| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Stanley T. Smith andHerb Stewart |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1979 |
| No. built | 2600 |
| Builder | International Marine |
| Role | pocket cruiser |
| Name | West Wight Potter 15 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 475 lb (215 kg) |
| Draft | 3.00 ft (0.91 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 15.00 ft (4.57 m) |
| LWL | 11.83 ft (3.61 m) |
| Beam | 5.50 ft (1.68 m) |
| Engine type | Outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | lifting keel |
| Ballast | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Rudder | transom-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional riggedsloop |
| Mainsail area | 68 sq ft (6.3 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 43 sq ft (4.0 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 85 sq ft (7.9 m2) |
| Total sail area | 111 sq ft (10.3 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 135.8 |
TheWest Wight Potter 15 is an Americantrailerablesailboat that was designed byStanley T. Smith andHerb Stewart as acruiser and first built in 1979.[1][2][3][4][5]
The West Wight Potter 15 is a development of the BritishWest Wight Potter 14.[1][5]
The design has built since 1979 by International Marine ofInglewood, California,United States and remains in production. A total of 2600 boats have been completed.[1][4][6][7]
The original English design had agunter rig and was built fromplywood. Stewart used a plywood hull as a plug and created a mold for making fiberglass hulls at the same time the gunter rig was changed to aMarconi rig. The design uses a longsail batten to hold the leech out, giving an appearance similar to agaff rig.[4]
The International Marine built West Wight Potter 15 is a recreational sailboat, made predominantly offiberglass, withmahogany wood trim. It has afractionalsloop rig withaluminum spars. The hull has a spoonedraked stem, a conventionaltransom, a transom-hung, kick-uprudder controlled by atiller and a weighted, galvanized steel centerboard. It displaces 475 lb (215 kg) and carries 165 lb (75 kg) of ballast. The boat is equipped with foam flotation and self-bailing cockpit. With the addition of adjustable twin backstays the boat can be equipped with anasymmetrical spinnaker of 69 sq ft (6.4 m2) or a conventional spinnaker of 85 sq ft (7.9 m2).[1][4][7][8]
The boat has a draft of 3.00 ft (0.91 m) with the centerboard extended and 7 in (18 cm) with it retracted, allowingbeaching or ground transportation on atrailer.[1]
A bracket is standard equipment and the boat is normally fitted with a smalloutboard motor of 2 hp (1 kW) for docking and maneuvering.[1][7]
The design has sleeping accommodation for two people, with two 78 in (200 cm) bunks in the cabin bow. The cabin has 45 in (110 cm) of headroom and the companionway hatch folds into a small table. A cockpit tent is a common owner addition.[4][9]
The design has undergone continuous improvement over its production run.[7] A mark II version was introduced in 1982.[10]
The design has aPortsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 135.8 and ahull speed of 4.5 kn (8.3 km/h).[4][5]
The boat has been sailed single-handed fromSeattle, Washington toKetchikan, Alaska and also fromEngland toSweden, across theNorth Atlantic Ocean.[7]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "best features: Long-distance cruisers have taken modified versions from California to Hawaii, and from Seattle to Alaska, indicating relatively good stability and ease of handling, despite her tiny lightweight hull and narrow beam, With very shallow draft and a relatively flat V-bottom, she is beachable and easy to launch; her “unsinkable” hull has positive foam flotation. Worst features: She has very little space below (ignoring the hard-to-access space under the cockpit). A centerboard fills the central space in the cabin, so there's no footwell: you must sit cross-legged on the berthtop, and finding a convenient place to use a portable toilet is problematical. Using the head in the cockpit, under a boom tent for privacy, seems to be the most practical alternative. Light-air performance is below average."[5]
Related development