West Wight Potter 19
The West Wight Potter 19 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Herb Stewart as a cruiser and first built in 1971.[1][2]
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Herb Stewart |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1971 |
| No. built | more than 1600 |
| Builder(s) | International Marine |
| Boat | |
| Boat weight | 1,225 lb (556 kg) |
| Draft | 3.58 ft (1.09 m) keel down |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 18.75 ft (5.72 m) |
| LWL | 16.75 ft (5.11 m) |
| Beam | 7.50 ft (2.29 m) |
| Engine type | Outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | lifting keel |
| Ballast | 370 lb (168 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional rigged sloop |
| Total sail area | 132 sq ft (12.3 m2) |
Stewart developed the boat from the West Wight Potter 14, a British design he had bought the US rights to. The design was originally marketed by the manufacturer as the HMS 18.[1][3]
Production
The design has built by International Marine in California, United States since 1971 and remained in production in 2019, with more than 1600 completed.[1][3][4]
Design
The West Wight Potter 19 is a recreational keelboat, with a hard chine hull, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a vertically lifting fin keel. It displaces 1,225 lb (556 kg) and carries 370 lb (168 kg) of ballast. It is equipped with closed cell foam flotation and is unsinkable.[1]
The boat has a draft of 3.58 ft (1.09 m) with the lifting keel extended and 0.50 ft (0.15 m) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. The keel is retracted from the cockpit by a winch and fully retracts.[1][5]
The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1]
The galley consists of a sink to port and single-burner butane stove to starboard. There is sleeping accommodation for four people and seating for five and a potable head. The manufacturer claims the boat can be rigged and launched from its trailer in 45 minutes and can also be single-handly rigged and launched.[5][6]
Operational history
A 2008 review by John Kretschmer noted, "while plenty of Potters have made impressive passages, most are sailed quietly on lakes, bays and coastline all over the country. Most importantly, they're almost universally admired by the folks who own them, and for good reason. The boat is stable in the water, it can stand up to a breeze, it's surprisingly commodious, it's easy to launch and can be trailed behind almost any vehicle. Mounted on its trailer the West Wight Potter 19 fits snugly in most garages, which eliminates the cost of dockage and winter storage."[3]
Mike Brown wrote a review of the design in 2009, stating, "it might not have the catchiest of names, but I found everything else about the West Wight Potter 19 delightful ... I am completely sold on the Potter 19, and I despair for the taste of our boating population if it does not sell in numbers. It was one of the few review boats I had to be politely ejected from. I did not want to go home.".[7]
In a 2019 review Tom Lochhaas wrote, "of the wide variety of small trailerable sailboats on the market, the Potter 19 better meets the needs of owners who want to do some cruising than almost others, which at this length are typically designed more for daysailing than overnighting."[6]
See also
Similar sailboats
References
- McArthur, Bruce (2019). "West Wight Potter 19 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- McArthur, Bruce (2019). "Herb Stewart". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- Kretschmer, John (10 November 2008). "West Wight Potter 19". Sailing magazine. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- McArthur, Bruce (2019). "International Marine (USA)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- International Marine (2004). "West Wight Potter 19". www.westwightpotter.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- Lochhaas, Tom (24 May 2019). "Review of West Wight Potter 19 Sailboat". liveabout.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- Brown, Mike (November 2009). "West Wight Potter 19 Boat Reviews". Yacht Hub. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
