Harry Gordon's P-15 "Manatee"
(A group of Potter skippers brought their boats to Lake Tahoe the weekend of August 16-17, 1997 for a get-together. This is Harry Gordon's account of the gathering.)
GETTING THERE - I carefully timed my drive to Lake Tahoe from Mountain View to encounter not only the Friday afternoon commute traffic in San Jose, Stockton, and Sacramento, but also those other drivers who left early to get a start on their own weekend travels. So it was after dark when our Toyota Chinook arrived at Tahoe Keys with my wife, Sandy; our Lab, Happy; and Manatee in tow. After parking, we encountered Rob McClain and his wife Mary leaving the Fresh Ketch. Rob is another long-time member of the Potter Yachters and is designer of the club burgee.
THE POTTER YACHTERS - The dinner was still in process and had reached the higher decibel levels of conviviality. It was great to meet Geoff and Travis Lipscomb, both of whom I knew only by e-mail. Jerry Barrilleaux and Dory Taylor were there and a couple from Carson City. Sandy and I had a bowl of chowder and a glass of wine as the kitchen was closing and the party was breaking up.
Everyone present had already launched their boats and secured them in slips, where they slept the night. We settled in for the night in the Chinook in the parking lot. In the morning I walked down to look at the launch ramp and a vee formation of geese swept low over my head honking. We had breakfast in South Lake Tahoe then drove up to Emerald Bay to get the lay of the land and possibly to find a place for Sandy and Happy to stay Saturday night since they wouldn't be making the sail to the boat-in campground. Returning to South Lake Tahoe we spotted two Potters in the Long's parking lot. They belonged to Darrow and ?? from International Marine. They had arrived during the night and camped on a fire road.
GETTING READY - At Tahoe Keys, some other Potters had arrived and were being prepared to launch. The wind was already up in the parking lot, and Geoff was advising us that it would be markedly stronger outside the harbor, and choppy, and we should probably reef before we went out. This advice caused me to hesitate since my lateen-rigged P-14 had only been tested a few times on sheltered waters, and I had not yet installed any reefing provisions. After vacillating for a while, I finally concluded that I could always turn back if I didn't like it when I got outside, so I paid the $25 launch fee and started rigging Manatee. Dory came by and told me that I was the last boat and the others at their slips were ready to go, so it was agreed that I would launch and head out the channel and be joined by the other boats.
MEETING THE PRESS - At the launch ramp dock a reporter from the Tahoe Tribune appeared and started asking about the Potter gathering, but the procedure at the ramp required clearing the dock quickly (and I didn't want to be interviewed anyway), so Dory took the reporter over to where the other boats were gathered. (I heard later that Dory and I and Manatee were on the front page the next day, but I haven't seen the paper.)
DEPARTURE - The Seagull was a little harder to start than usual at the 6000 ft elevation, but I found the right combination and headed out past the condos to the marked channel that led to the deeper water of the lake. In the shallow channel, the bottom was plainly visible through the clear aquamarine water. As I passed the buoy that marked the entrance to the channel I marked a waypoint on my GPS.
Expecting uncomfortable conditions, I was pleased to find there were no whitecaps to be seen. I hoisted the orange and white Sunfish sail and found the wind was brisk but quite manageable. I headed out on a casual compass course toward Emerald Bay, 4 nmi away.
I kept looking back to Tahoe Keys, expecting to see the fleet emerge, but no Potter sails appeared. I continued sailing for awhile, then came about and headed back to join the surely-soon-to-appear Potters. As I neared the marker buoy it occurred to me that they were probably delayed by the reporter. Concerned that the rising wind was going to whip up the lake, I again headed out.
MAKING KNOTS - Checking my GPS occasionally, I found it was indicating around 4 kn most of the time, which I thought was nice, but further on I found it holding a firm 5 kn reading, probably as fast as a Potter can go without planing and a little more than the theoretical, rule of thumb hull speed. Still my comfort level was high, and I felt no need for reefing.
EMERALD BAY - It was a little harder to find Emerald Bay than I had anticipated. The unfamiliar shoreline all looked much the same to me, and I made a couple of approaches toward nonexisting bays before I found the real one. Meanwhile, other Potters had appeared far behind me, and a couple of P-19s were already opposite the mouth of the bay but further out. I had earlier noticed there were a couple of P-15s that had apparently departed before I did and I had seen one (Rob McClain) enter the bay. There was also a red and white P-15 that may have sailed on beyond the bay.
