Ah Tiller the Fun

Dave Bacon's Tricked-Out Potter 15

by Dick Herman with photos from Don Person

The name says it all, Ah Tiller the Fun. At first glance, it looks like another brand-new West Wight Potter 15 fresh from the factory, and the laid-back skipper, Dave Bacon, is used to hearing, “What a cute little boat.” But something happens when Dave casts off. The mild-mannered and friendly retired schoolteacher grows fangs that drag on the cockpit sole, and Ah Tiller the Fun changes from a pretty little filly into a devilishly fast thoroughbred.

Dave smiles when asked how he does it, and he starts talking about his boat. Most folks are surprised to learn that the Potter is five-years old, and was totally rebuilt after a fire in November 2005. He gives credit to International Marine, the makers of the Potter, for their support in making it happen; however, there is much more to the discerning eye. Ah Tiller the Fun is not just another fifteen-foot microcruiser, but a complex and beautifully detailed machine. More about that in a moment.

Without doubt, Dave is a unique skipper. He first wanted to sail when he was seven. The native San Franciscan’s love affair began when he sailed sailed model boats at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Starting with an El Toro at age thirteen, he has owned ten sailboats including a thirty-two foot schooner. He has lived on boats, sailed single-handed down to the Sea of Cortez, and crewed on a variety of larger boats for weekend racing. He is a natural teacher, and taught at the middle school level in Pacifica, California. Before settling down in physical education, he taught wood shop, electric shop, and even macrame. The skills he taught so well paid dividends when he turned his full attention to Ah Tiller the Fun.

Dave’s first nine boats were wooden, but he likes to think outside the box and turned his attention to fiberglass after meeting a bunch of Potter sailors. He purchased a Potter without sailing one because he knew it was an “okay” sailer. He quickly discovered it was much better than that and soon asked the big question, how fast can a Potter go? He’s still working on the answer as many skippers have discovered.

There’s an old adage about aircraft that “If it looks right, it is right.” It also applies to sailboats, and if that is the measure, Ah Tiller the Fun sets the standard. Under sail, she simply looks good and moves smartly through the water. Dave is very wind-aware and surges ahead with every puff. When the wind kicks up, he is up on the rail with a foot in the hiking strap. He constantly trims the sails to the wind and can reef in a heartbeat, all thanks to the way he has rigged the boat.

Years of racing experience are evident even in the way he has rigged the jib sheets. The unique quick-release at the clew allows an easy change of headsails, and, thanks to the barber hauler, the sheet angle can be adjusted all the way from the chain plate to the cam cleat on top of the cabin. The port jib sheet is easily accessible for single-handing along with the jib downhaul. The same concern with tuning is evident on the starboard side of the cabin where the main halyard, cunningham, barber hauler, and jib sheet are equally accessible.

The attention to detail is evident in the Potter’s exquisite wood and brightwork. The homemade rudder is a thing of beauty that inspires an instant lust in other skippers. The three hatch boards are in natural teak, and are stowed on the aft edge of the portside bunk. As he sails on San Francisco Bay, the hatch boards are always in place, sealing the cabin and turning the Potter into the proverbial cork. Dave has cruised San Francisco Bay and the Delta, the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands, and Desolation Sound in Ah Tiller the Fun.

He built a unique galley cabinet that fits next to the transom. He also sculpted a sculling oar that stows in the cabin for fast access, and designed an oarlock for the top of the boarding ladder. A rope loop with wooden parrel beads decorates the end of the boom. Not only does it add a colorful touch, it keeps the clew on the boom when the outhaul is eased for draft adjustments.

Inside the cabin, the storage problem was solved by designing zipper bags to fit next to the hull. Forward on the portside is a half model of Ah Tiller the Fun that Dave created. No matter where you look, the same artistic craftsmanship is evident, from the fit and finish of every detail to the neat lettering on the hull proclaiming this is Ah Tiller the Fun.

As to the big question “How fast can a Potter go?” Well, if you ask Dave, he’ll crack a knowing smile and say, “There’s still more speed in the boat.” Indeed there is. •SCA•

First appeared in issue #62

To read and article on performance by Dave Bacon, click here.