Charlie Jones

I wish to be sure that what I've been saying isn't construed as calling the Potter 19 a blue water boat. I'm not. That some one made a successful Pacific crossing in one not withstanding. What I AM saying is that long open ocean voyages in PROPERLY BUILT AND PREPARED small boats is NOT idiotic nor patently unsafe. Not comfortable perhaps, but NOT unsafe just because the boats are small. Size does not make seaworthiness, design and construction does. THAT is the point I wanted to make. Oh- and I'm really happy you got a good coastal boat Frank. I understand they sail very well.

Definitely choice number 1. I usually like a tad more overlap than 1 inch but that really should be enough. I usually use about 2 inches each side of the chine, then feather back to just shy of the chine . Lapping at the chine lets you hide the lap quite easily. Fitting pieces across the hull means you must overlap, then grind the lap down so it's smooth and doesn't show. Lotta work sometimes. Much simpler to do the lapping at a natural break such as a chine, cabin top or deck edge for that matter. This isn't a Weekender but you can see how I lay the cloth. The half round things you see are lead weights I use to hold the cloth in position while I spread the resin. I resin out to them, pick them up then wet out to the edge of the cloth. In this particular shot, the bottom has already been glassed from the centerline out to the chine. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

lol- kinda depends on WHERE you are. Many places here you CAN just push out from the beach. Many places in Florida that's verboten. Some places here too. We know of many spots here where we can just land the boat, go ashore and camp, no problems. Some places are private property and landing is a no no. THERE where you are you might find things much different. Tell ya what- go to TSBB and ask your question- there are many sailors on there from the northeastern US and they are a WEALTH of knowledge, and quite willing to aid in answering questions about sailing. You may even find someone very close to where you are that will show you the area. Here's the link- http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/trailersailor/index.cgi

Tom- many people confuse comfort with seaworthiness and size with safety. The smaller boats aren't necessrily unsafe and are perhaps even safer in a weird sort of way, but you AREN'T gonna be real comfortable in heavy weather Reading Guzzwell in "Trekka Round the World" I'm sure he glossed over much of the discomfort of being in a severe storm in a 20 foot boat, but he didn't really seem bothered much. He went through a hurricane in the Pacific too. After his circumnav, he sold the boat to a couple, who promptly went round again in her!!!! Gary Speiss in Yankee Girl spent a bunch of time testing, to the point of carrying canned goods that would float in water, so they would act as ballast normally but not weigh down the boat should he take on water. He crossed the Atlantic, then later did the Pacific in the same boat. Oh- Yankee Girl was 10 feet long Swen Lundin has made many long voyages, including doubling the Horn (twice) in his series of boats called "Bris". Most of them were (and still are) under 22 feet. His wife goes along on trips with him too. I think with careful preparation and planning you can make long voyages in small boats with real safety. Not saying of course that *I* would want to do it- I'm too old and like a TAD more comfort than that.

Bob Bitchin is now the editor of "Latitudes and Attitudes" , a very good mag for cruising (or wanna be) sailors. LOOKS like a biker, talks like a sailor. Really a kewl dude. Met him in Chicago at Strictly Sail. Eric Stone has recorded a song named "Legend of the Lost Soul" which is pretty kewl too. Here's a few titles from my bookshelf. Adrift!!, by Steve Callahan. Open Boat across the Pacific, by Web Chiles Alone Against the Atlantic, by Gary Speiss Trekka round the World, by John Guzzwell Once is Enough, by Miles and Beryl Smeeton Of course, lets not forget ANY of the Tristan Jones books. He's been proven to be somewhat of a fabricator and truth stretcher, but the stories are still great The book that got me turned on to sail boat cruising many years ago- Joe Richards true story named "Princess, New York" Hard to find now but worth it And finally, if you haven't read Erskine Calder's"Riddle of the Sands" then you really should find it and read it. My wife stayed up WAY too late two nights reading that one. It's before your time period, being written in 1903, but still one of the greats.

LOL- I understand. But I also understand he was very well prepped. Our 21 footer isn't an offshore boat, but the Rhodes Meridian sure is and my wife is about to die to split the jetties in it. Like a popular song down here says- she wants "'the Reds on the left and the greens on the right" I'm working on it SHE'S already looking at courses to Grand Cayman, via the Dry Tortugas..

Great boat Frank. Now go to TSBB and find the Potter forum. From there find Judy Blumhorst's website. She's got a TON of info on rigging and handling the P19. Sails hers (named Red Wing) in San Fran bay, often singlehand I believe. You did know that one of those was recently sailed single hand from Calif to Hawaii do you not? Boat's name was Chubby. He deck cargoed the boat home though

LOL- I once gave Laura a Delta wood lathe for her birthday. She loved it although she doesn't have much time to turn anymore. I guess I'm really lucky because she worked in the shop with me every day for 7 years. She never asks why when I buy a new tool or boat parts.

