buying a small saiboat!
 

Hi,

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

Thank you.
- Mo -

buying a small saiboat!
 

"Mo Chung" wrote...

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

There are a lot of Potter fans around, and it's a nice day-sailer and
weekend camper for 1 or 2.

Consider boats that have local fleets/followings so you can get help from
the "experts" when needed. The type of boat is not as important as one
that you can be comfortable sailing. What other boats have you seen
around?

buying a small saiboat!
 

Actually, none.
I am really new to this!
In my housing development, I cannot park the boat trailer outside. I have my
wife and 3 small children to consider in sizing the boat. I have been
inside a P19 about 3 months ago but decided not to purchase because the
total length was too long (less than 1 inch allowance to the garage door)
for my garage. At the time, I did not know that I can convert to a swing
tongue.

However, if you have other boats for me to consider, please feel free to
suggest. But they must fit into my garage.
I have been considering P19 because the dimensions of the boat on the
trailer were available on the web.
The dimensions to my garage are;
W: 8' 10"
H: 7' 9" door opening, the ceiling is much higher.
L: 21' 6" Base foundation Door Panels
L: 21' 8" Wall to the Door Panels

The Potter manufacturer's website gives following dimensions;
P19 with Standard Trailer
Boat on Standard Trailer Width: 7' 11"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height with Mast on Crutch: 9' 5"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height without Mast: 7"
Length of Boat and Trailer: 21' 8"
Length of Boat and Trailer with Optional Swing Tongue: 19' 10"
Notes:
Height is measured to the top of the bow rail, which is the highest point on
the boat with the mast completely removed.
Length is measured from the tip of the tongue to the back of the motor
mount; a swing tongue can reduce the length
by at least 18" when fully retracted.

Many P19's for sale on the web do not have swing tongues so I have to add a
swing tongue.
Is the 21' 8" with adjustable motor mount or fix motor mount?
What brand of a trailer are they using to come up with the dimensions?
For the trailers for P19, do I need brakes on the trailer?
Thanks in advance.
-Mo-

"John Weiss" wrote in message
news:47550578@kcnews03...
"Mo Chung" wrote...

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

There are a lot of Potter fans around, and it's a nice day-sailer and
weekend camper for 1 or 2.

Consider boats that have local fleets/followings so you can get help from
the "experts" when needed. The type of boat is not as important as one
that you can be comfortable sailing. What other boats have you seen
around?

buying a small saiboat!
 

Mo Chung wrote:
Actually, none.
I am really new to this!
In my housing development, I cannot park the boat trailer outside. I have my
wife and 3 small children to consider in sizing the boat. I have been
inside a P19 about 3 months ago but decided not to purchase because the
total length was too long (less than 1 inch allowance to the garage door)
for my garage. At the time, I did not know that I can convert to a swing
tongue.

However, if you have other boats for me to consider, please feel free to
suggest. But they must fit into my garage.
I have been considering P19 because the dimensions of the boat on the
trailer were available on the web.
The dimensions to my garage are;
W: 8' 10"
H: 7' 9" door opening, the ceiling is much higher.
L: 21' 6" Base foundation Door Panels
L: 21' 8" Wall to the Door Panels

The Potter manufacturer's website gives following dimensions;
P19 with Standard Trailer
Boat on Standard Trailer Width: 7' 11"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height with Mast on Crutch: 9' 5"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height without Mast: 7"
Length of Boat and Trailer: 21' 8"
Length of Boat and Trailer with Optional Swing Tongue: 19' 10"
Notes:
Height is measured to the top of the bow rail, which is the highest point on
the boat with the mast completely removed.
Length is measured from the tip of the tongue to the back of the motor
mount; a swing tongue can reduce the length
by at least 18" when fully retracted.

Many P19's for sale on the web do not have swing tongues so I have to add a
swing tongue.
Is the 21' 8" with adjustable motor mount or fix motor mount?
What brand of a trailer are they using to come up with the dimensions?
For the trailers for P19, do I need brakes on the trailer?
Thanks in advance.
-Mo-

"John Weiss" wrote in message
news:47550578@kcnews03...

"Mo Chung" wrote...

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

There are a lot of Potter fans around, and it's a nice day-sailer and
weekend camper for 1 or 2.

Consider boats that have local fleets/followings so you can get help from
the "experts" when needed. The type of boat is not as important as one
that you can be comfortable sailing. What other boats have you seen
around?





I have a V-21 that is 21' long and about the same as yours on the
trailer but not quite as tall. I does not have a motor mount. The
21'8" of the boat on the trailer and can not be shortened.

