Re: Re-rigging the P-19 / Forrest has no Potter

The Costas (uffda@sonic.net)
Fri, 26 Feb 1999 08:17:27 -0800


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

For most of this week our mail was messed up so some of the notes I had
written didn't get posted. As it now seems that we are back up and running,
and as I feel strongly about a couple of the subjects talked about, here are
my (delayed) posts.

Re-rigging the P-19

I kept waiting for Jerry to jump into this debate (he is an old fashioned
machinist with many years of experience) but can wait no longer. To me this
is a "non-argument". What I value is what has been the experience of Potter
owners, not the opinions of some ex-spurt. I know of three 25 year old
HMS-18s with the original rigging that seem to be doing just fine. I also
know of many more of the smaller Potters that still have the original
crimp-fitted, standing rigging that also seem to be doing just fine. Has
anyone heard of a Potter loosing it's rig under normal conditions? To the
contrary, I heard about a 20 year old one that lost the top of it's mast
when the owner tried to
careen it on a beach by pulling on it's main halyard. It was too heavily
loaded, and the rig held, so the mast broke above the shrouds.

If you are planning on sailing around the world in your Potter, you probably
should look into having the rig (and your head) checked out, but if you are
like 99.99% of Potter owners you will probably never need to replace the
rigging. Common sense dictates that we check our boats and replace what is
wearing out, but to "worry" about the rigging on these small sail plan,
lightly used boats is, IMHO, a waste of time and energy.

If you, like Judy (and in the past, Maurice)are planning on sailing the
middle of SF Bay in the summer then you "might" need to spend the money to
upgrade the rig (and everything else) on your Potter. Trouble is, I think
the kind of sailing she is planning to do isn't what our boats were
designed, or built, for. Don't get me wrong, I applaud those that push the
limits of Pottering. I just don't want newer members, or potential
Potterers to think that those "inspired" individuals, or specialized boats
are the norm.

Forrest has no Potter!
That wasn't the title of the original note, but better describes what I want
to post.

I don't know why FB from NY made the statement that he might never own a
Potter, but I think that, as the members of this list have done in the past,
if there is anyway we can get him into one we should help. For those of you
that think I am going soft on the old gent just think of it this way, If he
had a Potter I would have more things to argue with him about. So, what do
you say Forrest? Somewhere out here in the vastness of North America must
be a Potter with your name on it. all we (as a group) have to do is help
you find it, and then get it to you. For my part, I would be more than
willing to be part of a "transport" chain if a boat came up out here on the
Left Coast.

LCL