This is the socket for the tiller pilot and evidence of some careless workmanship. The cleat had to be cut back a little to allow room for the tillerpilot .
This is the Raymarine tiller pilot. I love this thing. The Polyplanar speaker does not seem to affect it and it works like a charm.
This shows the folding hatch/table, the speakers are on hinges and fold back. The Navman fishfinder has a voltmeter function. Above and back is the stereo and satellite radio holder. The small Ritchie compass is not a true high heel angle sailboat compass but the low heel angle of the Potter allows it's use just fine.
This shows the anchor setup. This has worked very well. I thought I might get wear on the cabin sides from the line but there is none yet. To bring in the anchor I uncleat and haul in. I then recleat and wind up the loose line via the stern mounted reel. Being able to set the anchor without leaving the cockpit is much safer than crawling forward.
The wood davit board is old mahogany left over from the sailboat my father built fifty years ago. Where it meets the deck it's built up with West Marine epoxy and filler.
The lack of chain has not been too much of a problem. It held one night of 30 knot winds in sand bottom. Setting takes a smidge longer but you just allow for it.
One word. Goop. It's holding the breaker panel and nearly all the other boards to the bulkhead. Great stuff. The stereo is a regular car one. It's well protected where it is. The battery is mounted on a plywood board 5200'd at the forwardmost point on the cabin floor. I heard forward weight in this boat is a good idea. It seems so. The cushions are pushed and fold up a bit at the front but it's not bad and headroom for sleeping is still good.
I added a board to the hatch to repair and strengthen it. The three parts makes an in place table and is easier to store. The lighter socket allows easy charging of the battery. The latch is a little sharper edged than I would like.
This shows the cooler/storage box, the anchor line reel and tiller pilot. The cushion is nice cheap camping pad adhered along the edges with Goop . I had thicker expensive cushions but it seemed I sat too high on them. This seems like the right thickness to me. They stay in place and are unobtrusive but they will dent and tear if things like the rudder are put roughly on them. The anchor line is captive by the cleat.
Keeping the rudder in place saves time trailering and keeps the cockpit in better shape. The PO made the mast crutch. I added the tubing clamps to the rudder. The shockcord to the rudder pullup hinge takes weight off of the pintles etc. I should probably double up on the shockcords for insurance.
The Ronstan rf5 's have been a really nice addition. The mast ends at the edge of the picture frame and they could probably have been mounted even lower. The shockcord is one of those that have hooks for rails. Makes for faster trailering. I'm not sure if the anchor to line connection is best but it works and so far I see no wear on the line.
This shows the "Gooped" on toilet flanges and coupling that hold the extension cord reel from "HD" ,that serves as an anchor line reel that makes things much easier with regards to dealing with the anchor line. The tillerpilot bracket was bent in a vise to level the pilot out and the tiller is raised a bit to better clear the bimini.
I've tried various homemade tiller extensions (kinda loose) and longer tillers. I'm almost ashamed to say but 90% of the time the tiller pilot steers for me so the short tiller is nice. However it is not nice to use manually when alone and I should probably get a commercially made tiller extension .
Jumbo Shrimp on Fire Island, the wilderness section, in spring, before the skeeters.
This is the current setup. One can see the lazy jack/topping lift combo, captive on the boom. To the right of the downhaul cleat is a jam cleat for tensioning the lazyjacklift. The orginal slot opening was closed up and a new one created below boom level. Just above the downhaul cleat is the mast slot opening with a strip of springy steel, screwed in place, acting as a gate for the sail slugs. To remove the slugs the spring/gate is pushed in with a finger. Installing is simply a matter of pushing the slugs in. The gate holds them in place. Between the lazy jack/toplift combo and the one way slug gate, dropping sail is a breeze. See next pic for a look up the mast at the lazyjacklift.
The lazy jack/topping lift.
