What's the story on new Potters?

Wolfgang Bechstein (wolfie@alles.or.jp)
Wed, 10 Mar 1999 01:42:38 +0900

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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Since there seems to be a rush of some sort, this is also a
first-time message. I lurked on this list for a couple of months last
year and recently rejoined. As of yet, I am still Potter-less, but
there may well be a P15 in my future. However, I live in Japan, which
makes acquiring one of these darlings a bit more difficult than for
most of you. I may be wrong, but I get the impression that most
people posting on this list own older Potters that they purchased
used, probably from someone within a day's driving distance. Many of
these boats seem to be in very good condition, and I envy the lucky
owners (especially the lateen rigged few). But what about new Potters
offered by "International" Marine? (I e-mailed the company some
months ago asking about the possibility of shipping a boat to Japan
and the costs involved, but never got a reply.) Are the new Potters
still as good as the old ones? Or has a "dumbing-down" process taken
place, such as unfortunately found in many areas of modern consumer
society, whereby new products are often likely to offer less value
(as opposed to gimmicks) and last for a shorter time than their
ancestors? What have been the experiences of those who purchased
Potters hot off the molds from the factory?

Any hints, success stories or otherwise, appreciated.

Wolfgang Bechstein
wolfie@alles.or.jp
(Currently owning an even smaller vessel than most on this list,
namely a 10-foot inflatable with a sort of jury-rig sail. Available
for inspection at http://www.escape.com/~yesss/ for those interested.)