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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
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Hi,
I'm a new P-15 owner and I've found this list to feed my excitement. Here
in Portland Oregon, it was nice and sunny around Christmas so I was able to
take some time out from the holiday hustle and bustle and try out the new
toy. I sail a Laser at Willamette Sailing Club so I thought come spring
time that would be a perfect place and time to start trying out the new to
me (as of October) P-15 on familiar waters. Well with the nice weather and
a few days off why put it off? Saw the other stories about sailing on
Christmas so felt motivated to add my own.
Here's a copy of my ships log for your entertainment ...
Christmas Eve was sunny out about 50 degrees. A high pressure was forecast
to stick around for the next 5 days. Winds at the club were 0 to 20 knot
bursty gusting from the east. Typical winter wind pattern. I decided to
rig just the main sail not knowing how much of a hand full it would be
handling both jib and main single handed in such dynamic conditions. It
didn't work too well. Got slammed sideways with each gust while trying to
go to weather or reach. Can't "hike out" on these boats to keep em
upright, that will take some getting used to. No water in the cockpit but
pretty close .. so that's what those high sides are for.... The water
looked pretty cold so I was thankful for not feeling it. Going down wind
never got on a plane, but did see the mast flexing maybe 6 inches sideways
as the boom and sail appeared to give it a lateral shove during the gusts.
The flexing scared me a bit. It reminded me of the many bent Lido masts
I've seen. The Lido is a popular club boat with seriously under size
rigging. Frighteningly about the same size and weight of rigging that
came on the Potter. ... Do people really take these boats off shore? I
reefed the main and then things worked better, no scary bending of the
mast, but still felt un-balanced. Tried the motor and was able to verify I
could get it started. I think it took 5 pulls to start the 2 horse Suziki
that came with the boat. Seems like you have to set the choke just right
or its just doesn't work my experimentation has lead me to believe its got
to be open just a pinch. Fully closed floods it and gets the spark plug
wet. Open more than just a pinch seems to not richen the mixture enough to
start. My experimentation has rotating the choke knob fully closed, then
opening it about 10 degrees is just right. I've been wanting to test its
reliability, so far so good. As a precaution against flooding, I'm
experimenting with draining the gas from the carburetor every time it is
turned off by closing the fuel tank petcock and letting the engine run till
it stops. Suggestions ???
Christmas day, conditions were about the same sunny 50 degrees and bursty
east wind. This time I rigged the jib and a reefed main. The boat felt
much more balanced, easier to steer and seemed to track better, though it's
still hard to tell given the 0-20 knot gusting wind conditions. I'd put
tale tails on the jib and main. With the sails up and in position, I
discovered that the size of the cabin forces me to sit so far behind the
mast that I can't see the tale tails on the jib, the mainsail blocks the
view. What a bummer, I like to steer by the jib tale tails when I can.
This is going to require some re-training. As evening was coming on I
lowered the sails and motored down town, about 3.5 miles. Again, set the
choke just right and the motor started in four or five pulls. Fun to watch
the bridge traffic and other city happenings from the water. Motored back
around the back side of Ross Island then got a practice run at coming into
the docks under power.
Sunday, the day after Christmas, got a late start and decided to just run
the motor a while. Didn't even rig the sails simply motored down town then
decided to see how far I could go. Came to "Steel bridge", after the
"Burnside bridge", it has a railroad platform about 20 feet below the road
platform. The railroad platform can be raised with out raising the road
platform allowing small river traffic through without upsetting auto
traffic. With the current high water the rail road platform was only about
12 feet above the water, too low to squeeze the mast under. I figure the
mast which isn't very tall, is maybe 18 feet above the water. Probably
could get under with mast up in the summer time. I don't have a radio to
call the bridge tender and request an opening so it was turn around time.
Part way back the motor quit as I expected. The built in fuel tank only
holds about a quart and runs for about an hour. Refilled the fuel tank
from my 2 gallon portable tank. Going upstream uses noticeably more fuel.
Ran out again just as I was pulling into the docks at the sailing club.
Got out the paddle and finished the docking job. Decided this would be
fun to do again at night so took the battery operated lights that came with
the boat home with me to clean and de-corrode so I'd be able to have
working running lights tomorrow. With the boat securely tied to the
floating docks, I had plans to come back and play again tomorrow.
Monday, two days after Christmas, got even a later start, cast off at 4:00
PM. I decided I'd see how far down river I could go if I got past the RR
bridge. I lowered the mast and lashed it down. This was going to be a
motoring only cruise. Takes about a half hour to get down town going with
the current. There's lots of light down town even after dark 'cause of all
the lit bridges and other city lights. Lots of commuting traffic rolling
over the bridges tonight. Felt smug as I watched the working world roll
by overhead as I enjoyed an extra (well deserved, and needed) day off.
Continued motoring towards the RR bridge. Saw a new floating walkway
along the east shore I hadn't known was there. Cool... Under the bridge
and on towards the ocean... Past big cargo ships, barges, and industrial
docks. Got as far as the St. Johns bridge 10 miles from my starting point,
before I decided it was going to be a long trip back and it was getting
cold out now an hour and a half to two hours after sundown. I had my
battery operated running lights out. I'd turn them on when I saw river
traffic, then turn the red port light, and green starboard light off (to
save batteries) leaving the white stern light on when there was no traffic
in sight. One exercise of turning lights on and off I got up putting a
little too much weight on the tiller and heard a ---c - r - a - c - k ---
from the tiller handle. I steered very gingerly from then on. Going up
river was also into a biting cold wind, maybe 38 degrees or so. Going with
the wind, had been cold but pleasant, going into the wind was not
comfortable. Wind chill I guess. Found that I could sit on the
centerboard trunk inside the cabin reach back to the tiller extension I'd
added to the tiller and steer with just my face sticking up out of the
cabin. Think I would have turned into a popsicle before I got back to the
docks if I hadn't figured that out. Followed the "Spirit of Portland"
Cruise ship from down town to the sailing club where I'd put in. At the
club got another chance to practice the docking procedure under power.
Only bounced a couple of times but nobody was there to clap. A quick trip
to the new heated restrooms to warm up and take care of other business,
then backed the trailer down the ramp, cranked the boat on to the trailer.
Listened to the mighty '81 Ford Escort strain to pull it's load up the
steep ramp, strapped her down, checked the trailer lights (all okay since I
scraped and cleaned bulb connections and coated with axel grease) and went
home. Quite impressed the little car can handle the ramp and towing job.
It may not be happy about it but it does it.
At home I removed the motor emptied the boat, and covered with the tarp,
her winter storage home. Inspected the tiller and found a horizontal crack
at the bolt holes that hold it to the rudder housing. I'll open the crack
inject some epoxy, and maybe wrap the whole area with epoxy soaked
fiberglass. Should make it stronger than new.
Was nice to be able to do some of the kinds of things I'd started longing
to do over 7 years ago, but unable to because I didn't have a boat that
could take a motor, and mount running lights on. With being able to sleep
on this little boat, I can just imagine the new possibilities.
John Purdy
www.teleport.com/~purdy ... here's a story about my circumnavigation ..
(by bike .. sorry not a boat story.)
P-15 #1206
Laser #112707
Hobie 16 #21909
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