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