I have owned ‘Sandpiper’, my ‘C’ Type West Wight Potter, for
approximately twelve months. I had hoped to take her on an extended cruise last
year, but several things transpired against it. Firstly, after buying the boat I
discovered she had major faults, the most serious being disintegration of the
centreplate box in the region of the retaining bolt. Surprisingly the furling
jib was too large, which meant I had to re-cut and sew it. The mainsail was falling
apart; therefore I had to repair it with new sail cloth. There were more
deficiencies such as the standing rigging which was too short and her
centreplate required re-galvanizing. I gave her a solar panel and fitted an
Autohelm 800.
By the time I finished these necessary jobs and equipped
her with an outboard and bracket there was precious little time for sailing.
Poor weather didn’t help. However, I
managed to do two mini cruises on the River Crouch before taking her by road to
Dorset where I enjoyed six days exploring Poole Harbour.*
Before the end of April this year I’m hoping to set off on a cruise
that will last several days, and if all goes well it could be weeks rather than
days before I return home. Two factors will determine the length of my cruise:
the weather and my ability to make a go of it. I take nothing for granted.
Links
‘Sandpiper’ – 2012/13 – ‘Sandpiper’ ready to go
*Poole Harbour Cruise – August,
2012
Checking ‘Sandpiper’
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