The cockpit of the West Wight Potter is more than five feet long and it may be possible, as the manufacturer claims, to cram four people in the space but it’s not very practical to expect to sail the boat with a crew of four. She accommodates two adults comfortably and perhaps a child in a pinch. The cabin top extends nearly to the hull sides so access forward of the cockpit is over the cabin. Typically there are no lifelines for safety but most models do have handrails on the cabin top.

As you would expect, the cabin accommodations of a boat this size are minimal. There is no galley but there are two six-foot-six-inch berths and two adults can sleep in reasonable comfort. The cabin sole to deckhead height, at the aft end of the cabin, is less than four feet and there is sitting headroom over the bunks. There is space to add a porta-potti but certainly no privacy for its use. There is reasonable storage space under berths. Many Potter Yachters have made the most of the accommodations available by adding canvas tents over the cockpit for extended cruising. In addition to Smith’s Isle of Wight-to-Sweden trip, other notable passages by Potter Yachters include a single-handed crossing from California to Hawaii and a navigation of the complete length of the Mississippi River.

Auxiliary power is not a standard feature although a transom-mounted outboard motor bracket is an available option and most Potters are powered by two- to four-horsepower outboard motors. Engines this size do not have alternators for charging a battery and if you plan to do any nighttime boating you’ll need navigation lights, a small 12v battery and a small solar panel charger to keep the battery up. Larger outboard motors are impractical and add too much weight.

The sail plan of the original Potter 14 was a Gunter-style, however by 1975, it had been modified to a Bermuda rig. The total sail area of both these plans was 72 square feet. By 1980, the mainsail roach had been increased, a full-length top batten added to the mainsail and the jib size increased slightly for a new sail area of 87 square feet. The sail area-displacement ratios of the two models are 17.4 or 22.9 respectively. These numbers would suggest moderate to exhilarating performance if this were a normal cruising boat, but in a boat this size where the weight of crew and gear can nearly double the weight of the boat, the numbers don’t accurately reflect performance. Adding 400 pounds for a normal compliment of crew and gear reduces the sail area-displacement ratios to 12 and 15.2 respectively and more accurately reflects performance. As the numbers suggest better performance can be expected with the larger sail plan, particularly in light air. When conditions are right, the West Wight Potter will sail along quite comfortably at 4.5 to 5 knots and it is hard to find a dryer ride on any boat in this size.
In all, more than 4,000 West Wight Potters have been built, but used offerings can be difficult to find. They remain popular and have a loyal following; boats are often sold by word-of-mouth before ever being advertised. Prices range from under $2,000 to over $6,000 and usually include boat, sails, motor and trailer. New boats can be ordered from International Marine at a base price of $5,995.

The West Wight Potter can be trailered behind even a small compact car, launched and rigged in a half-hour, it can sail or motor into the most beautiful and remote gunkholes the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, it can sleep two adults in reasonable comfort and its affordable. What’s not to like about this boat?