| West Wight Potter Owner's Home Port __________________________________________________________________________ |
| Five Safety Items You Don't Have (But that a Cruising Potter Needs) by John Turpin |
I suspect that most Potter sailors carry roughly the same assortment of standard safety items. If you poke around
in our cabins and lockers, you find the PFD's, extinguishers, whistles, paddles and signaling devices that would
make any Coast Guard inspector proud. Now, if this does not describe your boat, I strongly advise you to visit the
USCG Boating Safety site (www.uscgboating.org) and do some reading. But, for the purpose of this article, I’m
assuming that you are well read, compliant and fully equipped for boating safety. Don’t let me down.
While the USCG-required safety devices should be on every boat, the cruising Potter sailor should go a step or
two further. First of all, let’s define a “cruising sailor”. For the purpose of this discussion, I’m picturing a Potter
sailor that takes multi-day trips on large bodies of water; often as the sole person on board. That may not
precisely describe you, but stick with me. You may find yourself in that position without it being your intent. So, let’
s consider you sailing in significantly remote locations, somewhat distanced from other boats, and far from shore
help. Some of us get into places like that by accident; some of us seek them out.
I’m going to describe five items that I’ve added to my P-15, Tetra, that will make her more survivable if conditions
turn nasty. None of the five ideas were terribly expensive to implement. And, in the spirit of complete disclosure,
none of them were my invention. They are ideas that I picked up from various books and articles and seminars
over the years. But, in each case, the originator was a smarter and more seasoned sailor than I, so I’m happy to
benefit from someone else’s hard-earned experience. Okay, let’s get to it. Here are five things that the cruising
sailor should consider adding to their Potter.
1. Rig yourself a trailing line
If you’re a solo sailor, I recommend trailing a safety line from the stern. I cannot imagine how it would feel to fall
overboard and watch Tetra sail (or worse, motor) away from me. On Tetra, once I get underway, I trail a 50’
polypropylene line behind the boat. (See Photo 1) This line floats on top of the water and has a nice, big knot in
the end. The purpose of this rope is twofold. First, it gives me something to swim for that’s attached to the boat.
Second, and most important, it gives me a way to stop the boat.
Photo 1
When rigging my safety line, I tie the bitter end not to a cleat, but to my tiller. Tying it to a stern cleat would be
great for water skiing, but would do little to stop the boat. With Tetra’s safety line, a strong pull will haul the tiller to
starboard. This should cause her to round up quite quickly and allow me to scramble over the transom before
anyone notices that I actually fell in. If she is (Heaven forbid) under motor power, I would probably be holding onto
a circling boat that would eventually run out of fuel. Let’s not dwell on that scenario.
Now, there are some negatives that come with this particular safety item. First of all, lots and lots of helpful
boaters will cruise over and shout “Hey, Buddy! Yer draggin’ a rope!” I used to try to shout back an explanation,
but now just wave and shout my thanks. They mean well and are being friendly. There is also some danger of
fouling that line in a prop or snagging some structure or navigation aid. Well, avoid that. Lastly, you’ll also suffer
lectures from other sailors who earnestly explain the improbability of an accidentally dunked sailor being able to
successfully swim to that line before it slides away over the horizon. They may be right about that, but at least I
have a fighting chance at it. When motivated, I can swim like Michael Phelps.
2. Add a big cockpit scupper
Seriously consider adding a way to quickly empty your cockpit of water. Your Potter already has a drain, but it
takes a long time for an entire cockpit of water to leave through that tiny port. Sure, a bucket in the hand of a
frightened sailor is pretty effective, but you might be too busy at that moment for bucket duty. The point is that you
need to plan for the unpleasant occurrence of a cockpit that is awash and how you will empty it. If conditions are
poor, you will not want the additional burden of a flooded cockpit to deal with.
After I unintentionally filled Tetra’s cockpit with seawater one day, I decided to add a cockpit scupper. I paid less
than $20 for it on eBay. I installed mine near the existing cockpit drain. (See Photo 2) It has a tube diameter
several times larger (Photo 3) than my factory drain and has a nifty flapper valve to reduce inflow. I hope to never
use my new scupper, but it’s nice to know that it’s there if I need it.
