MacGregorSailors.com

Hey Paul. It's a beauty; so exactly what is your potterer? How old? Aussie brand? Is that an FRP hull?

- Brian.

Hey Brian,
A Mallard - Probably the only one in Australia. She is a "modern antique". ( built in the 90s not finished as the builder died from the rust - finished 2006) She was designed by well known British naval arcitect (Andrew Wolstenholme) The Boatman magazine (UK) in the 90s asked him to design a modern version of the Swallow from the famous Arthur Ransome childrens books Swallows and Amazons. This is what he came up with (has a centreboard unlike the original Swallow) She is built the modern clinker/lapstrake way i.e glued clinker ply. otherwise mahogany thwarts, transom etc and Oregan mast, boom and yard. Has two sail rigs, the gunter cat as per the photos, or move the mast back to the forward thwart to gunter sloop rig her.
She is a joy to sail

http://www.boatbuildingacademy.com/mall ... rancis.htm
Um, sorry for going off topic here...

The Potterer looks great. It reminds me of an article I just read in this month's Sailing magazine. A smaller (and more ghetto) boat called a Puddle Duck can be made for as low as $100 out of 3 sheets of plywood, a tarp for a sail and hardware store parts. It can be made in two weekends in the garage! http://www.pdracer.com has info and free plans. Might satisfy the sailing urge until $ comes up for a Mac I am actually thinking it might be a good trainer for my daughter as well as a dinghy.

rob

Hey Paul –

A functional piece of art you have there. A beautiful finish on the hull. The gaff rig reminds me of a sail my late father made for a birch bark canoe when I was a kid. Even had a similar pair of parallel strakes, or keels, really (although larger than what I can see on your Mallard) that clamped on the bottom.

The sail and rigging is long gone, but I still have that birch bark canoe (built in the '40's). Let me think... hmmm... NOT for sale!

Funny you happened to use the term “potterer”, because there is a brand of trailer-sailor on this continent called a “Potter”, (still made today, I believe) that doesn’t look anything like the Mallard.

- Brian.

Thanks for the positive comments about my dinghy, yes, my Mallard is actually called "Davilia" but I do like to potter about the place. Actually I had some thinking to do today so went and pottered around in her for 2 hours this afternoon
You should restore that Canoe to its former glory, get a new gaff or gunter sail made etc. It would be even more a treasure for you if restored to how you father had it. I'm hoping my boy (or daughter) will treasure the Davilia one day....

I think you are referring to the West Wight potter. , yes there is at least one dealer importing them here. They were originally designed and built by Stanly Smith on the Isle of Wight in the UK in the 60s as a boat for just "Pottering around" in the hairy conditions that area can throw up. The American Herb Stewart converted the design to fibreglass (they were plywood) keeping the shape and sailplan and the rest as they say, is history. They have been made in the US in a few different sizes for the past 30 or 40 years - still a lovely little boat and very well respected considering its a trailer sailer.


http://www.bluereefyachts.com.au/potter19.htm

trumpetguy wrote:I am the former owner of a 26M, blue hull, with a 70HP Suzuki 4 stroke that I dearly loved. I could solo sail with no problems and Pensacola Bay provided a terrific year round sailing environment. Problem was my four grand kids did not like the "slow" boat. So to placate everyone I sold my M and bought a 25' Edgewater with a 225 Yamaha. Nice boat, but it is transportation...not an experience. Plus at 2 MPG a short trip to the beach cost about $30.00 Well you might have guessed...all the kids are older, involved in sports with little time for boating. So here I am at 65 with a boat I don't enjoy sitting in the driveway. Had I thought this through I would have kept the Mac and just told them to enjoy the day. The 70 Suzi moved us out pretty good. Just would not plane with a full load.

Don't get me wrong. I love my grand kids and they bring much joy to me. I just really miss sailing.

Moral...things change...life is short.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll always have something to sail in until I just can't do it anymore. And you can always get something small for yourself just to get on the water. It'd be a shame to throw away all your sailing experience.

Regretting the sale of a cherished possession doesn't just apply to boats, either... many of you know I also collect and restore antique/vintage cars, and I regret selling several in particular:

1954 Swallow Doretti (a Triumph TR-2 with a special aluminum body - Donald Healey grossly copied the design for his Austin Healey 100-4 car)
1957 Turner 950S (950cc of BMC A-series fun packed into something that looked like a Shelby Cobra that got left in the dryer too long)
1967 Sunbeam Tiger (black with red interior, with a Ford 302 V8 & Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed)
1965 Chevelle Malibu convertible (red with white interior, 283 V8 & 3 speed w/Overdrive - very rare kit indeed)

... but there are a memorable two I've not regretted selling in the least....

1972 Ford Pinto "Squire" (wood-sided station wagon)
1970 Austin Marina (should have dropped a piano on it)

kmclemore wrote: 1972 Ford Pinto "Squire" (wood-sided station wagon)
1970 Austin Marina (should have dropped a piano on it)

Didn't the US Navy use the ford pintos as emergency flares

kmclemore wrote: 1954 Swallow Doretti (a Triumph TR-2 with a special aluminum body - Donald Healey grossly copied the design for his Austin Healey 100-4 car)

Wow--that would be a keeper. Fortunately I'm on my first boat, so I haven't had a chance to get rid of anything yet. However, I miss two four wheel contraptions:

1959 BMW 700 Coupe

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/upl ... ce_Car.jpg

1958 Austin Healy Sprite

http://allcarcentral.com/pix-Austin_Hea ... E_0323.jpg

But my car collecting days are slowing down as I nurse just a Datsun 240Z and a Toyota FJ55.

On the two wheel front, I traded away two bikes that I sorely regret. Fortunately they are both common enough that I plan to remedy the mistake over the next few years.

2004 Ktm 950 Adventure:

http://xy.cx/pics/bikes/950_bcd.jpg

and

2005 Triumph Speed Triple:

http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/8 ... _view0.jpg

on the don't do it side, never (ever) get one of these:

http://xy.cx/pics/bikes/sxv550.jpg

But I am collector by habit. I just started into sailboats, and I suspect that if there was more water near me, I'd have three boats in a couple of years from now.

Geof

1970 Austin Marina (should have dropped a piano on it)

What kind of piano? A Lucas, no doubt?