Issue 13 : Jul/Aug 2000
In the winter of 1996, I became possessed by the thought of buying a sailboat. I had had limited and very messy experiences sailing a Sunfish a few times before that, so what came over me I still don’t know. I wanted a trailerable boat in the 19-foot range.
After doing exhaustive research, I narrowed my choices down to the West Wight Potter 19 and the Compac 19XL. I wanted to buy new, figuring that since I knew nothing about sailboats, I’d be better off with a new one. After pricing the two boats, the Potter won out easily. Although price was a factor, so was the beachable hull with retracting daggerboard. And the built-in flotation deemed the boat “unsinkable,” which seemed like a good idea. The Potter had a solid reputation as a forgiving, easy-to-sail, and dry boat, perfect for a beginner like me. Potter sailors are a terrific and knowledgeable resource. Since I needed all the help I could get, I put my order in.
Thinking it would be my first and last boat, I loaded hull #941 with options. Full instrumentation, including a windmeter, dual batteries with charger, a marine head with holding tank . . . you name it, I had it put into that little boat.
Learning to sail her on the Potomac River was a blast. The 110-percent lapper on a CDI roller reefing unit made her easy to singlehand. Running aground was a ho-hum affair, not a crisis. I trailered her up to my dad’s place in Connecticut and braved Long Island Sound each summer. She was true to her reputation: a dry, easily handled, solid little cruiser.
After my second season sailing her, something happened. I realized I wanted a bigger boat, one that was decidedly low-tech. All the gizmos were fun for a while, but I yearned for something I could work on myself . . . make my own. A 1972 Pearson 26 came into my marina for sale, and I put my Potter on the block.
A nice couple from Georgia bought her and, after three hours of showing her new owner all the systems on the boat, we hooked her up to their Subaru wagon, and off she went. I still remember how I felt when she arrived brand-new on the truck from California and also how she looked being towed away to her new home behind someone else’s car.
I still subscribe to the Potter newsgroup and have nothing but respect and admiration for the solid pocket cruiser that introduced me to the joys of sailing. If you’re looking for a safe micro-cruiser sailboat that won’t break the bank, your back, or your car, the West Wight Potter 19 and 15 should be on your short-list.
Former Potter 19 owner, Dave Reiss, now sails his 1972 Pearson 26, Randi, on the Chesapeake Bay (the refit of that boat was published in the May 2000 issue of Good Old Boat). He still enjoys talking about West Wight Potters to anyone interested.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
