Captain Murph

In 2010 Captain Murph purchased the Portland Pudgy to serve as both transportation to and from Kelly IV as well as Kelly's lifeboat.  Since the hard dinghy rows and sails well it can serve as an excellent tender.  In addition it comes with all the elements of a 4 man lifeboat including an exposure canopy, parachute sea anchor, built-in compass, bailing pump, and boarding ladder.

The pudgy is a bright golden yellow so it can be easily seen from a distance, enhancing its function as a lifeboat.  The grey boat cover straps over the entire compact vessel so that it need not collect rain or spray while not in use.  A startling, exciting and highly functional feature is that ALL the dinghy's gear stows inside the tiny little craft.  This means oars, oarlocks, rudder, tiller, mast, gaff, boom, sail, two leeboards, pump, exposure canopy, sea anchor and rode, two CO2 cylinders, and boarding ladder all fit under the seats or inside the hull through several 6" diameter access hatches or ports.

Unlike some small, commercially made rowing dinghys, the Pudgy has excellent oars.  While they separate into two sections for easy stowage, they have molded grips that comfortably fit your hands and long blades to make rowing a true joy.  The hollow, tough plastic hull with a foam core at the bottom, provides a firm foundation under your feet.  This gives you firm support as you move around the small boat and also excellent flotation, similar to an inflatable dinghy, without the risk of deflation.  In addition, the short 7'8" by 4'5" rowboat fits very nicely on Kelly IV's foredeck leaving plenty of room to walk on both port and starboard decks as well as more than sufficient room to manage the anchor and sails at the bow.

While Captain Murph hasn't had the Pudgy long enough to add many upgrades, he did install a removable navigation light (white, all-around) and buy an electric outboard motor, the Torqeedo.  Since the Pudgy already has terrific rowing and good sailing capabilities, the outboard motor is seen as an additional tool.  It is thought that the outboard will add the capability to maneuver through busy harbors without tiring the operator when rowing or struggling upwind (a Pudgy sailing weakness).  The new motor purchase included a spare battery and solar charger.  The Torqueedo is attractive because it requires only recharging of its battery rather than burning of dangerous gasoline.  This means not having to store the explosive stuff, let alone the cost savings.

The tough little pudgy not only serves as Kelly IV's tender and lifeboat, but also as an enjoyable "toy" once the mother ship has dropped anchor.  Rowing and sailing the highly versatile catboat around the anchorage is just great fun!

The Portland Pudgy is a wonderful sailboat to begin sailing or to enhance your small boat sailing skills.  Captain Murph is happy to use this platform to teach you small dinghy sailing seamanship.

Just email or call Captain Murph to discuss your plans and to set specific details to suit your goals.