Liveaboard in a West Wight Potter 15

[tdominic_97]

This place has a listing of free boats.

Home - Free Boat - Free-Boat.com

[Adelie]

Composting toilet is out, too big.
Electric skateboard, hiking gear, electric Uke and amp are out though you might find room for a regular Euke.
Electric hot plate is out. Too much power required for amount of food cooked. Get a microwave instead. You won't have the real estate to park enough solar panels on.
Ditch the 5hp, get a 4hp for mothership and the dinghy if you get one. 4hp is the smallest I've found that can mount a battery charger. If you are on the east coast and head to the Caribbean it will be in the ICW and you will motor most of the way to Florida so might as well get some charge off the motor. If you don't want the motor charging then 2-2.5hp is all you need for that size boat.

The reality is that the boat is too small for decent self-sufficiency. If you want to be pretty self-sufficient get a 20-22' boat.

If you want the Potter 15 so you can say you did it that's a "reasonable" thing to aim for.

But it's going to be impossible to have both without cutting out every single extraneous item and activity.

I have a Cal20 so I have been thinking long and hard about the compromises to make the boat as seaworthy and self-sufficient as possible.

[UNCIVILIZED]

By netting I meant bug netting. The kind that keeps out flying blood suckers. And as to backpacking, even with a 25' boat you'll be living much like a backpacker. Which is about the minimum size I'd suggest for this adventure. They're quite cheap, gear for them is chap to free, power is still via an outboard, & you have a little room for spares, tools, & extra food/supplies. Since even on a boat of such size it can be a challenge to find room for a few extra rolls of toilet paper.

[Wotname]

In a nutshell, this is all you need to know...

Originally Posted by Adelie

.......
The reality is that the boat is too small for decent self-sufficiency. If you want to be pretty self-sufficient get a 20-22' boat.

If you want the Potter 15 so you can say you did it that's a "reasonable" thing to aim for.

But it's going to be impossible to have both without cutting out every single extraneous item and activity.

.......

[Steve Bean]

Serge Testa circumnavigated in a 12-foot boat. His book is: 500 Days, Around the World on a 12 Foot Yacht. Displays a great sense of humor - essential, I would think...

[Steve Bean]

You can make your own desiccating head with a 5- gallon bucket.

[Jim Cate]

Sailing a RTW is one thing, trying to live an even vaguely functional life whilst on a boat like the WWP 15 is quite another!

Ivan, you haven't really explained your fixation on the WWP. IMO (and I cruised short term in a Catalina 22 years ago, and that with wife and two kids on board), 15 feet, no matter how cute and with what cult following is too damn small to do what you describe as your goals. Not even close! And living in a jeep is not really analogous, for in the Jeep, escape was only a step through a door. That approach in a boat gets you very wet. Believe me, it is different, and different from backpacking as well.

As others have shown, with your 3K$ budget range, there are legions of more suitable boats around. And even the larger ones in that price range will be marginal for long term living aboard at anchor. The list of equipment that you posted will still be hard to accommodate in a 22-25 foot boat, but it might be doable. The scheme of using electric heat for cooking while at anchor won't play. LPG or alcohol are the only realistic choices. With the amount of solar that is reasonably mounted on such a small boat, even lighting and minimal electronic gadgetry will be taxing the system. Wind generation is kinda unreliable at anchor, especially in a small boat where you will be seeking out protected anchorages (exposed anchorages are uncomfortable and often dangerous for small vessels when the wx goes sour).

I'm not trying to dissuade you from living aboard in a small boat, but trying to put some realistic parameters on the task. Give this, and the other posts some thought and see if your scheme might need some amendment.

Jim

[Fore and Aft]

Have you looked at what Roger Taylor has achieved with his little 20' bilge keel yacht? His website is thesimplesailor.com.
His books are well worth reading, that guy has got big balls that's for sure.
Cheers

[Ivan Tiniakov]

I think you've all convinced me to go bigger.... I was very wrong about the power and toilet aspects...

So, right now I'm thinking of a Catalina 22...I've seen some people live on them before and they seem to be great.

Another thought was the WWP19...if I'm not mistaken, it has a sink and toilet built in?

Thank you and have a nice day,
Ivan Tiniakov

[Adelie]

RANGER 23
CAL 20
COLUMBIA 22
MORGAN 22
CATALINA 22
PEARSON 22
ELECTRA (PEARSON)
SANTANA 22
BAYFIELD 25
CAL 25
TANZER 22

[Island Time O25]

O'Day 25. Can always find one for under $3K, usually around $1K, $2K if with decent sail inventory. Easily trailerable as they are 8' wide and most (90%) of the 3,000 built were swing keels or centerboards. Head room 5'6", lots of storage and nooks and crannies compared to even 22-23' boats. Cockpit seats large enough to sleep on. Makes a great and spacious liveaboard for one. Not to mention that it is a decent sailor to boot.

No, I'm not pitching my old O25 which I still have on my avatar. I sold that one a few years back to 2 happy just out of college kids for all of a whopping $1,500. Still not a bad return considering I got it for free off of Craigslist. Just had to pay a hauler to move her 50 miles as mine was a fixed keel with 5ft draft.