KEWL!!! My wife did a copywrited design that we use as our owners pennant and as our personal sail logo. We have it on the mainsail of our 21 footer. It's going to be on the foresail of our Sharpie and also on the main of our Meridian when that gets finished. That's a main sail from a US 21 that we cut four feet off the lower end of so it would fit our boat. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Greg- HOT I can take. COLD SUX!!! Snow SUX !!! I don't like cold in any shape, form or fashion other than as ice cubes in my drinks or cooler. If we (Laura and I) have to do more than throw on a sweater or wind breaker, we're way too cold. Which is one of the reasons I live on the Texas coast

not TOO bad here on the Texas coast. Only hit 98 at my workbench. My shop is not air conditioned. Epoxy cures really fast these days. House is pretty comfortable- sitting at 90 with the front and back doors open and the breeze blowing through. Of course, we have a small AC we run in the bedroom at night and Laura's studio is air conditioned cause she can't be dripping on the paintings . Once you get acclimated to higher temps it isn't all THAT bad.

hundred bucks isn't bad for the paint to do the entire boat. Check the prices of crap like Brightsides, etc and add in varnish. $100 works out pretty well. AND - that's only ONE boat buck

First- I think the companionway "off-center" worries are just a bugaboo. That boat has so much buoyancy on the cabin side and cockpit that you would REALLY have to work to knock it down to where water would enter the cabin through the companionway. Remember - the 19 carries several hundred pounds of ballast on the keel. In addition, if you are sailing in winds that MIGHT knock you down like that, only a total fool would have the wash boards out and the companionway open. So personally I think that is a Non-issue. Secondly, Chuck Lienweber (Of Duckworks) built and sails a Jim Michalik "Caprice". It isn't a cat-ketch, more of a yawl and a lugger to boot, BUT- The main mast is offset about a foot (maybe more) to port and the mizzen is located in the starboard corner of the cockpit rear, well offset. I've sailed on the boat and it sails just fine. For the kind of sailing done in these boats, I don't think either solution would be any problem. Me, I'd offset the companionway slightly, which is the way the Princess is designed.

Mark- years ago I was building a 35 foot trimaran. In the outer hulls (amas) there were access holes in the frames at the cross arms. I had cut one of the frames, which was about 45 inches tall and about 30 inches wide. In the center was supposed to be the access hole. I had cut it to a size I thought would work so I slid into the hole to try it out. Wrong!!! I got in, but couldn't get out! There I stood., on my front drive way yet, with this chunk of plywood around my waist I would up having to use a saber saw and make a plunge cut about 2 inches out from my body, and rotating the frame around my waist, cut a new hole, then cut through the resulting ring to free it from my waist. So don't feel bad- you know what they say- CACA Ocurrs

lol- Scot- let me correct a misconception. Sorry, but I DON'T make a living building boats. Wish I did, but actually I make a living doing woodwork. Mostly refinishing, rebuilding and restoring furniture, which I'm still doing as I build the Princess. Can make for some LONG days. I DO get paid to build boats but they don't happen often enough to actually make a living building. Ask Oyster- JUST building boats is a really tough way to make a living- there can be some LONG gaps 'tween vessels Wouldn't change a thing unless I could just get my Rhodes Meridian finished and go cruising for a couple of months

Barry- there was a two part article some years ago in Small Boat Journal (before it was murdered) I have them both, and I even have them saved on my harddrive Want 'em?

Long ago I'd see guys sculling work barges around the marinas. No lateral resistance at all to a square box. No sculling notches either- they'd just lay the oar where ever and move the thing. I can't do that. I think we have forgotten or lost a lot of the technique in the last 40- 50 years, eh?

Scot- in all honesty I can't really remember WHAT got me started building boats. 'Twas a very long time ago. Now I build them because I kinda HAVE to do it. It's an addiction I think. But I'm gonna out grow it- one of these days I must confess - it's quite a rush to have someone ask where you got the boat and be able to answer- "I built it" and watch the reaction.. After all that I've done, I STILL get a kick out of that.

We've considered it, if for nothing other than an interesting skill to have. We watched this guy back the boat out of her slip using a Yuloh. The boat has no engine. He sailed her around within the confines of Roberts Bayou and used the Yuloh several times when he got into dead spots. He stowed it on deck when not in use, by just hauling it in and laying it along the side of the house. He could get it into use far quicker than you could start an engine that's for sure. Roberts Bayou is the place behind Pirates Cove Marina in Josephine Ala by the way [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Yeah Frank- we were sailing with Chuck and Sandra from Duckworks this weekend (the 4th) The event I was referring to is a race/cruise put on by Shorty, from Palacios over to one of the points in either Tres Palacios or Matagorda bay. Should be a fun weekend- I'm gonna try to have our sharpie ready for the trip. Trying to install a third mast step so we can throttle it back a bit when necessary We be just a TAD light to hold her down if it blows stink. We've sailed several times with the Leinwebers- great folks.

From what I understand, John is to be here on the Texas coast for a messabout some time in September. Laura and I may get a chance to sail with him here in Matagorda bay. I need to check times but as soon as I can verify, I'll let you know. The Navigator is a really good looking sea boat by the way.

LOL- No. It's a highly modified Lindsey 21. I suppose it's now a Lindsey/Jones/Griffith 21. Totally rebuilt inside, after being gutted to the hull, and heavy mods in the cockpit including a bridge deck and decking over where the fuel tanks sit in the rear of the cockpit. plus mods to the keel which used to be a cast iron stub keel with a cast iron swing and is now a shoal draft fixed keeler. The windows may fool you- they came from a wrecked Catalina 30.

We outlasted the bad weather We hung around until Saturday morning- the bad stuff left Tuesday. Actually we only had two days of nasty stuff out of the 10 days Laura and I were aboard Necessity. And yes- we saw many many Dolphin. We see them all the time around here, but that's something you never tire of seeing. Laura was shooting a pic of another boat in this shot. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

What sort of UV screening does it provide?

Returned recently from the TSBB BEER Cruise. 46 boats in attendance, and one of the quite impressive cruisers was JT Weigandt cruising four days through fair and storms, in his Weekender "Herriot". Not to mention the fact he had his son Thomas along, so both stayed aboard for the entire four day cruise. And yes, there were storms- we got run over by a tropical depression during the trip and JT and Thomas stayed aboard the entire trip. He was also NOT the last one in on any leg either My compliments JT. Laura and I really enjoyed getting to see you again, and get to know you better. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]