Because of the shape of the hull I have found that I can get the boat to
fit into a 21' garage by placing the boat into the garage at an angle.
Doing this, the boat on the trailer will fit nicely into a space that
is about 21' X 10 feet. This is equivalent to one side of a two car
garage. When snug against the back wall it just clears the safety beam
on the garage door.

I hang the mast from the ceiling so that it is over the car in the other
space.

So be for you give up on the boat, do some very precise measurements and
get out the Trigonometry book. Remember the stern of the boat is
probably curved.


--
Keith Nuttle
3110 Marquette Court
Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-802-0699

buying a small saiboat!
 

"Mo Chung" wrote...
In my housing development, I cannot park the boat trailer outside. I have my
wife and 3 small children to consider in sizing the boat. I have been inside
a P19 about 3 months ago but decided not to purchase because the total length
was too long (less than 1 inch allowance to the garage door) for my garage.
At the time, I did not know that I can convert to a swing tongue.

However, if you have other boats for me to consider, please feel free to
suggest. But they must fit into my garage.

In that size range I can only think of Flying Scott and Lightning, off hand. I
haven't followed the new boats like the small Hunters, but there may be other
18-19-footers out there... Each of them is way different from the other, and
only the Potter has a cabin. The Lightning would be the most challenging to
sail, so may not be a good fit as a first boat.

I have been considering P19 because the dimensions of the boat on the trailer
were available on the web.
The dimensions to my garage are;
W: 8' 10"
H: 7' 9" door opening, the ceiling is much higher.
L: 21' 6" Base foundation Door Panels
L: 21' 8" Wall to the Door Panels

Besides the boat and trailer, you have the mast height to consider, since the
mast on a sloop is often longer than the boat length. make sure the mast will
fit in the garage, too, before you buy anything!

You might consider storing the boat in a boat/RV storage yard instead of the
garage...


Many P19's for sale on the web do not have swing tongues so I have to add a
swing tongue.
Is the 21' 8" with adjustable motor mount or fix motor mount?
What brand of a trailer are they using to come up with the dimensions?

Don't know. Probably varies with the boat and year.

For the trailers for P19, do I need brakes on the trailer?

Depends on your car and state laws. What's the total weight of the boat and
trailer?

buying a small saiboat!
 

The weight including boat and trailer comes to about 1850lbs. Add some
stuff, it comes to about 2000 lbs.

"John Weiss" wrote in message
. ..
"Mo Chung" wrote...
In my housing development, I cannot park the boat trailer outside. I have
my wife and 3 small children to consider in sizing the boat. I have been
inside a P19 about 3 months ago but decided not to purchase because the
total length was too long (less than 1 inch allowance to the garage door)
for my garage. At the time, I did not know that I can convert to a swing
tongue.

However, if you have other boats for me to consider, please feel free to
suggest. But they must fit into my garage.

In that size range I can only think of Flying Scott and Lightning, off
hand. I haven't followed the new boats like the small Hunters, but there
may be other 18-19-footers out there... Each of them is way different
from the other, and only the Potter has a cabin. The Lightning would be
the most challenging to sail, so may not be a good fit as a first boat.

I have been considering P19 because the dimensions of the boat on the
trailer were available on the web.
The dimensions to my garage are;
W: 8' 10"
H: 7' 9" door opening, the ceiling is much higher.
L: 21' 6" Base foundation Door Panels
L: 21' 8" Wall to the Door Panels

Besides the boat and trailer, you have the mast height to consider, since
the mast on a sloop is often longer than the boat length. make sure the
mast will fit in the garage, too, before you buy anything!

You might consider storing the boat in a boat/RV storage yard instead of
the garage...


Many P19's for sale on the web do not have swing tongues so I have to add
a swing tongue.
Is the 21' 8" with adjustable motor mount or fix motor mount?
What brand of a trailer are they using to come up with the dimensions?

Don't know. Probably varies with the boat and year.

For the trailers for P19, do I need brakes on the trailer?

Depends on your car and state laws. What's the total weight of the boat
and trailer?

buying a small saiboat!
 

Since I have 3 car garage, if I put the boat/trailer at 2 car side at an
angle it will work.
I was hoping to put 2 cars and the boat in the garage but I may have to
settle with a boat/trailer and a car in the garage.
Thanks for the suggestion.

- Mo -

"Keith nuttle" wrote in message
et...
Mo Chung wrote:
Actually, none.
I am really new to this!
In my housing development, I cannot park the boat trailer outside. I have
my wife and 3 small children to consider in sizing the boat. I have been
inside a P19 about 3 months ago but decided not to purchase because the
total length was too long (less than 1 inch allowance to the garage door)
for my garage. At the time, I did not know that I can convert to a swing
tongue.

