The 'lock down device' is very simple; you already have the hard part - a hole
drilled through that steel keel.
There should be a hole, aligned with the hole in the keel (in the down position), on
each side of the trunk. Some one may have cosmetically filled it in. Probe around
for it with a pin from the outside of the trunk, or with a bent paperclip or fine,
stiff, wire from the inside. {You may have to 'pull' the trunk away from the keel a
bit; use a WOOD wedge}
If it is not there, it is a simple matter to drill a through hole in the fiberglass.
Align the keel in the center of the trunk, as you lower it, marking the point that
the hole enters the trunk. Measure down the distance from the bottom edge of the
'keelcap' to the center of the hole, and drill a hole a bit bigger than 1/4 inch.
{for a slip fit on a 1/4 inch 'pin'}
For a 'lock pin' I made a Mahogany 'knob' with a 1/4 inch WOOD shaft. It is strong
enough to keep the keel in place even in the event of a 'knockdown', or even in the
more unlikely event of a rollover. HOWEVER, it will break CLEANLY if I'm blown into
unexpected shallows with a steep chop and whined up 'bouncing' on the keel, or if
some $6.oo/hour marina 'expert' doesn't crank it up after a pressure wash.
Regards,
Ron Magen
Ron's Backyard Boatshop
Master - s/v Quahog {P-19, #575}
(as in "Sailing Master" - I won't consider myself a "Captain" until I've obtained my
USCG 'Six Pac' Certification)
PS:
Welcome to the 'wonderful world of Pottering' or the 'adventure of discovery'. When
I first got my boat, I thought the 'poor' manual was due to either the company being
in a 'transition' stage, or that the boat/manual was written so it wouldn't
'confuse' a totally ignorant {to sailing terms} person. The more I've discovered
about the boat, it's history and present manufacturer, and 'reading' this Group, the
more I've come to a fairly specific conclusion.
This boat was first designed and built by a boatbuilder (from plywood, for the
'amateur' market), with a history & background of sailing, and from a country which
has historically been a seafaring one. As such, there are certain things that are
'assumed'. And you find this in a good number of boat plans, both 'classic' and
modern. There is a 'level of knowledge' about the construction, handling,
seamanship, and "SOUL of the boat" that is taken for granted; often times in the
'here and now', erroneously. Regretfully it is sometimes perpetuated by PRODUCTION
manufacturers. Their object is to sell boats - as many and for as how much profit
they can make. They are sometimes not even 'boatbuilders' as such, but business
people. When a business is 'taken over' there may be no 'historical data' to track
older models. New model development is typically for reasons of 'production
efficiency' to maintain the 'price point' as material & labor costs escalate.
Rely on yourself. Read a LOT of books. Take sailing lessons from an American Sailing
Association Certified instructor. PRACTICE. Visit a LOT of boat yards. Visit or get
to know a "Custom Builder" if there is one in your region. Visit or join a museum
like Mystic Seaport where you can see 'under the skin' of different boats.
OK - I'm off my 'soapbox' now; sorry if anybody felt 'browbeaten'.
Subject: Potter 19 keel lock down
Hi , Fellow Nonconformists
I think I've always been a nonconformists with my Mac computer , older
volvo,Potter 19 and now just recently I bought a Winnebago Lesharo
that has a french Renault power train in.
Anyway the reason I am writing tonight is I bought a Potter 19 (1988)
and havn't sailed it yet. While looking at the owners manual , it
states that there is a keel lock down pin or device. I've looked at it
several times and see a hole in the kneel about 1/2, but nothing in the
keel truck. Is there a way of locking the keel down on this model?
Thanks for any help,
Keith Hubbard