Diminishing Returns

David Kautz (david_kautz@hp.com)
Wed, 10 Mar 1999 16:13:58 -0800


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Here's something to ponder, if you are as bored at work this afternoon
as I am ....

I've been reflecting on the sail that Harry Gordon, Jon Hunolt and
myself took to the Estela. The three boats are similar, but not the same
- Harry's, as most of you know by now, is an early P-14 converted to
Lateen rig, Jon's and mine are both Mk IIs, but Jon's boat has more
bells & whistles on it (boom vang, lines led aft, etc.).

Harry's boat rigs and de-rigs quick - at least 10 minutes less than
mine. Mine takes less time than Jon's by about 5-10 minutes (part of
that is due to his trailer and the way his mast is carried).

On the trip back from the Estela, approx 4 hours long, Jon started last
and was first to reach the dock at Redwood City, so clearly some of the
additional hardware (and Jon's skill) is doing it's job. But,
truthfully, all three boats reached the dock within about 5 minutes of
each other.

It seems that, if you like sailing, less time at the ramp and more time
in the water would be the preferable situation. Now, that doesn't mean I
ready to run out and convert to a Lateen rig - Personally, I prefer the
versatility of the sloop in adapting sail area to varying conditions, I
like the way it looks better, and I usually have crew and the jib gives
them something to do.

But there is going to be a point of diminishing returns where adding
"go-fast" gear is going to increase rigging time to a point where, even
if you sailed faster all day, you'd never recover the lost sailing time.
Where do folks think that point is?

Personally, I wouldn't go out on the SF Bay without a jib downhaul on my
P-15, but I leave that rigged when I trailer so it only adds a few
seconds during setup. I also rig a reefing line which takes a few
minutes to thread through. I have adjustable (Ronstan's version of
"clamcleat") downhaul and outhaul, but I don't think they take any more
time to rig than the standard boat.

I've been fooling with some off-center vang tackle and it goes on with
one fastpin. I have an adjustable topping lift, also left rigged while
trailering, but I adjust it so rarely I'm thinking that a fixed length
of line would work just as well and would reduce the "spaghetti".

What are other good ways to make the Potters sail better but not turn
them into nighmares at the ramp?

Dave Kautz
P-15 #1632 Tilly Lucy
Palo Alto, CA