-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Neumann <neumannr@gte.net>
To: wwpotter@tscnet.com <wwpotter@tscnet.com>
Date: Sunday, August 30, 1998 7:31 PM
Subject: Singlehandling a P19
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> West Wight Potter Website at URL
> http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>Group,
>
>Although I've been sitting here watch the Potter traffic for well over a
>year, I have never asked a question.
>
>The interesting thread on single handling the mast raising and my own
>situation in which I'm beached because I have no solo experience and no one
>I can call upon to cruise with me leads me to ask an open ended question
>about other aspects of singlehandling the boat.
>
>Simple sail handling appears easy enough once the sails are up and in place
>but how about the process of raising sails? How about approaching the dock
>or slip without another pair of hands? Anchoring seems a breeze next to
>docking. Oh yes, in the northwest we have a lot of buoys; how do I tie up
>on a buoy single handed? There have to be a lot of other, similar
>situations that I haven't thought of. Your answers as a group of
interested
>sailors would be appreciated and they may encourage me to get this boat out
>of my driveway and back in the water where it belongs.
>
>Dick Neumann
>neumannr@gte.net
>
Dick,
I can only relate my experiences and offer advice from it. On delivery of
my 19 I went almost immediatly to a local lake and worked for an hour or so
raising the mast with the factory "stock" mast raising system in the parking
lot as I had practiced in my driveway. Got it in the water and off the
trailer and with the aid of 100 foot of 3/8 dock line got it tied up at the
dock. The wind was about 25 Knots gusting to 35. I decided to procede
under Main Sail only... I got the Main up with difficulty as I had no slugs
on the sail... by the Grace of God I took off straight and did well untill
I came to a intersection with another fork of the lake where the wind was
blowing down REALHARD!!! It caught me broadside and as I had the mainsheet
cleated the boat broched,, (that is went on it's side with the mast about 2
feet off the water and spun out of control).. to the credit of her design
she spun around and landed with her nose into the wind and sail flapping
perfectly upright and dry. As I lay in the cockpit rubbing my head from
where I bounced it off the port railing the boat spoke to me, she said
"Dumb Ass, Put me back on my trailer and take me home , Do not bring me out
again until the winds are 3-5knots and you can practice at a slower pace.. "
as we white-knucked back to the dock she continued " Also, put a motor on
my backside so in circumstances like this we can drop sail and motor."
There is no substitute for one on one instruction, if you do go it alone
however , practice in the driveway raising and lowering the mast and rigging
the boat. Go to the launch facility and practice launching and retrieving
the boat using your motor-ropes etc.. practice motoring your boat and
raising and lowering your motor. Then on that day with the lightest of
breeze 3-5Knts (or less) raise sails and practice . A motor can be of aid
to the newcomer, (I know I'll catch flak for that comment) but I believe it
to be true. Oh yeah, Avoid crowded conditions untill you get a good feel
for you boat. Do Not procede with the haste and stupidity that I did and
I'll bet you'll do fine. My E-Mail address should be at the top of this so
feel free to talk anytime,or post to this list as thats really one of it's
main purposes (and it contains much wiser heads than mine). Remember
everybody here started somewhere.
George Sweet
P-19 Sea Dove
Greenville SC