Photo 2
Photo 3
3. Control your centerboard from the cockpit
P-19 owners, you can ignore this one and proceed directly to #4. You already have a handy winch crank on your
transom, so this doesn’t really apply to you. But P-15 owners, listen up. When conditions deteriorate, your best
chance for survival is to keep that cabin buttoned up. A sealed cabin makes for a buoyant Potter. This creates a
dilemma for a P-15 captain in stormy seas and shallow water. (The kind of place that I somehow tend to put
myself, for some reason.) What do you do if you need to pull up that centerboard? Leave it down and risk
grounding or open up the cabin to yank on the uphaul? Neither sounds good when the waves are tossing you
around.
This is how I solved that problem. I ran my centerboard uphaul and downhaul lines back to my cockpit. That way,
I never have to choose between a sealed cabin or a centerboard adjustment—I can have both. As Photo 4 shows,
my centerboard lines run under my bridge deck, out through a pair of bulkhead fairleads and then share a single
cam cleat. I’ve color coded my lines. When I have blue water under me, I pull on that blue downhaul line. When I
have black mud under the boat, I reach for the black/white uphaul. When really busy (or spooked), color coding
helps.
Photo 4
4. Have a way to cut your anchor loose
There are lots of explanations and suggestions out there for the best way to anchor. “Google” the subject of
anchoring and you’ll be amazed at how much advice is out there. But, there may come a time when you really
need to quickly free yourself from an anchor, and that’s just not discussed very often. Now, granted, this is an
extremely rare predicament and most sailors would never find themselves in this position. However, with my luck, I
have to think of things like this.
I have knives in two locations, in case I need to quickly cut a line. One knife is strapped to the underside of a
cockpit locker lid (Photo 5), right next to green and red glow sticks and a signal horn. I can get to this knife quickly
if I can’t use the multi-tool on my belt (read: I’ve already dropped it overboard). My second “stash” knife is in the
anchor well and I don’t have a photo of it. But, hanging on a nylon line in Tetra’s anchor locker is a stainless steel
folding knife and a glow stick. If things are really bad, if I have to cut away an anchor from inside the cabin and if it’
s dark, I’m prepared. Possibly paranoid. But, psychological disorders aside, think about how you might quickly cut
your anchor rode. This could very well save your life some day.
Photo 5
5. Get yourself a tether
This is the only suggestion here that costs real money. But, for the cruising sailor, I feel that it is mandatory. It’s
pretty rare for me to reach for my tether, but when I do, I really want it. In high seas, it’s really important to stay in
the boat. (Think you can swim to that safety line in time?)
This is my set-up. I bought an inflatable PFD with a built-in harness. It cost almost $200 and I really hesitated to
spend money on something that most people don’t. However, I bit the bullet and made the purchase. When
people see me in it, they wonder if I’m an offshore racer. When I wear my foul weather bibs AND my harness PFD,
they are convinced I am. But, I digress.
I considered making a home-made tether, but ultimately decided to do the right thing and I bought a true, rated
sailing tether with a quick disconnect. Again, it was expensive, but I’m worth it. Lastly, for an attachment point, I
installed a stout pad eye in the cockpit. I didn’t want to mess with jacklines, since I rarely go on deck. I’ve got
pretty much everything run to the cockpit anyway and that’s certainly where I plan to be when things go sour.
Photo 6 shows my tether system.
Photo 6
Conclusion
Safety is a big topic. There were several other ideas that I considered adding to this list, but I’ll save those for
another day. Get me started talking about bilge pumps and jiffy reefing and I can prattle on for hours. I’ll spare
you. Now if, for some odd reason, you choose to only opt for one of the ideas above, get yourself a tether. In the
long run, it is cheap insurance and you’ll feel good about it. And, I’ll feel better knowing that you’ve done it.
So, head off on some adventures. Your Potter is perfect for exploring hidden coves and gunkholing where those
big keelboats only dream of going. You have a fine boat that is fully capable of extended cruising. Just do me a
favor and spend a few minutes thinking about some worst-case scenarios and how you might deal with them. Plan
for those now, so you can cruise and explore remote spots with greater confidence. If you see me out there,
wave. Just don’t tell me that I’m dragging a rope.
