I designed the Paper Jet with a building procedure in mind, but soon learned it couldn’t be done and had to backtrack and find another way. I had other backtracks too, but eventually had my boat complete. The backtracking probably added 25 hours to my building time, but I was doing something nobody had done before. I had lessons to learn that could only come from building the prototype, so that I could write building instructions to enable others to build without making those same mistakes.
If I were scared of making mistakes I wouldn’t try new things. I designed and built the first radius chine plywood boat, my own Black Cat, and made mistakes along the way, but was able to recover and move on.
I shrugged off criticisms from the skeptics about the wisdom of my project and its chances of success. The skeptics were of no consequence unless I allowed them to be. They were generally people who had never built anything significant themselves. Typically people who get pleasure from someone else making a mistake don’t achieve much themselves. Disregard those negative people.
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POTTER WITH A LATEEN RIG?
Our editor-at-large Larry Brown is 75 now…an increasingly ancient mariner. He’s sailed various Potters since the early 1990s.
Vintage Lightning
Reborn as a Camp-Cruiser
The Joy of it All
Choosing a Boat Design
OPENING DAY
Sitting hove-to in 30 knots of wind was not how I anticipated spending my opening day.
RECONSIDERING ROSIE'S RIG
It was a typical hot Mississippi day when I walked into the Ocean Springs Yacht Club to cool off. I had just spent two hours bent in half while working inside the cabin of my West Wight Potter 15. I was stiff and drenched in sweat but feeling proud of myself. I had just turned Rosie into a lateen-rigged catboat.
SHALLOW DRAFT
When we were kids, we had a cocker spaniel aboard during summer cruises. The dog apparently had a massive bladder, but we kids were happy to row her ashore when nature called. We thought boating with a pet was terrific…but did our folks have a voice in the matter?
TECH BIGHTS
Some fiberglass boats, like Boston Whaler skiffs and MacGregor power-sailers, are built with integral flotation foam between the inner and outer laminations. Roger MacGregor was willing to flood his water-ballasted boats just to prove that they would not sink—and you can still find his old sales videos if you want to see for yourself. (youtube.com/ watch?v=hemNdJmzQBo)
MAKING THE SWITCH
Following are some methods for adding a Lateen rig to a Potter 15. Most of the photos are of my boat, but some clever ideas from others are included as well.
FIVE QUESTIONS: Richard Woods
Sailing experience with Richard Woods
Core Sound Cruising
Hmmm. I’m in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a nifty camp-cruiser sailboat on a trailer. I have a daughter on a sailing lake in Michigan, and another daughter on Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
ONE DOUBLE-OUGHT SIX
The mighty Smith & Wesson 1006 in 10mm.
CUSTOM IS AS CUSTOM DOES
One-of-a-kind never goes out of style.
Springfield's Ronin 1911
10mm Auto Handgun Loads
PICK YOUR PISTOL
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE SELECTING A HANDGUN
Swift A-Frame Revolver and Pistol Bullets
Expand Like Crazy and Drive Deep
Corsair K100
Reimagining a champion
GLOCK G40 GEN4 MOS 10MM AUTO
FROM THE HIP
TWO-CALIBER CONFIDENCE
RUGER’S BLACKHAWK CONVERTIBLE PROVIDES STEADY PERFORMANCE IN THE TOUGHEST CIRCUMSTANCES
POCKET PROTECTORS
WHY CARRY A MICRO- COMPACT PISTOL? BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU THE MOST CONCEALED CARRY OPTIONS
First Tactical's Triple Threat
DURABLE, FUNCTIONAL, INNOVATIVE AND GREAT TACTICAL GEAR VALUES