The Pudgy is no ordinary dinghy

The Portland Pudgy multifunction dinghy (patent pending) addresses the issue of abandoning ship. It is unsinkable and has very high flotation even if swamped. It’s extremely stable, lightweight, and tough. It has lots of storage space. It lets you use a long or short shaft motor (you simply stow the motor mount not in use in its under-the-seat storage slot.).

It tows well. It rows easily. It sails beautifully. It's fun to motor. Its stability and ease of handling make it a great dinghy for blue water sailors or for kids, a good work deck, and a good platform for diving, duck hunting, or fishing. It integrates with sophisticated safety and survival equipment (including exposure canopy, sea anchor, and sailing kit).

The Portland Pudgy is a good family boat

The Pudgy is a great family boat because of its stability, buoyancy, ease of handling, lightness, durability and storage space. Although designed as a survival dinghy for blue water sailors, it's easy and fun to sail, and rows and motors well. It's unsinkable and difficult to capsize, making it a great dinghy for kids and a good fishing boat or diving platform.

Coast Guard Tested

The Portland Pudgy was recently tested by the US Coast Guard (see picture). The dinghy complies with US Coast Guard safety standards as follows:

• With no motor: 4 persons or 557 lb (persons and gear)

• With a 2 HP motor: 4 persons or 557 lb (motor, persons and gear)

Portland Pudgy is better than an inflatable boat

The Portland Pudgy is rigid, puncture-resistant, durable, and doesn’t need to inflate. It rows and tows beautifully. It motors well, and it can be used as a sailing dinghy. It’s aesthetically pleasing, and it has lots of storage space.

The Portland Pudgy is better an the average life raft

The Pudgy is pro-active—instead of forcing you to sit and wait for rescue, it gives you the option of sailing, rowing, or motoring to shipping lanes or safety. Unlike life rafts, it's rigid, puncture-resistant, durable, doesn’t need to inflate in an emergency, and doesn’t need expensive maintenance.

The Portland Pudgy is stable on the move and at anchor

It is comparable in stability to many four-person life rafts. You can choose to use the Portland Pudgy's sea anchor, which will minimize drift and add stability. At the same time, the Pudgy gives you the option of sailing, rowing, or motoring to safety when the weather has calmed. Click here for information on a test in April, 2005 in heavy seas.

The sea anchor, a critical piece of survival equipment, is used to prevent drift, and to keep the dinghy heading toward the wind in severe weather conditions. It is attached to a bridle, which in turn is attached to two tow-eyes (instead of one). This distributes the weight and pull of the dinghy and adds stability.

The Portland Pudgy has a "self-contained unit"

All of the Pudgy's safety equipment and accessories fit within the dinghy, and are stored either in storage compartments within the hull or under the rear seat. The mast telescopes down and the sail furls around it, and they are stored through the rear access hatch (see picture below). The exposure canopy and sea anchor also fold up and fit through an interior hatch. The lee boards and the motor mount that is not in use stow neatly under the rear seat. (In addition, you can store ditch bags, food, water, fishing or duck hunting equipment, etc. in the storage compartments.)

Towing your Pudgy is a breeze

Two features make the Portland Pudgy dinghy easy to tow. First, it has a long skeg, which makes it track well. Second, it has two tow-eyes (instead of a single one) which attach to a bridle, which in turn attaches to the tow line. The bridle adds stability and minimizes yaw. It also floats high and therefore has minimal transom drag.

If blue water sailing is your game take the Portland Pudgy along

The Portland Pudgy can be strapped on top of the deck or cabin. The dinghy can be strapped down with heavy line, either using the four through-holes near the gunwale, or the two handholds in the keel. You can also carry the Pudgy on davits (see below).

The Pudgy be carries well on davits

You can hang the Pudgy from davits using the optional davit harness and lifting eyes. The eyes are set low in the interior of the cockpit (they also serve as as fastening points for safety harnesses). In addition, if your boat has a swim step, you can use specially-designed Weaver davits. For more information on using davits, click here.

Even on land the Porland Pudgy is easy to transport

At approximately 128 lb, the Pudgy is easy to carry. It has a wheel in the keel for rolling the dinghy. It fits in many station wagons and vans or on the roof of your car.

The Porland Pudgy is available at Falmouth Harbor Boats. We're easy find from the Cape Cod Canal just follow Route 28 South about 14 miles. Turn LEFT on Palmer Avenue, then LEFT again on Main Street for about 1 mile. Turn RIGHT on Scranton Avenue. We are located at 56 Scranton Avenue.