As I started tacking into Emerald Bay, I saw Jerry's HMS-18, Sunshine, also charging in, and he overtook me just inside the bay as I was flopping about in the fluky winds. I was headed for the boat-in campground further down the bay, but Dory, Jerry's crew, pointed to a beach just inside the bay where some Potters were already on shore. He must have shouted something about a sandy beach because I misunderstood him and shouted back, "What's Sandy doing here?" Dory looked blank, and I headed Manatee happily for the beach, expecting to see my wife waving at me and wondering how she had transported herself there.
Potter Yachters waded out to help me land as I pulled up the centerboard and rudder and nosed into a small sandy spot between Rob McClain's boat and a giant log, avoiding a few submerged rocks on the way in. It wasn't really a very good spot as the waves were slapping the boat about more than a little. We turned the boat around so it would face the waves as Rob walked my anchor out 20 or 30 feet from the boat. I pulled the rode to plant the anchor firmly and adjusted its length so the stern was far enough out that the motor would not be hitting the bottom every time a wave went out. I had removed the rudder assembly and placed it on the beach, discovering that one of the hitch pins securing my rudder pintles had disappeared. I had stern lines from both quarters to bushes on shore. Rob's boat was secured in the same manner. Both boats were constantly pitching but secure.
The couple from Carson City had set up their camp there the day before and had had no wave problems. The conditions now must have been from the increased wakes of the Saturday traffic in and out of the bay, and also today the wind was blowing strongly out of the bay, so what we had expected to be sheltered was probably now one of the windier spots on the lake. Rob and Mary, Travis, and the couple from Carson City (sorry, I forgot their names) all had set up tents on shore, which was heavily wooded. I would sleep on board. There were also one or two motorboats of people not part of our group.
Other boats came and went. Jerry came by and told us the boat-in campground was filled but they had permission to pull up on the swimming beach at the inland end of the bay. With camps set up and boats laboriously secured, we decided to stay where we were. But it was a long day. Fortunately I had good company. Rob and I had some great conversations, sitting on our adjacent bobbing boats. Travis provided more than a few laughs, and the couple from Carson City made me feel welcome in their camp. It was a little confining, but Rob and I agreed it was a lot better than working.
With nightfall,the waves subsided. I turned in about nine under the nearly full moon, watched the stars get brighter and multiply, and was gently rocked to sleep. I found the Potter interior was still comfortable to sleep in; the added tube for the lateen mast had not reduced my foot room noticeably. I resolved to get underway early the next morning before the wave action resumed.
Early Sunday morning, I breakfasted on a box of ceral and the last of the coffee in my thermos. I reinstalled the rudder, replacing the lost hitchpin with a cotter ring. The bay was calm; there were no boats generating wakes and the breeze was light. I removed the stern lines then sat on the bow and pulled the anchor rode to get the boat away from shore, brought the anchor aboard, started the Seagull, and motored down toward the end of the bay where the others were camped. I motored past a couple of Potters at another small beach along the way, then found the rest of the group at the end of the bay, at the swimming beach I presume. It was indeed a beautiful spot.
FANETTE ISLAND - Near the inside limit of Emerald Bay is Fanette Island, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe. To quote some literature I picked up somewhere:
"A sparsely timbered, brush covered upthrust of granite that rises 150 feet above the water, Fannette Island was not always known by that name. During the past 100 years it has been known as Coquette, Fannette, Baranoff, Dead Man's, Hermit's, and Emerald Isle. ...It is believed that the island is a resistant rib of granitic rock which was overridden by the glacial ice. The stone structure on top that looks like a miniature castle is the 'Tea House,' built during the time that Vikingsholm was constructed, from 1928-29."
I regret that I didn't have time to go ashore and visit Vikingsholm, described as "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere." It was built with great attention to detail and at great expense. Two hundred workers were brought in for the job.
The tea house on the island has been vandalized in recent years, and only the stone shell remains, but the structure adds to the spectacular appearance of the island as seen from water level.
Behind Fannette Island, I raised Manatee's sail and shut down the putt-putt. Sailing in close to the inland side of the island, I was hailed by a lady kayacker who was clambering about on the rocks. Can you sleep on your boat? she asked. "Yes, I did," I yelled back. "It sure is cute!" she said. Perhaps I should have offered her a ride. Perhaps not. And I sailed on toward the mouth of Emerald Bay, leaving behind beautiful Fannette Island, aka Coquette.