John lives in Edmond, OK and has been sailing West Wight Potters for many years. He sails his P-15, Tetra, in
local lakes and along the Texas coast. For more information on John’s extensive restoration of Tetra and the
adventures they share, visit his website at www.tetra-sail.com.
in our cabins and lockers, you find the PFD's, extinguishers, whistles, paddles and signaling devices that would
make any Coast Guard inspector proud. Now, if this does not describe your boat, I strongly advise you to visit the
USCG Boating Safety site (www.uscgboating.org) and do some reading. But, for the purpose of this article, I’m
assuming that you are well read, compliant and fully equipped for boating safety. Don’t let me down.
While the USCG-required safety devices should be on every boat, the cruising Potter sailor should go a step or
two further. First of all, let’s define a “cruising sailor”. For the purpose of this discussion, I’m picturing a Potter
sailor that takes multi-day trips on large bodies of water; often as the sole person on board. That may not
precisely describe you, but stick with me. You may find yourself in that position without it being your intent. So, let’
s consider you sailing in significantly remote locations, somewhat distanced from other boats, and far from shore
help. Some of us get into places like that by accident; some of us seek them out.
I’m going to describe five items that I’ve added to my P-15, Tetra, that will make her more survivable if conditions
turn nasty. None of the five ideas were terribly expensive to implement. And, in the spirit of complete disclosure,
none of them were my invention. They are ideas that I picked up from various books and articles and seminars
over the years. But, in each case, the originator was a smarter and more seasoned sailor than I, so I’m happy to
benefit from someone else’s hard-earned experience. Okay, let’s get to it. Here are five things that the cruising
sailor should consider adding to their Potter.
1. Rig yourself a trailing line
If you’re a solo sailor, I recommend trailing a safety line from the stern. I cannot imagine how it would feel to fall
overboard and watch Tetra sail (or worse, motor) away from me. On Tetra, once I get underway, I trail a 50’
polypropylene line behind the boat. (See Photo 1) This line floats on top of the water and has a nice, big knot in
the end. The purpose of this rope is twofold. First, it gives me something to swim for that’s attached to the boat.
Second, and most important, it gives me a way to stop the boat.
Photo 1
When rigging my safety line, I tie the bitter end not to a cleat, but to my tiller. Tying it to a stern cleat would be
great for water skiing, but would do little to stop the boat. With Tetra’s safety line, a strong pull will haul the tiller to
starboard. This should cause her to round up quite quickly and allow me to scramble over the transom before
anyone notices that I actually fell in. If she is (Heaven forbid) under motor power, I would probably be holding onto
a circling boat that would eventually run out of fuel. Let’s not dwell on that scenario.
Now, there are some negatives that come with this particular safety item. First of all, lots and lots of helpful
boaters will cruise over and shout “Hey, Buddy! Yer draggin’ a rope!” I used to try to shout back an explanation,
but now just wave and shout my thanks. They mean well and are being friendly. There is also some danger of
fouling that line in a prop or snagging some structure or navigation aid. Well, avoid that. Lastly, you’ll also suffer
lectures from other sailors who earnestly explain the improbability of an accidentally dunked sailor being able to
successfully swim to that line before it slides away over the horizon. They may be right about that, but at least I
have a fighting chance at it. When motivated, I can swim like Michael Phelps.
2. Add a big cockpit scupper
Seriously consider adding a way to quickly empty your cockpit of water. Your Potter already has a drain, but it
takes a long time for an entire cockpit of water to leave through that tiny port. Sure, a bucket in the hand of a
frightened sailor is pretty effective, but you might be too busy at that moment for bucket duty. The point is that you
need to plan for the unpleasant occurrence of a cockpit that is awash and how you will empty it. If conditions are
poor, you will not want the additional burden of a flooded cockpit to deal with.
After I unintentionally filled Tetra’s cockpit with seawater one day, I decided to add a cockpit scupper. I paid less
than $20 for it on eBay. I installed mine near the existing cockpit drain. (See Photo 2) It has a tube diameter
several times larger (Photo 3) than my factory drain and has a nifty flapper valve to reduce inflow. I hope to never
use my new scupper, but it’s nice to know that it’s there if I need it.
