This is the original WW Potter, the 14 which is just under 15'. I have it on good authority that the WW Potter sail boat known as the 14 and 15 are the same! Potter put the motor mount you see on the rear and renamed it the 15. So, while this is titled as a 1970 West Wight Potter 14, it could be considered a 15 ... whatever floats your boat. This is the original design with a spruce mast, teak and mahogany trim.
This is a 100% rebuilt boat from the fiberglass hull up. I actually took it completely apart down to removing the stringers laminated to the hull. I even cut out the keel box. I then sanded the interior to check the integrity of the hull and it was fine so I purchased about a dozen sheets of mahogany and started building. First, I cut new flooring laminates and affixed them with waterproof glue. Once they were in place I fiberglassed them in. Next, I rebuilt the keel box that is, essentially, the heart of the boat. The ribs and keel box were all constructed with double laminated mahogany. I took the inferior sides of the mahogany and glued them together with PVC glue so the quaility mahogany faces are on both sides of the laminate, then glassed them to the hull. The keel box was glassed in with three layers of glass and resin on top and two layers below. All gaps were filled with short strand glass filler, sanded smooth and then topped with resin and glass.
After the interior was completed and painted I refastened the deck with aluminum rivets in the same holes from which they were removed. Next, the hull and deck were completely sanded, I fired up my compressor and hooked it to my paint gun with a gloss white that matched the original hull color. Next came the blue accent. After the hull was completed I sanded down all of the original teak pieces and rebuilt the rudder. The original rudder was just laminated mahogany so I sanded it smooth and slightly thinner, then glassed it and covered it with two layers of resin, sanding in between coats.
After everything was sanded I gave two or three coats of varnish with a 220 sanding in between coats. This included the mast and boom. By the way, the boom is a replacement for the original along with the sailing hardware. This is far superior to the original 14 design. I also replaced the original windows with lexan. Lexan is something like 200 time stronger than glass and very light so it will last until the next rebuild 30 years from now. It was installed with waterproof glue and then caulked for aesthetics.
I almost forgot about the trailer. It is a tilting trailer so loading is a snap. I completely sandblasted the trailer and painted it a metallic blue. The axles and wheels were taken apart and sandblasted, then regreased and mounted with new wheels and tires. The winch on the front is new as are all of the rollers.
Basically, this is a complete rebuild on the classic Potter so should give the new owner years of enjoyment ... not to metion pride with somebody asks .... 'It's 35 years old?!?' Why am I selling it? Well, after a couple of hundred hours not to mention hundreds in glass, hundreds in mahogany, paint, all new stainless screws, nuts, bolts ... you get the picture ... I simply have been rebitten by the boatbuilding bug and want a larger project. My first boat was an 18' mercury sailboat that I rebuilt from scratch when I was 14. Next, I worked on a 65' schooner as a sea scout. My father was a pilot in Panama and I was always working on his sail or motorboats. In short, I need to sell the Potter to step up to my next project that hopefully will be large enough to take my girlfriend and two boys into some weather and deep water. Cheers.
Hello,
I forgot I posted on sailing Texas. I sold the boat through my local Craigslist aout two or three months ago.
Thank you, Greg
Everett, Washington
