Re: Potter Quality: HMS vs International Marine...

Dik Richardson (dik@aeroair.net)
Wed, 04 Nov 1998 07:48:07 -0800

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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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I started Pottering with my purchase of WWP 14 #307 back in about 1970,
bought it from a local doctor that owned it for about a year before buying
a Mariner 31 ketch that he never sailed (????). The quality of the Potter
was superb, never found one thing to complain about. I sailed it for a
couple years then moved on to bigger (not necessarily better) boats. In
about 1977, I was managing an Ericson dealership, and we took on the HMS
line of boats as well. My first trip down to the factory to pick up a boat
was quite an experience, Herb Stewart wasn't there, he was home on his boat
an Ericson 34, "Junkyard dog" that he and his wife were living on at the
time. Herbs wife was there, and when I showed up, she called Herb and he
came down to the factory to meet me . . . these two people had to have been
the nicest, most pleasant people I ever dealt with in the boating business,
bar none. They escorted me on a tour of the factory, and I found the
employees to all be just as friendly as the owners were. Prior to this, I
ran a Catalina dealership, and it was quite different there, believe me.

I got out of the boat business a year or so later, but remained very active
in sailing. I heard that Herb sold out to Joe Edwards, and it wasn't long
before I started hearing sad tales of how the quality of the Potters was
really going to hell. When I bought my HMS 18, I was immediately taken
with the construction, really solid . . . . no balsa/wood coring in the
decks/cabintop, it is solid laminate. The hull has no liner, the whole
interior is wood/fiberglas construction, and it was built with a backstay.
My only complaint is that the exposed wood in the interior was coated with
a very thick coat of clear epoxy that is now looking a little ratty.

Here in the marina where I live/work, I have seen many owners of NEW boats,
Catalinas, Beneteaus, Hans Christians, and a Passport that had about 6
months of factory warranty work to go through after buying thier boats, so
this isn't anything exclusive to International Marine. Manufacturing
pretty sailboats is a business, not a service provided for us sailors . . .
mistakes do slip by at times and if the manufacturer has any desire to
remain in business over the long haul, they are taken care of to everybodys
satisfaction.

Dik Richardson "I'd rather be in Baja"
HMS 18 #11 "Hamada"
Ranger 29 #60 "los Barbas"
Islander 33 #326 "Vas Kora"
Hidden Harbor Marina, Rio Vista, CA