Photo 2
Photo 3
3. Control your centerboard from the cockpit
P-19 owners, you can ignore this one and proceed directly to #4. You already have a handy winch crank on your
transom, so this doesn’t really apply to you. But P-15 owners, listen up. When conditions deteriorate, your best
chance for survival is to keep that cabin buttoned up. A sealed cabin makes for a buoyant Potter. This creates a
dilemma for a P-15 captain in stormy seas and shallow water. (The kind of place that I somehow tend to put
myself, for some reason.) What do you do if you need to pull up that centerboard? Leave it down and risk
grounding or open up the cabin to yank on the uphaul? Neither sounds good when the waves are tossing you
around.
This is how I solved that problem. I ran my centerboard uphaul and downhaul lines back to my cockpit. That way,
I never have to choose between a sealed cabin or a centerboard adjustment—I can have both. As Photo 4 shows,
my centerboard lines run under my bridge deck, out through a pair of bulkhead fairleads and then share a single
cam cleat. I’ve color coded my lines. When I have blue water under me, I pull on that blue downhaul line. When I
have black mud under the boat, I reach for the black/white uphaul. When really busy (or spooked), color coding
helps.
Photo 4
4. Have a way to cut your anchor loose
There are lots of explanations and suggestions out there for the best way to anchor. “Google” the subject of
anchoring and you’ll be amazed at how much advice is out there. But, there may come a time when you really
need to quickly free yourself from an anchor, and that’s just not discussed very often. Now, granted, this is an
extremely rare predicament and most sailors would never find themselves in this position. However, with my luck, I
have to think of things like this.
I have knives in two locations, in case I need to quickly cut a line. One knife is strapped to the underside of a
cockpit locker lid (Photo 5), right next to green and red glow sticks and a signal horn. I can get to this knife quickly
if I can’t use the multi-tool on my belt (read: I’ve already dropped it overboard). My second “stash” knife is in the
anchor well and I don’t have a photo of it. But, hanging on a nylon line in Tetra’s anchor locker is a stainless steel
folding knife and a glow stick. If things are really bad, if I have to cut away an anchor from inside the cabin and if it’
s dark, I’m prepared. Possibly paranoid. But, psychological disorders aside, think about how you might quickly cut
your anchor rode. This could very well save your life some day.
Photo 5
5. Get yourself a tether
This is the only suggestion here that costs real money. But, for the cruising sailor, I feel that it is mandatory. It’s
pretty rare for me to reach for my tether, but when I do, I really want it. In high seas, it’s really important to stay in
the boat. (Think you can swim to that safety line in time?)
This is my set-up. I bought an inflatable PFD with a built-in harness. It cost almost $200 and I really hesitated to
spend money on something that most people don’t. However, I bit the bullet and made the purchase. When
people see me in it, they wonder if I’m an offshore racer. When I wear my foul weather bibs AND my harness PFD,
they are convinced I am. But, I digress.
I considered making a home-made tether, but ultimately decided to do the right thing and I bought a true, rated
sailing tether with a quick disconnect. Again, it was expensive, but I’m worth it. Lastly, for an attachment point, I
installed a stout pad eye in the cockpit. I didn’t want to mess with jacklines, since I rarely go on deck. I’ve got
pretty much everything run to the cockpit anyway and that’s certainly where I plan to be when things go sour.
Photo 6 shows my tether system.
Photo 6
Conclusion
Safety is a big topic. There were several other ideas that I considered adding to this list, but I’ll save those for
another day. Get me started talking about bilge pumps and jiffy reefing and I can prattle on for hours. I’ll spare
you. Now if, for some odd reason, you choose to only opt for one of the ideas above, get yourself a tether. In the
long run, it is cheap insurance and you’ll feel good about it. And, I’ll feel better knowing that you’ve done it.
So, head off on some adventures. Your Potter is perfect for exploring hidden coves and gunkholing where those
big keelboats only dream of going. You have a fine boat that is fully capable of extended cruising. Just do me a
favor and spend a few minutes thinking about some worst-case scenarios and how you might deal with them. Plan
for those now, so you can cruise and explore remote spots with greater confidence. If you see me out there,
wave. Just don’t tell me that I’m dragging a rope.
John lives in Edmond, OK and has been sailing West Wight Potters for many years. He sails his P-15, Tetra, in
local lakes and along the Texas coast. For more information on John’s extensive restoration of Tetra and the
adventures they share, visit his website at www.tetra-sail.com.
