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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
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Geoff...While we haven't operated Moon Shadow upside down in her first year
we did manage to run her up on the dock the first day in the water (First
Mate Bonnie was at the controls as we were trying to figure out if we should
use the motor handle and the tiller to steer in reverse...we found ourselves
being blown towards shallow water so she juiced the power and now we found
ourselves heading straight for the dock. It was clear to me that we were
going to ram the damn thing but fortunately the boat actually ran up onto the
dock with no damage except our egos as a few people were witness to our
miscue).
I suppose in fairness to accurate reporting I should also share the fact that
in my hurry to bring Moon Shadow from the barn in which she was being stored
to our house (a distance of about one mile) that as I was making the corner
at a busy intersection going about five miles an hour the trailer popped off
the trailer ball and now was skidding behind my truck held only by the safety
chains (I had forgot to push down the locking mechanism). My heart was in my
throat as I looked in the rearview mirror wondering if I had really screwed
things up. While I was blocking part of one lane Bonnie and I jumped out,
lifted the tongue back up on the ball, waved at the people and drove home.
No damage.
So Geoff I suppose you must have known of our ability to do really stupid
things when you suggest we might sail upside down. We must save something
for our second year of Pottering!!!!
In defense of bumblers I must say that on the P-19 it is possible to put the
tiller handle on upside down as described by someone else responding to your
message.
If I were running International Marine I would do a video and provide a
thoughtful manual that covered many of the things to setting up the Potter
for the first time. I have a hunch many of their buyers are first time
sailboat owners and it would be a most welcome part of the purchase. On the
other hand hazing is a long time rite of passage and now I find myself
snickering when I read some of the questions of new buyers. Finally...doing
stupid things also gives people like me a chance to get a letter from you!!!
<smile>
Jim
P-19 #1030
Moon Shadow
Springfield, Oregon
In a message dated 00-01-29 10:56:18 EST, GSTahoe@aol.com writes:
<< < Our "expert" had us using the
topping lift as the main halyard, the foresail connected to the wrong place
at the bow and our tiller handle upside down which allowed the rudder to
kick-up.
>>
Jim,
Some of your mistakes sound easy to understand, but the tiller handle upside
down? I sail a P-15 and I'm fairly sure that on the 15 it is absolutely
impossible to mount the tiller handle upside down. The pintles and gudgeons
would not work together. Also, you stated, that mounting the tiller in this
manner it allowed the rudder to kick up. Isn't that why they call it a
kick-up rudder? I've always been under the impression that a kick-up rudder
was supposed to do that. The only way, at least on the P-15, to mount the
tiller handle upside down would be for the boat to be upside down. Did you
check that out?
Geoff
>>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Jan 31 2000 - 03:27:11 PST