Mike Stallings
85 P15 #1589, Norfolk VA
Bic Astro Rock, Electric Rock
-----Original Message-----
From: Stallings Mike
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 1999 1:43 PM
To: 'GSTahoe@aol.com'; wwpotter@tscnet.com
Subject: RE: Going to the Foredeck on a P-15 - Safely
Geoff,
I bet I'm not the only one who enjoys strong opinions,
especially contrary ones, and wish I could start a flame war with you.
Unfortunately, I agree with everything you've said!
Except .... I think the boat is a little more stable than
you make it seem. It all depends on how much you weigh and the conditions.
If you weigh less than 160 lbs, like me, then it is very possible to stand
all over and run all around the boat, even outside the stays (quickly!).
Just make sure you've previously practiced flipping at the dock so you'll
know how far is too far.
I especially agree with your "dingy with a cabin" comment,
which is why I love it so...
Mike Stallings
85 P15 #1589, Norfolk VA
Bic Astro Rock, Electric Rock
-----Original Message-----
From: GSTahoe@aol.com
[mailto:GSTahoe@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 1999 12:51 AM
To: wwpotter@tscnet.com
Subject: Going to the Foredeck on a
P-15 - Safely
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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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In a message dated 10/09/1999 1:02:40 PM
Pacific Daylight Time,
a019507t@bc.seflin.org writes:
> I just bought a p15 and I'm curious about
how to move about the cabintop
> and fordeck without holding onto
something like the mast of shroud.
> Please explain. Thanks.
Hi, Dan, Thanks for asking!
I'm probably rekindling old flames by
answering this question, but it is such
a common question and a perfectly good one.
I will answer it anticipating
more comments from the peanut gallery,
although I understand that the
gentleman who kept tipping his boat over and
falling off is no longer
partaking of this list. If he is out there,
I honestly do not wish to condemn
an individual. There is a difference
between criticizing an individual and
an individual's sailing skills. Sailing
skills can always be learned. I'm
afraid that we're stuck with the
personalities our genes gave us, although
there's a few here who would like me to
change my genes! Pun intended.
Now, how to move about a P-15:
It's pretty easy to move about the P-15 in
the roughest of weather as long as
you stay low and stay as close to the
centerline of the boat as practical.
The boat is quite stable as long as the
center of gravity is low AND the
centerboard is down.
If the water is choppy, try to avoid going
forward at all, but sometimes you
must, such as to drop anchor or free up a
stuck jib that you're trying to
douse. If that's the case, first and
foremost, before leaving the cockpit,
don your PFD. Then just crawl. Use the
handholds on the cabin roof and the
mast (at the base), keep low and crawl. When
forward, use the bow pulpit to
brace yourself. If you don't have a bow
pulpit, you may want to consider
getting one as soon as possible. Stay low,
stay on your knees, or better
yet, your butt, until you're back in the
cockpit. Even in the cockpit,
although you can do it, try to avoid
standing up as much as possible.
If you're low and in the center of the boat
and the centerboard is down, I
don't think you could knock down a P-15 if
you tried. If you are standing,
have the centerboard up and hanging on to a
shroud--well, take a deep breath
and be prepared to hold that breath a few
minutes--a la the skipper who kept
losing it.
One of the most difficult things I've found
that arises occasionally, is when
giving boat rides to friends who have been
on much larger boats, is to get
them to stay seated. People seem to want to
stand up in a boat. Remember,
the P-15 is for all intents and purposes a
sailing dinghy with a cabin. You
wouldn't stand in a dinghy, why would you
stand in one with a sail?
I hope I've not started another you-know-who
vs. Geoff debate.
Geoff
P-15 Lollipop
N. Lake Tahoe, NV