Welcome to the Portager Web site

The intent of the Portager project is to design and develop a transportable Passagemaker (long range Ocean going power boat). It is intended to be lower cost to build and more economical to operate and/or faster than currently available Passagemaker boats, provide comfortable living accommodations for a retired couple and be transportable over highways to allow greater freedom of movement and reduce transit time and or cost.

Portager will be designed by Tad Roberts based on his Passagemaker Lite 46’ design which is currently under construction in South Africa at Moondance Yachts to be named Ataraxia.

Our definition of transportable is that it can be transported on highways with minimal or modest cost and effort, which equates to requiring an oversized load permit but not requiring a pilot car. Pilot cars nearly double the transportation cost. To avoid requiring a pilot car on multilane highways, the trailer and boat combination needs to be less than 12’ wide and under 13’6” high. The 11’6” beam of PL 46’ accommodates the width constraint and by folding the mast, outriggers and the windshield of the upper control station it will be under 13’6” high on the trailer.

General Requirements:

Length Overall <54 feet

Length at waterline ~49 feet

Beam <12 feet

Draft <3 feet

Displacement <33,000 lbs empty

Fuel 860 US gallons

Fresh water 200 US gallons

Power 2 Yanmar 4JH4-HTE 110 HP maximum, 99 HP continuous

Maximum continuous speed 13.3 knots (1/2 load)

Max range (20% reserve) 4016 NMi. @ 5.14 knots

Cruise range (20% reserve) 2303 NMi @ 7.7 knots