by K Albury

Although I have been cruising on the Thames between Marlow and Wallingford for the last two seasons it was not until the weekend of June 22nd that I met up with a fellow D.C.A. member. Mr. Ian McCreery and another member came along as I was getting ready to launch my West Wight Potter, and introduced themselves to me; they had seen the D.C.A. burgee at my mast head. I can recommend the launching slip at Hurley: it is concrete with an iron ring embedded in the centre of the slip, so that a trailer and boat can be easily controlled in and out of the water. I use a three part tackle and I launch and recover my 14ft G.R.P. West Wight Potter single handed, together with the willing horse power of my Austin A4O car which is adequate for towing. The launching site is R37 in the Light Craft Getting Afloat.

The Potter draws 7” with the 65 lb. centreplate up, and 3 ft. with it fully down. The boat is very stable and, being G.R.P., requires little maintenance. It has two full length bunks, and I have large lockers under the bunks. It is a gunter rigged boat, and the mast is hinged above the cabin top for easy lowering; I have a snap shackle at the forestay. The sail area is modest, the jib being 20 sq. ft. and the main 52 sq. ft.; nevertheless, the boat performs well. When single handed I often use only the mainsail, and the boat will tack and come about without any trouble at all. The mainsail has one row of reefing points. For a small cabin boat the cockpit is roomy and at the aft end is a very large locker, in which I carry two one-gallon cans of petrol, the toilet bucket, as well as spare rope, rond anchors etc. There is also room in the locker to stow the Seagull Century longshaft motor, although this normally stays tilted on its permanent bracket on the transom. My boat has a tent cover for the cockpit, the boom is fitted to a slide on the mast so it can be raised to give added height to the tent cover. I have dispensed with boom crutches, and instead have made gallows which fit right against the transom and spread the rear of the tent out.

On the foredeck I have fitted a stowage for the 10 lb. plough anchor and its 2 fathoms of chain, and length of cable. This is simply a 7” x 8” open frame, screwed to the deck from underneath. However, if I cruise solo I have the anchor in the cockpit, so I can lower it and recover without going forward. This is arranged as follows: the anchor cable is attached to the Samson post then led forward through the fairleads, then back outside the shrouds to the cockpit where it joins the chain. Also at this point I have a coil of rope equal in length to the distance from the cockpit to the end of the cable at the chain when the anchor is down and out to the full run of the cable. The boat rides at anchor with the cable and chain running straight out from the bows as normal, but I can pull it in from the cockpit.

I also have warps running aft from the samson post to the cockpit outside the shrouds so that I can get ashore to port or starboard with a warp in my hand. Everything is arranged for easy solo sailing, without getting out of the cockpit. This includes a downhaul for the jib, led aft along the cabin top. Halyards lead aft to cleats on the top of the cabin.

The cabin was completely lined with plastic quilting last winter, stuck on to the G.R.P. cabin walls with Evo-stick. This has overcome the problem of condensation and given a luxury appearance to the interior!

I cook on a two burner calor gas cooker (the “Pandora”, which folds up — it is excellent), the gas bottle stows alongside the centreplate case, as do the two two-gallon water containers when under way. This weight makes the boat very stiff when sailing. Cooking utensils, crockery, stores under the port bunk. Clothes etc. under the starboard bunk in plastic bags. Sleeping bags and blankets roll up and stow forward in the daytime. There is sitting headroom at the rear of the cabin, and a neat little panel to lock it all up. My most recent addition is the fitting of a topping lift, which has proved to be a great help.

Although I have spoken about solo sailing, my wife usually accompanies me, and sometimes my nineteen year old daughter. On these occasions, the ladies have the cabin and I sleep comfortably on the cockpit benches with a li-lo. The three of us spent a delightful week on the Thames last summer, sailing up to Wallingford from Hurley and back. We also had a week on the Norfolk Broads.

Perhaps more members will try the Thames. From the membership list there are many who live in the Thames Valley or close by. I live at Watford, and it takes me an hour to trail my boat from home to Hurley. I have been afloat in just over an hour and a half after closing my front door! The Thames is delightful — why the long, tedious drive to the coast with the waiting on the tides. Thames sailing is interesting — come and try it!

K Albury 79 Greenfield Avenue Carpendero Park Watford, Herts.