However, if you have other boats for me to consider, please feel free to
suggest. But they must fit into my garage.
I have been considering P19 because the dimensions of the boat on the
trailer were available on the web.
The dimensions to my garage are;
W: 8' 10"
H: 7' 9" door opening, the ceiling is much higher.
L: 21' 6" Base foundation Door Panels
L: 21' 8" Wall to the Door Panels

The Potter manufacturer's website gives following dimensions;
P19 with Standard Trailer
Boat on Standard Trailer Width: 7' 11"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height with Mast on Crutch: 9' 5"
Boat on Standard Trailer Height without Mast: 7"
Length of Boat and Trailer: 21' 8"
Length of Boat and Trailer with Optional Swing Tongue: 19' 10"
Notes:
Height is measured to the top of the bow rail, which is the highest point
on the boat with the mast completely removed.
Length is measured from the tip of the tongue to the back of the motor
mount; a swing tongue can reduce the length
by at least 18" when fully retracted.

Many P19's for sale on the web do not have swing tongues so I have to add
a swing tongue.
Is the 21' 8" with adjustable motor mount or fix motor mount?
What brand of a trailer are they using to come up with the dimensions?
For the trailers for P19, do I need brakes on the trailer?
Thanks in advance.
-Mo-

"John Weiss" wrote in message
news:47550578@kcnews03...

"Mo Chung" wrote...

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a
trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

There are a lot of Potter fans around, and it's a nice day-sailer and
weekend camper for 1 or 2.

Consider boats that have local fleets/followings so you can get help from
the "experts" when needed. The type of boat is not as important as one
that you can be comfortable sailing. What other boats have you seen
around?





I have a V-21 that is 21' long and about the same as yours on the trailer
but not quite as tall. I does not have a motor mount. The 21'8" of the
boat on the trailer and can not be shortened.

Because of the shape of the hull I have found that I can get the boat to
fit into a 21' garage by placing the boat into the garage at an angle.
Doing this, the boat on the trailer will fit nicely into a space that is
about 21' X 10 feet. This is equivalent to one side of a two car garage.
When snug against the back wall it just clears the safety beam on the
garage door.

I hang the mast from the ceiling so that it is over the car in the other
space.

So be for you give up on the boat, do some very precise measurements and
get out the Trigonometry book. Remember the stern of the boat is probably
curved.


--
Keith Nuttle
3110 Marquette Court
Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-802-0699

buying a small saiboat!
 

"Mo Chung" wrote...
The weight including boat and trailer comes to about 1850lbs. Add some stuff,
it comes to about 2000 lbs.

Probably a trailer with brakes will be a good idea, if not required. I assume
your car can handle that, too...

buying a small saiboat!
 

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:45:17 GMT, "Mo Chung" wrote:

Hi,

I want to buy a small sailboat that I can keep in my garage on a trailer.
I live about 15 miles from a lake with a boat ramp.
I live in the midwest with gusty windy days and I don't plan to race the
boat.
I enjoy learning new skills and I want to learning sailing.
I read 2 books about sailing but no actual boat time ;-(

I read about a West Wight Potter 19 on the web and considering 2000 and
newer models.
What would be the 3 best points and 3 worst points of the Potter 19?

Any other boats I should consider?

Thank you.
- Mo -


It probably wont fit in your garage. They make a 15 footer that "might"
fit.

You should consider your planned use of the boat. I have a Potter 19, and
find that the rigging time involved (30-40min X 2) means that I dont really
consider taking it out for much less than a full day. If I have just a few
hours to go sailing, I didn't go. So, I got a smaller boat (14') that rigs
in about 5 minutes.

Craig Bryant

buying a small saiboat!
 

"Craig Bryant" wrote in message
. ..
....
You should consider your planned use of the boat. I have a Potter 19,
and find that the rigging time involved (30-40min X 2) means that I
dont really consider taking it out for much less than a full day. If I
have just a few hours to go sailing, I didn't go. So, I got a smaller
boat (14') that rigs in about 5 minutes.

On the totem pole of experts, I'm the guy at the bottom, so my
opinion isn't worth much, but I think Craig has the right idea.

Since you (Mo) have no experience sailing, you don't really know
for sure that you'll like it. So it could be a good idea to get
something very easy to use, and very low cost, just to find
out if you'll like it.

Also, since you plan to sail on a Lake 15 miles from home, you'll
probably be doing little or no overnight cruising. Therefore a cabin
may be totally unnecessary. A daysailer may be smaller, lighter,
cheaper, easier to rig, easier to de-rig, easier to launch, and take
less room in your garage. If it's small and light enough, you might
even be able to store it on its side, or hoist it to the ceiling, or
hoist it against the wall (which I do with my 2 person kayak),
leaving space for your car as well.

Alan