Freeboard Considerations... Pocket Cruiser Choices...

[SHays]

Question: Is it true that the less freeboard you have, the greater your capability for windward performance, and the more freeboard you have, a lessened windward performance?

This is an important consideration for me currently, as I am considering which pocket cruiser to purchase... A Potter 19, or a Compac 19-23.

About freeboard... which Boat is "wetter" in the cockpit? boats with less freeboard but better shape? or boats with higher freeboard - in other words, is it possible to have lower freeboard yet remain dry in fairly normal conditions in the cockpit due to hull shape?

I am trying to understand the trade-offs...

I understand the Potters are easy to pop in and pop out, yet I really like the lines of the compacs as far as pocket cruisers go... I am in a phase of pop in and pop out sailing... I am wondering if I could make the compac work for me... I understand they are not "as" beachable as the potters, yet both boats seem to perform about the same in light airs. However, I have read that the potters outperform the compacs in speed under load at 700lbs. At any rate, the speed is not as critical as a dry cockpit for my little sailing partners... Also, I need to trailer the boat regularly to many locations for weekend sailing... yet be able to sail Galveston Bay with short jaunts into the Gulf, and Sabine Lake as well as the Neches River in Southeast Texas.

I am gearing up for a purchase... any thought would be greatly appreciated from those of you who have knowledge and experience with these boats.

All Best, Sailinet friends

Steven

[JohnRPollard]

Personally, I wouldn't fret too much about the difference in freeboard between these two designs. There are many other variables that affect windward performance, as well as how wet/dry the boat is. Look at the package as a whole and consider which one best fits your needs, particularly considering the trailer sailing you'll be doing with family aboard.

Also, have you looked at any of the Montgomery boats? And, Chesapeake Light Craft's new "Pocketship"?

Chesapeake Light Craft » Catalog » PocketShip » Boats Plans Kits Kayaks Canoes Sailboats Rowing Boats Boatbuilding Supplies Accessories

Good luck. Buying a boat is exciting. Enjoy the process!

[SHays]

I have not seen those other crafts you mentioned... I will certainly look into them and many thanks for your kind reply.

steven

[eMKay]

I look at freeboard like this, the higher the freeboard, the more comfortable the boat. Keeping dry is not an issue really unless you are sailing in rough conditions. I have an O'day 192 with a very high freeboard and it does not point well, but that's mostly due to the wire luff roller furling, and old blown out main (Both being replaced for next year). I had a Siren 17 that had low freeboard and didn't point well either for the same reasons. I value comfort over performance and this boat is a lot more comfortable than my Siren was. It is not a good trailer sailer though, nor is it beachable.

A Potter 19 is an excellent choice if you want a comfortable and beachable trailer sailer. Com-Pac's do not make good trailer sailers because of their stub keels (like my 192) But I keep it in a slip, I only lasted one year trailer sailing and that was in one of the easiest boats to do it in (Siren 17) It was just too much of a pain.

Are you purchasing new?

[Allanbc]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

Personally, I wouldn't fret too much about the difference in freeboard between these two designs. There are many other variables that affect windward performance, as well as how wet/dry the boat is. Look at the package as a whole and consider which one best fits your needs, particularly considering the trailer sailing you'll be doing with family aboard.

Also, have you looked at any of the Montgomery boats? And, Chesapeake Light Craft's new "Pocketship"?

Chesapeake Light Craft » Catalog » PocketShip » Boats Plans Kits Kayaks Canoes Sailboats Rowing Boats Boatbuilding Supplies Accessories

Good luck. Buying a boat is exciting. Enjoy the process!

I'll second the Montgomery suggestion. I had a Montgomery 17 for a short time and it was a wonderful boat. It was very dry and sailed quite well in light or strong winds. It was easy to get on and off the trailer. The boat is designed to take more than I would want to do in that boat!

[MikeAR]

SHays,
Excellent post - I think you've read my mind. I love the Potters, Precision and a few others. We aren't ready to buy quite yet, but we're weighing options - alot. Part of it for us is locale... the boats I like the best, don't seem available often, in our area (they call it the Mid-South), so I like seeing these other options, too.
Arkansas has a bunch of wonderful lakes for sailing. I want to find something that is trailerable, decent sailing, and a comfortable sleepovers.
Thanks for being here gang!

[SHays]

Mike and Mike, thanks so much for your response and thoughts... I am looking for a used as opposed to a new boat... One huge blessing is: I have wonderful helpers with doing trailer launching, but I did find our macgregor 26s to be a little difficult for launch and recovery, requiring a team effort and prior planning to bring everyone's schedules together ... Trailer sailing is a temptation I can't resist in this area... we have so many fresh water lakes close by in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana... not to mention two wonderful bays in the Sabine "Lake" and Galveston Bay - and finally short jaunts into the Gulf of Mexico on what we call "candy days." I live fairly close to the Port Neches River which feeds into the Sabine Lake and the Gulf of Mexico - the river offering nice, wide-river sailing possibilities down to the lake and Gulf. Candy days means: a little wind and light swell. A lifetime could be spent "gunkholing" in this area. I will be looking into the other various trailer sailers but can't seem to escape the Potter 19 as the most viable choice for cost, versatility, etc. I am happy to hear improvements can be made to improve a boat's ability to point.

The particular MacGregor I had would not point well when the wind got over 18knots or so... This is why I am making a careful choice this time for a trailer sailer... Now, my Bucanneer 18 is a great daysailer, and I can't part with it. However, we miss staying on the water overnight... One night I took the Mac26 with my family to lake Sam Rayburn in Texas... It was clear and cool and the stars were out... We launched after dark, and anchored out in a cove. The kids listened to water noises until midnight and we just giggled and had a hoot of a family time, then we slept late. When we finally woke... Two fishermen were looking at us like, "where in the sam hill did a sailboat come from and what is it doing here...?" That, my friends is the beauty of a swing keel trailerable craft. I suppose I am looking for a smaller overnighter with better responsiveness, trailerability (launching/retrieving) and performance than my previous boat.

I appreciate the thoughts and responses thus far. I have some other boats to consider, but the Potter 19 keeps coming to mind. (I am trying to adjust to the aesthetic of the boat, and have this feeling I haven't exhausted all the possibilities of trailer sailing for cost effeciency, performance, aesthetic appeal... you know the endless quest for the perfect pocket-cruiser boat.)

[SailorPam]

My husband and I also considered the Potter 19. However one of the drawbacks for us was that it appeared the centerboard when pulled up kind of disects the cabin. None of the other retractable keel/board boats we were considering did that, although some had more obtrusive trunks in them than others. We ended up with a Catalina 25 which serves us very well. It's definately not a simple launch/retreival for a weekend though. We launch our swing keel in the spring and pull it out in the fall. But I will second the comments about the Montgomery. A very nice boat and moves right out. My friends had one that seemed stoutly built. Another boat to consider is the Aquarius 23 if you can find any in your area. Alot of living space for the size, dry, and a good trailer boat.

[SHays]

Thanks Pam: I hadn't heard about the Aquarius... and I do love the lines of the Montgomery17 - The Montgomerys seem to have a little more cockpit space...and less below for sleeping, but in our area, you can sleep out on most nites... we have many "indian summer" moments in the winter here in texas... thanks for your thoughts.