Re: Bad mast raising experience

From: Michael Smith (michaelconniesmith@home.com)
Date: Tue Apr 11 2000 - 17:44:04 PDT


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        West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
                dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
           List hosted by www.tscnet.com
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The ongoing mast raising discussion leads me to (again) comment that . . .
Boy, am I ever glad I bought a P-15 instead of a 19! (I also have a Pearson
Triton which at 28.5' and 8500# satisfies my urge for a "big" boat--and, by
the way, even well equipped used Tritons in good condition cost far less
than new P-19s). Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Duke" <tduke@rockbridge.net>
To: "Nancy E. Wigal" <newigal@hotmail.com>; <wwpotter@tscnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 7:32 PM
Subject: RE: Bad mast raising experience

> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
> dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
> List hosted by www.tscnet.com
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> Nancy,
>
> First, don't despair, it's a great boat to trailer and launch. Slips are
> great for a quick getaway, but definitely limit your range. Most of us
have
> had heartbreaking experiences. Many of us have scars on the boat to prove
it.
> I have several! However, that one great afternoon of sailing on Lake
Oswego
> at Cooperstown NY was worth the tow from Virginia and back. It was my
best
> sail to that date. I practiced tacking into the wind all afternoon trying
to
> get back to Cooperstown (which was of course exactly where the wind was
from).
> I learned a lot and my ne[hew thought I knew what I was doing. <bg>
>
> Second, I don't have babystays or shrouds yet. I'm in the process of
getting
> together what I need to rig them, but if they don't keep the mast from
swaying
> enough to keep it from damaging something than they are useless. From the
> other responses you have received it sounds like they are too loose. I am
> short, chubby and not as agile as I used to be. Having met you I am sure
you
> could raise the mast without babystays IF YOU did the balancing and
lifting
> (mast isn't heavy) and some one else cranked or whatever. I have raised
it
> once on dry land by myself, but it was a "stretch'--pun intended. I
normally
> tie a line to one of the halyards, wrap it around the bow pulpit twice and
> have someone hold it slack until I want to move up to the seats or up to
the
> cabin top . When I am ready to move I have them put tension on the line.
They
> aren't holding any weight, and I can steady the mast with one hand while
> climbing or stepping up (or down in lowering). My wife usually holds that
> line although I have had a "dockhand" or a volunteer powerboater (who
thought
> that was a neat boat...if it had been a P15 would it have been "cute"
boat?)do
> it. I suppose they could let go, but they aren't holding any weight so
it's
> no strain on them. With a crank system all they have to do is crank, you
> could guide.
>
> I am installing the babythings so I can raise it alone. I intend to mount
a
> block on the bow pulpit to run the line thru and then back to a clam-cleat
of
> some sort and then I can lift, tighten the line and cleat it, step up,
lift,
> etc. I want to be able to do the mast thing while floating.
>
> Third, I am sure many of us would be happy to commune by phone or private
> email, but I personally would rather read of your problems and/or
questions
> and/or ideas and the responses to them which might just teach me something
I
> might need someday. I don't think we should take these discussions
off-list.
> I suggest you continue to post your questions here. Anyone who is not
> interested can use the delete button; which seems to be necessary from
time to
> time for non-sailing related posts.
>
> Fourth, Anyone who wants to blast me for paragraph "THIRD" please do it
> off-list to me. Anyone who wants to blast me for Potter opinions feel free
to
> blast me on-list, I might be wrong!
>
> PS The "Owners Manual for 1989-90 was a joke, and I hear it hasn't
improved
> (I'll bet International Marine is writing a new one right now that they
are
> going to ask Jerry and Judy and several others to read and comment on
before
> they publish it).
>
> Ted Duke, Fairfield, Virginia
> 1990 WWP-19 #626 "The Duchess"
> (short mast-long boom)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy E. Wigal [mailto:newigal@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2000 07:10
> To: wwpotter@tscnet.com
> Subject: Bad mast raising experience
>
> snip
>
> 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.
> >
> snip
>
> severely bending the mast step plate.
>
> snip
>
> What I now need is some help. Should the baby stays be taut? I have them
> loose.
>
> snip
>
> 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.
>
> snip
>
> >
> the owner's manual leaves a lot to be desired.
>
> Thanks for listening,
> >
> Nancy E. Wigal
> HMS 1135 P19 "Baydream"
> >
>



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