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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
List hosted by www.tscnet.com
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I found the correct mast raising page url for the Potter 19.
click on link or type url:
http://pweb.netcom.com/~longyard/Mastraise.html
<A HREF="http://pweb.netcom.com/~longyard/Mastraise.html">William Longyard
's Mast Raising Page</A>
Best
Solarfry
In a message dated 4/10/00 6:54:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time, SolarFry writes:
<< Subj: Re: Bad mast raising experience
Date: 4/10/00 6:54:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: SolarFry
To: newigal@hotmail.com
CC: wwpotter@tscnet.com
Chalk it up to inexperience and have no fear. It happens to the best sailors
in the world. So, hitch up that Potter and drag it where you want.
You might be able to find a good metalman with a welder that can heat and
straighten that mast base if it is not broken and is just bent... (I also
bent mine one time)
I have been a disabled sailor for over 5 yrs now. I use of only one hand to
lift mast while afloat, sometimes while underway, as I have a 12' bridge I
have to go under to get out to ocean. I am also a solo sailor...
I installed a second set of gudgeons 2" above the existing ones about 1/4"
to right of them so I could use rudder and raise and lower mast while underway
. With second set of gudgeons rudder can remain on while mast support is
lifted to its highest position prior to lifting mast. Someone else always
help me lift aft (rear) end of mast so it will slide aft while I position
mast base and step together. Then I insert that pin on aft end of mast base
through aft end of mast step. I also changed 4 part pulley system to a 6
part pulley so I would need less strength to lift mast. With this I am able
to lift mast while pulling with my good hand on the lifting line. I have
never trusted anyone to put that aft pin through mast base and step as this
is a critical part of lifting mast. Note that I also never put in the front
pin as I find it is redundant and will not help keep mast in place. this
makes it easier to raise and lower as once mast is up and tuned there is
pressure on that front pin making it almost impossible to remove when you try
to drop mast.
The baby shrouds (on the side they are shrouds - stays are fore and aft)
should be lightly lose (move back and forth no more than 1 1/2")
This url shows mast raising pretty well - check it out
http://www.trailersailor.com/widget/santana/Mastrais.htm (<A
HREF="http://www.trailersailor.com/widget/santana/Mastrais.htm">Mast Raising</
A>)
There is another web site with a potter mast raising system. Maybe one of
the guy/gals can find it and fwd it to you.
Good luck
SF
In a message dated 4/10/00 4:10:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
newigal@hotmail.com writes:
<< Had a mast raising disaster Friday. I was all set to take "Baydream,"
my brand spanking new P19 out on her maiden voyage. Went on down to the
marina and the dock boy offered to help me the raise the mast. Being 5"
21/2" and 110 lbs., I accepted his offer, ASSUMING (you know what THAT
does)
he knew how to step a mast.
>
I rigged up the arrangement with the gin pole, line, etc., and told the guy
I was gonna haul away while he guided the mast STRAIGHT up, until the mast
reached the point of easy hauling. Well, somehow he lost hold of the mast,
and it flew straight over to the port side of the boat, severely bending
the
mast step plate. I was sick with disappointment. I had several thoughts:
kill the dock boy (not good), haul the boat over to either Dahlgren or Pax
River and have the Navy practice guided missile exercises on it (just a
brief thought, it left real quick), scream, cry or die. I did none of the
above. I told the guy not to worry about it. He did seem genuinely contrite.
The mast is fine, and appears to have suffered no visible damage.
>
I went over to BoatUS, conveniently located 15 minutes away and filed a
claim. They called IM and reported it. Glenn called me when I got home
later
that day, and confirmed I need a new mast step plate. It’s gonna be a mess
to replace the darn thing, because the plate is bolted to the bottom of the
mast with screws that disappear up inside the mast, of course. Looks like
the rivets will need to be drilled out and the new plate attached, with the
bottom re-riveted. Glenn says those are stainless steel rivets and are
probably not readily easy to replace with a hand-held rivet tool. Great.
>
Lesson learned: don’t assume people who work at a marina full of sail
boats know how to step a mast.
>
What I now need is some help. Should the baby stays be taut? I have
them loose. Since the mast raising rig is on the port side of boat, it
makes
sense that the mast would want to travel to the left. Any thoughts, tips,
suggestions or help on how to avoid this disaster in the future? I accept
the fact I will always need assistance to step the mast. I have no problem
with that. Unfortunately, I will almost always sail alone, so I will be
canvassing the launch ramp for a willing volunteer. I have had some real
serious thoughts about this boat now. I am scared to death to entertain the
notion of trailering the boat. I have this thought that the boat and mast
have beaten me, that I’ll have to set it up at a marina in the permanent
mast raised position, thus spoiling my dream of trailering this thing up and
down the length of the Chesapeake Bay, sailing at various locations. I
really wonder if this boat is all that portable. Perhaps it is if I
were a larger individual with more lead in my can, I don’t know.
>
If any of you all out there can give me some constructive, positive
feedback, I’ll take it. I’ve never rigged a sail boat like this before.
Not
to criticize IM, but the owner’s manual leaves a lot to be desired. I find
it hard to believe that an individual who has never rigged a sailboat like
this can take that book and successfully rig the vessel. Maybe it’s just me.
I’m pretty hard on myself right now, beating myself up and saying "If
only this…, if only that…" which is no good.
>
So, I feel a little bruised and battered right now, having to delay the
maiden voyage of my boat. I even bought a bottle of cheap champagne to POUR
over the bow. (Don’t want to do that smashing thing across a fiberglass
bow…just doesn’t work as well as the launchings I’ve seen down at Newport
News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Company).
>
Bottom line is, I’ll get over it. One day I’ll even laugh about it. So,if
any of you experienced Potter owners out there can give me some advice,I’ll
take it. Otherwise, I’m going to marina shopping for a slip real soon.
>
Thanks for listening,
>
Nancy E. Wigal
HMS 1135 P19 "Baydream"
> >>
>>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Apr 30 2000 - 03:27:10 PDT