailor...so I am very aware of the need for a life raft that allows one to be pro-active in the event of abandoning ship...The Pudgy offers a very ingenious and efficient solution to the problems posed in such an emergency. I sailed her and rowed her in choppy water, and found her a pleasure to use...extremely stable, tracked well when rowed, and easy to maneuver and fun to sail." Testimonial letter.Chris Campbell, architect

Portland Pudgy the lifeboat chosen for North/South circumnavigation! (Go to alphaglobalex.com or click here.)

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