Re: Potter Quality

Jerry & Pat Menzies (gempsm@clemson.campus.mci.net)
Thu, 31 Dec 1998 22:52:07 -0800


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

John,

Be wary of any salesman which "speaks ill" of other manufacturer's
competing products. They should be an expert on the good qualities of their
own product and sell it on that basis. (Or they should) Some of what they
tell you
about their boat being better than a competitors boat is probably true, if
they
have done their homework. That's why a good salesmen can sell his product
without attacking someone else's. They know what features to highlight and
which
ones to avoid.

You need to know in your mind what it is you want in a sailboat
you are considering to buy. List in the order of importance what features
are
most important to you from cost to options and then narrow down your choices
to the boat or boats which fit your list. Since your are considering a
Potter, I
assume you are looking for a trailerable boat. If so, remember there is a
huge
tradeoff between weight and ease of pulling. When boat, trailer and gear
start
going over 2,500lbs, don't let a salesman convince your 4 cylinder can pull
it with
"no sweat" cause he/she will be "full of it."

I spent at least a year before I bought my WWP19, almost got a Catalina. If
you are looking for a boat easy to trailer, easy to launch, fair to good
equipment,
built strong enough for a boat it's size and fair to good quality rigging,
sails and
hardware, then I believe you will not find a better deal, dollar for dollar
than a Potter.
Just don't expect a Cadillac with grade A-1 equipment. If you want a heavy
displacement boat to give a comfortable ride in a choppy sea with sails and
equipment to
withstand a gale, and which will take a 4-wheel drive diesel to pull and
half an afternoon
to rig up, look somewhere else. But expect to pay about twice the cost of
a Potter.

Capri's, Catalina's, Hunter's, etc. are all very good boats. So is a
Potter. You need to
decide what you want in your sailboat and go from there. But I really think
you will be
happiest if you get a Potter. And think about considering the support this
web group
can provide to solve problems or share ideas. That counts in the equation
too!

Sorry, I get long winded, as many of the Potter heads already know.

Jerry Menzies
WWP19
Miss Maggie