West wight Potter yes no maybe so??

[Sapphire]

Anyone sail a Potter here? How capable are they, really? I want to cross limited amounts of blue water (gulfstream) I did this on a venture 22 and lived to tell the tale ) but now I would like something a bit more solid. That was the best trip, though, different beach every night, and check the charts at the door! I have a 33 foot keel centerboard yawl now, but in truth, shoaldraft sailing in where my heart is.I am considering a new or late model p19 to cruise and live aboard part of the year. (I have lived on small boats in the past)If I sold my yawl, I could make a healthy downpayment on a 2008 p19 and have ten whole cents left over to cruise with >_<Or buy a used one perhapsThanks and fair winds

 

[Brian]

Hawaii

I know I read an article on one guy that did sail a 19 across the Pacific to Hawaii. He made it, but did have some tough times. Brian

 

[Ross]

The primary concern with any boat that will

be taken into harms way is the ability to button her up so that she is water tight. If you can't flood the cabin then you can't sink the boat. That and a self righting ability is the essence of what you need.

 

[Warren Milberg]

WW Potter and the Gulfstream?

Potters are really great little boats. But sail one across the Gulfstream? That's easy: NO.My last trip across the Gulfstream was in a wonderful 42 ft Oyster, a boat capable of sailing anywhere. We hit a patch of really bad weather coming back from Bermuda and we had a really bad time of it for nearly 2 full days. We had a crew of 6 experienced sailors and every imaginable piece of gear on that boat. Yet all of us wondered at times if we would make it. The boat needed about $15k in repairs, mostly to the standing rigging and deck fittings, when we got back to Annapolis. The Gulfstream is just no place for a Potter.

 

[CalebD]

For a small pocket cruiser you might consider

the Flicka 20' (made by Pacific Seacraft). This is intended to be a blue water boat. See link: http://www.flicka20.com/I would also consider the Montgomery 17' but I believe this to be in the same or similar class to the WWP you are asking about.I found a 1982 Flicka 20' listed for sale in Ft. Pierce for $17K here: http://www.flicka20.com/boats/218/index.htmlGood luck.

 

[Benny]

In the original potters perhaps, but in the

replicas being made these days I would not try it. By the way the original potters were never as large as 19'.

 

[Ross]

Try this link. You may find it answers a lot

of questions and puts to rest some misconceptions.http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/potter/index.cgi

 

[Steve Dion]

I saw the one that made it to HI.

The West Wright Potter that made the HI. trip was not you off the shelf unit. It had a real keel (maybe winged) and appeared to be to be highly modifed. Making a trip across the Gulf Stream is quite different from making a 2800 mile passage from SF to HI. (probably 1 1/2 days vs 3-6 weeks).There are a lot of things that can happen in 3-6 weeks no matter how well you pick your weather window.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Potter - No

I've sailed the Potter. It looks like a cruiser, but when you get in it feels and handles like a day sailer. I thought it was more tender than the Lidos and Capris I learned to sail on.The cabin was actually in the way when sailing and too small for overnight use. (at least for me, over 50 and overweight.)I literally sailed circles around my friend's Potter in my Catalina 22. (Okay, so I've been sailing the Catalina for 20 years and he was new to the Potter.)I would say they have bad lines too, but I now have a H260, so I better not throw stones

 

[John Nantz]

"Selecting a Cruising Boat"

Since you've already 'been there, done that' you already have a good idea about some of the things that will work. However, it is always helpful to read articles on the topic of your interest. Here's one by John Neal on the 48 degrees North magazine web site titled "Selecting a Cruising Boat, Part I": http://www.48north.com/mr_offline/jonneal1.htmAt the bottom of the article is a List of Considerations that may prove helpful.Also, an interesting read is "Log of the Mahina: A Tale of the South Pacific" by John Neal. It's in paperback and you might be able to find a used copy somewhere, maybe at the library. He made a trip to the South Pacific in a small fiberglass production boat that was beefed up and outfitted for the trip.As an editorial comment, generally speaking, a longer waterline length and heavier displacement will add to comfort at sea so knowing where your comfort level is is important. John Neal mentions that fatigue, such as can be brought on by discomfort at sea, is a factor that accounts for a lot of shipwrecks near shore.

 

[Ross]

If I have read Sapphire's post correctly he wants

a gunk hole boat that can cross the gulf stream with a good weather window. I think that he will need a boat that is self righting and can be closed up tight in case the window slams shut. I don't know if such an animal exists but when I was in the Air Force we had air dropable life boats that were self righting and unsinkable.

 

[elle]

Been done

in a Rhodes 22 in June of '06.Owner of boat, son & friend, both in their early 20's, sailors all.(Looking for link )elle

 

[Joe11688]

Flicka 20

I'd have to go along with the Flicka 20 also. These little boats are tough enough to ground out on a shore and take a beating and come out unscathed. Like most small boats though, they have a tendency to be a little mopey. I don't think that they could out sail my O'Day 222 as far as speed is concerned, but they have more endurance and have been known to cross vast oceans. Burl Ives had one and loved it enough to will it to country singer/songwriter Mel Tillis. They got together on Burl's Flicka for some sailing and song collaboration in the Gulf years ago, and Burl told Mel that when he died he would will the Flicka 20 to Mel on the condition that Mel was never to donate it to any organization in memory of him, but to use the boat. Burl had another larger sailboat, but the Flicka 20 was his pride and joy. He had a S.S. and two other radios on board. A guy named Jerry Spiess wrote a book on a voyage that he took on his Potter 15 across one of the Great Lakes. I really think that the success of these voyages in small boats have a lot to do with the ability of the sailor as well as the boat. People like John Guzwell, Triston Jones, and Robert Manry could probably sail any production boat across the ocean, after making the boat fit for the task. With all things being relative, what's a small boat on a large ocean compared to a larger boat on a large ocean, but a mere cork floating on the water? Don't get me wrong though. When the seas kick up, you're going to take a heck of a ride in that small boat.Joe

 

[Don Chesley]

crossing the stream

You might want to look at a Macgregor 26 clasic, the price is about right, it is self righting and will carry a big enough motor to get you there. Mine has a Honda 4 stroke at 15 hp. I would try to close up any gaps in the companion way and pop top. I know that this boat has made the trip before. Check out The Conch Cruiser web page for more details. The Mac 25 might be a consideration also. Don c.

 

[Don Chesley]

crossing the stream

You might want to look at a Macgregor 26 clasic, the price is about right, it is self righting and will carry a big enough motor to get you there. Mine has a Honda 4 stroke at 15 hp. I would try to close up any gaps in the companion way and pop top. I know that this boat has made the trip before. Check out The Conch Cruiser web page for more details. The Mac 25 might be a consideration also. Don c.

 

[Marybeth and Rip]

Here is a story you might be interested in

This is a story about an aborted trip on Lake Michigan in a West Wight Potter.

 

[Marybeth and Rip]

Here is a story you might be interested in

This is a story about an aborted trip on Lake Michigan in a West Wight Potter.

 

[greenminnow]

Great Read!

Thanks for sharing that story, I really enjoyed it. Brian

 

[greenminnow]

Great Read!

Thanks for sharing that story, I really enjoyed it. Brian

 

[Ross]

An excellant story and positive proof that a man and

his boat can be over whelmed if conditions are bad enough. The ultimate storm is always going to be a relative term. A nuclear power aircraft carrier can survive storms that will overwhelm all other ships.