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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
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Lars, et al.
I was going to write this directly to Lars, 'cause I'd like to meet him on
the East coast, but it's about time I tell everyone. Especially Dik
Richardson, whom I've not met, but respect as a sailor. Dik chatted with me
years ago about living aboard. If anyone is new to this list reading this,
you are going to meet some very interesting individuals on this list. You
may even get to enjoy an occasional flaming. It's been a while. I think
we're about due (I don't want one, it just seems to happen once in a while).
I am in the process of selling, giving away, trashing virtually everything I
own--moving back to the sea. I am talking with brokers and salespeople and
marinas. I am purchasing a catamaran in the 39 to 40 foot range. I am
looking at the Privilege yachts. I will move aboard and probably keep my boat
in the Sarasota or St. Petersburg areas. I'm trying to find the most
comfortable marina I can. I'd like a clean marina that caters to liveaboards.
Most of the yacht salespeople I'm talking to are in the Ft. Lauderdale area.
I will probably purchase the boat in Ft. Lauderdale and then move it to the
West Coast of Florida. I am now officially retired. Holey Moley that sounds
weird.
This boat's gonna have tons of room. I'm looking at models with either three
or four cabins and two heads. If I get the four cabin configuration I'll of
course keep the captain's cabin for my bedroom. I will keep one cabin for
guests, one will be converted to an office and one will be used for storage.
I will probably use one head for wet storage (scuba gear) and actually use
the other. The length is 39 feet--although I am looking at one that is 42
feet, and the beam is 26 feet. Kind of limits which marinas I can stay in!
Twin diesels twenty-six feet apart should make it easy to get in and out of
marinas, etc., as well as for safety, as she'll motor just fine on one engine.
I will be leaving Lake Tahoe the last week of March. I have to drive back to
Carmel to pick up Lollipop, my scuba stuff and my bike. I will then drive to
Florida. I will just knock around Florida looking at boats and marinas. The
plan is to be settled and living aboard before the hottest part of the summer
arrives. There's not a lot of cats for sale. A new Privilege cannot be
delivered until Oct or Nov. That means in reality next January. I'd rather
find a really late model boat that someone has put all the electronics in,
set up the rigging, ground tackle, safety stuff and has low hours on the
engines. That fits the 42 foot Privilege I'm looking at. I wish I knew for
certain how large a boat I can single hand, or at least sail with a
non-experianced crew. The broker has assured me that this 42 foot cat is
being used single handed by it's current owner. Everything's electric,
winches, furling, etc.--just like a Potter (right)! The owner's even
installed a remote control bridge device. I've seen these. They are cool.
It's a little handheld unit that has a joy stick on it. You can walk
anywhere on the craft and control the engines and helm. You hold this little
box, push the joy stick forward, it turns up the throttle push it port or
starboard and the helm reacts. It is so weird to see a guy standing on the
bow of a huge boat, completely controlling it and bringing it in and throwing
out the bow line at the same time.
This all started with the diminutive Potter! In concept I'd like to keep the
Potter, but if I have difficulty in whatever marina I wind up living in,
either to be able to keep it in the water, or at least rigged on the trailer
I'll sell her. If it takes any effort at all I'm afraid I wouldn't use it
much. Not when I'm living on a cat. Which reminds me. I just saw a newer
Potter brochure. It says the P-15 can be completely rigged, launched and
sail away in ten minutes. Perhaps I should make a trip to Inglewood.
Whatever those guys are smokin' down there--it's working! Too much resin? 10
minutes! C'mon you guys, give me a break. If I had the boat in the water at
a dock, I'm not sure I could put my stuff on the boat, check the fuel in the
O/B, cast off and sail away in 10 minutes. Sheeesh! It takes me more than
ten minutes to decide if I want to go sailing for the day.
These days of getting rid of all my land based stuff and just keep what I
will want for my life aboard is stressful. I don't expect it to be any easier
until the first night I sleep on my ocean going home. I think one of the
biggest surprises has been how supportive all my friends and clients are. I
thought everyone would say I'm being a fool, but I have not heard that from a
soul. I have heard a lot of, "Oh, wow! I wish I could do that!" I'm
confident if I can handle this stress, I can handle any ol' storm at sea!
Yes sir, Lars, I will definitely "Sea ya'"! Soon.
Geoff
P-15 Lollipop
Sail (hull?) number: 1961
N. Lake Tahoe, NV and
Monterey, CA
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