RETURN TRIP - THE LATEEN RIG TESTED - As I sailed on toward the mouth of the bay, I was joined by Rob and Mary McClain and Travis Lipscomb in their Mk II P-15s and we joined up for the trip back to Tahoe Keys. This would be my first opportunity to see how the lateen rig performance compared to that of a standard P-15.
It was 4 nmi from Emerald Bay to Tahoe Keys. The wind varied (often) from a broad reach to a close reach, but it was a straight shot with no tacking. I got off to a fast start in the first mile, taking a long lead over the other two boats, but then Rob and Mary got the Mk II working and shortened the distance between us. I was able to hold him off for the remaining three miles to the Tahoe Keys buoy, but he was not far behind - maybe a minute. Travis, who was just getting acquainted with his Potter, was probably 2 or 3 minutes behind Rob. I hadn't noticed some P-19s further back, but Rob wrote that they arrived at the launch ramp right behind Travis, so they must have been flying (probably Jerry Barrilleaux/Dory Taylor and Darrow from IM).
As I had hoped, considering the low aspect ratio and no jib, the lateen seemed definitely faster off the wind, but a well-sailed Mk II would have the edge upwind, I think.
Soon after I arrived home Sunday night I received an e-mail testimonial from Rob McClain:
"You sure had Manatee cooking today. We were quite surprised how fast you were going - I thought we would catch you and you left us in the dust!"
To which I replied:
"I was pretty surprised myself. That was a pretty good test for the rig and the first time I had sailed it with another P-15. I got off to a fast start in the first mile, but then you and Mary got things working and gained on me and I could only hang onto the lead for the next 3 miles. You were on my tail all the way. I expected the rig to be pretty fast off the wind and it is, but I think the standard rig has the edge upwind, also what I expected because of the low aspect ratio and no jib. We sure had a variety of winds today. After years of being tail-end Charlie in my gunter rig, it's nice to at least be competitive (not that we were racing, of course)."
HOW SHE HANDLED - The helm is neutral off the wind; I could release the tiller and it would stay centered. Upwind she has definite weather helm, but not too much. The sheet load is still high in a wind even though I have the 2-1/2 purchase and have moved the gooseneck to the aft end of the normal Sunfish range along the boom to get maximum counterbalance. I'd forgotten to wear gloves, and the sheet slipped out of my hand once, but I caught it before the stop knot went by. I used a vang this time but I couldn't tell that it was having any effect. I have an outhaul on the boom but never found any need to adjust it. I haven't rigged a Cunningham to adjust the luff tension underway, but again I didn't see any need to do so. My dilemma now is that the boat's working so well I'm afraid to change anything!
The forward placed mast seems to produce a downward push on the bow such that she seems to sail on her lines without my having to sit close up against the cabin or carry extra ballast. (Lars also reported this effect on his lateen rig Potter. I think this is a dynamic effect, rather than just the fact that the mast weight is 11 inches further forward. This may account for her speed as much as anything else since it's well established that keeping the lee chine buried has a profound effect on Potter speed. Here's the way I visualize it, but I may be all wet.
--> l
l
l
l
l
l
_______________________l____
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^It seems to me that the further forward the mast the greater tendency for the forward leverage of the mast to bury the bow, all other things being equal.
With the varying wind direction, having only one sail to deal with gave me a little edge, I think, and the sail is easy to read. The forward section of the sail, in front of the mast, would backwind to tell me to harden up or fall off, and the heel would increase to tell me to ease the sheet or head up. So I think I was adjusting quickly to the shifts. Again, I never felt overpowered.
GPS - The trip back to Tahoe Keys was the first time I actually used the GPS for navigation. On the way out of Tahoe Keys, I had "marked a waypoint" at that buoy outside the channel, so on the return trip the GPS gave me a constant readout of the heading to the waypoint and the miles remaining, so I was able to steer almost a beeline course and watch the miles count down. The buoy appeared dead ahead.
At the buoy, I dropped the sail and motored on in to the ramp,as did Rob and Mary. Sandy was watching for me and had the Chinook and trailer in position by the time I had the boat tied to the dock. Derigging, I removed the rudder assembly and found the remaining pintle hitchpin had also escaped. Lesson learned: Use cotter rings instead of hitchpins.
THANKS, GEOFF, for putting together this great Potter event. If that weekend was typical, Lake Tahoe is a great place to sail - strong winds, smooth waters, and magnificent scenery. And all the sailing was on a reach except for entering Emerald Bay. Is it always like that Geoff, or did you arrange it just for us?
Harry Gordon
P-14 #234, Manatee
(Lateen Rigged)
Email