Three years in a 12 1/2 foot boat

David & chardy Lang (chrdvd@gte.net)
Wed, 18 Aug 1999 18:19:05 -0700


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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While I was on vacation staying in Enumclaw WA. I attended a small town fair
they were having. My wife came running up and said I had to see something.
She walked me to a spot where a man had a very unusual boat on display to
help him sell his book. He had designed a boat 12 /12 foot long boat he
sailed down rivers from the Canadian boarder into the gulf then through
South America, Had it carried over the Andes and sailed it through the
Caribbean. It was very intelligently designed. I have pictures of it. It had
leeboards on both sides. The mast was from a windsurfer, sails tied down
with rope. It was yawl rigged with the cockpit in the center of the boat.
Above the cockpit was a hatch that secured by sliding it to the side with a
pulley system. inside the cabin you had to sleep with your legs under the
cockpit, but there was quite a bit of room. He made specially designed wood
boxes that fit perfectly in the cabin. He would take them out at bedtime.
There was an aft compartment for maps, navigation etc that was all water
tight. He had just put one coat of fiberglass over the wood so he could see
rot if it appeared. there were two heavy duty handles mounted on the bow to
pull the boat up on shore with. the gunwales were very high for a small boat
but the cockpit was very roomy . I have to admit it was a odd looking boat,
but everything had a purpose and brilliantly thought out. He wrote a book
called "3 years in a 12 1/2 foot boat" supposedly available through
amazon.com. I bought his book and he autographed it for me. We talked about
his adventures and his boat for quite a long time. He was not familiar about
wwp so I told him about the web site. He might be reading this! the longest
he sailed was 90 miles at one time and almost always spent the night on
shore somewhere. I am reading his book and am at the Panama Canal right now.
He is heading off down the coast in not to friendly a place so I am sure
adventure awaits him. If you are interested in the book e-mail me and I will
give you his name (the books in my wives car, she is gone now). Its reads
more like a spritual adventure than a log. At times he did things I wouldnt
have done but I am pretty conservitive so my opinion is from that
perspective.

Regards, Dave Lang, p15 hull # 554, to be renamed. "Go West" is a little
confusing on the radio I get a lot of, (go where?)