[Pegu Club]

You might as well look for a Bristol 24 corsair.
Quite comfy and has storage, sink, water tank, space for a porta potty, etc, etc. My wife and I sailed a 1975 mod for a few years, you could likely find one for 3 grand on sailboat listings.com.

Good luck, and have fun.

[Tetepare]

If you think of a WWP as a tent, you'll be fine so long as you stay where it's reasonably warm.

We have a 30' boat with all the amenities. During summer, we sleep in it, and that's about it. Headroom isn't really an issue, since we stay out till after dark, and then crawl horizontally into bed. At sunup, it's out to the cockpit, and after that we're outdoors all day.

You don't need a stove, get a grill. A small Coleman cooler is sufficient to keep today's food fresh.

You don't need a dinghy, a WWP is a dinghy. You don't need a motor, you have sails.

You don't need a laptop or wifi or battery. Disconnect, you'll be happier. They make things called "books" which can be readily traded.

You don't need lighting. Go to sleep when it gets dark.

You don't need a skateboard or ukulele.

Fresh food comes from the sea, so you will want a wetsuit, fins, mask, and spear. Learn which non-fish animals and plants are edible and which can kill you.

One anchor, charts, compass, VHF.

PFG lightweight clothing to cover up and a good, brimmed hat. weather gear">Foul weather gear. Fleece- one set. A pair of quick dry shorts/ swim trunks. Who needs underwear? One Hawaiian shirt- sets your personal branding.

Don't cut out any foam, it was designed there for a reason.

People talk about the joys of cruising, primary being shedding all the bonds and "stuff" that binds us. Living on a WWP would take that to heart.

[Drew13440]

Originally Posted by Ivan Tiniakov

I'm in Illinois currently, but planning on buying something near Maryland/East Coast, for I can take a cheap flight out there and take a look at the physical boat before I buy it.

Since there's no penalties for piling on, I will say you are nuts to consider a WWP. You can do better. If you're willing to come to Maryland and scout out the Chessie, there are all kinds of boats that would be a much better choice.

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/boa...291297472.html

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/boa...306787171.html

https://fredericksburg.craigslist.or...305453405.html

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/bod...305073039.html

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/bod...6305073039.htm

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/boa...276318495.html

FWIW, about a month ago, I found an O'Day 28 in pretty good shape on Craigslist for $750 (seven hundred fifty dollars). Someone else got there first, unfortunately, but if you've got time to hunt and you're quick, you can do a lot better than a Potter for you're intended purpose. Best of luck!

[Sailmonkey]

If you put the complete list plus yourself on a 15' potter you will not be sailing anywhere. at the very least, lose the watermaker and the electric cooking.

From what I can gather, the main categories of gear needed are:
-Boat accessories
-sleeping stuff
-cooking stuff
-bathroom stuff
-laundry stuff-----Lose it, buy when you wash clothes
-food/water
-dinghy and accessories-----Lose it, @ 15' your boat is your dinghy
-emergency gear
-recreation gear
-electrical stuff (solar panels/batteries/etc)-----this will be more minimal than you think
-sailing stuff (anchor/line/sails)
-clothes/shoes
-tools

Within those categories, is everything that might possibly be needed covered? If not, I'd love input on what I'm missing.

Assuming I covered all the categories, my gear list (currently) is as follows:

West Wight Potter 15
-5hp outboard
-canopy

sleeping
-summer/winter sleeping bag
-sleeping pad
-pillow

cooking
-single burner electric hot plate-----Lose it, you can't reasonably support the power requirement for this on a 15' boat. Better bet is a single burner camp stove
-pot
-pan
-aeropress
-cutting board
-measuring cup/spoons
-thermometer
-plate
-bowl
-2 sets utensils
-spatula
-whisk
-knife set
-aluminum foil

bathroom
-compost toilet
-toiletries and products

washing
-bucket with detergent

food/water
-12 volt refrigerator-----Lose it, you can not support the electrical demands long term on a 15' boat (rare exceptions)
-electric freshwater sink-----Lose it, use hand of foot pumps to conserve water and electricity
-15 gallon water jug
-watermaker-----Lose it, you cannot support this electrically nor will it be useful in the ICW

dinghy
you don't need a dinghy with a 15' boat

emergency
-full med kit
-locator beacon
-multiple radios/gps
-PFD

recreation
-snorkel gear
-fishing gear
-hiking gear

electrical
-solar panels These will take up more room than you think. again, you've only got 15' to work with and most of the deck space is used for sailing.
-battery bank for appliances
-WiFi hotspot
-Tablet with navigation
-fan
-led lights
-laptop

sailing stuff
-storm sails you wont need storm sails if you can reef the main and jib....again its' a 15' boat.
-sail covers
-backup sails you wont' have the storage room or payload capacity for this
-patch kit
-anchor
-backup anchor again, you're running out of room and payload
-backup rope
-charts
-compass

clothes
-a week's worth of normal clothes
-lots of swimsuits
-cold weather gear
-rain gear
-hiking boots
-running shoes
-water shoes
-boat shoes

Tools
-small toolbox
-all tools possibly needed for boat repairs

Workspace
-foldout table/companionway door

Other
-electric skateboard
-logbooks
-electric ukulele with amp
-backups of essential stuff (compass, charts, etc)
-small library