VOYAGER 20 International Marine’S New 20-Footer Was Born with West Wight Potter DNA
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BOAT REVIEW: VOYAGER 20 International Marine’s new 20-footer was born with West Wight Potter DNA t took the American automobile in- Idustry only a little more than its initial 20 years of existence to satisfy virtually all demand for its products; evidently everyone who wanted a car had one. Company execs, with an eye on the bot- tom line, knew it wouldn’t do to have production lines sitting idle and new cars languishing in showrooms. Something had to be done. The answer lay in a concept introduced by then vice president of General Motors, Alfred P. Sloan. The idea was to convince car owners that they needed to buy a re- placement. This idea—said to have been borrowed from the bicycle industry— was called planned obsolescence. If you can’t artificially limit a product’s useful life, you can at least make sure it becomes unfashionable. International Marine—builders of the the Voyager 20 very literally borrows the prototype hull and deck plug.” West Wight Potter line of sailboats— from the smaller Potter 19. I.M. has already sold eight of the new have never been very adept at planned “The Voyager hull is essentially the boats and Lange is thrilled with the de- obsolescence. Instead of offering a “new Potter 19 hull with an extra foot added sign. “It’s a more capable boat, but still and improved” boat design every year or to the stern,” says company owner, Ken great for shallow water,” he says. “We two, they’ve continued to produce essen- Lange. “Of course the keel setup and think there’s a tremendous market for tially the same boat, the West Wight Pot- other features are very different.” the Voyager.” ter 15, for fifty years. Of course there have Wanting to simultaneously design a We sailed and reviewed the Voyager 20 been refinements along the way, but not larger, more capable boat and improve on with Ken Lange in Oakland, California. the sort of sweeping changes that would the perceived shortcomings of the popu- influence the owner of an older boat to lar Potter 19, Lange and company added PERFORMANCE: rush out and purchase the new model. about 20 inches of useable cockpit space “When the wind picks up the Voyager re- While the end customer benefits to the new Voyager, and instead of the ally takes off. She seems very fast to weather, from this sort of continuity, with many P-19’s somewhat intrusive daggerboard, and she points extremely well. The boat thousands of boats sold and lots of them they opted for a fixed shoal-draft keel seemed very well balanced and has good cycling through the used market, the with centerboard. initial stability. Like all Potters she locks manufacturer begins to compete with The larger cockpit makes it more com- in at about 15 degrees of heel angle.” Jerry itself for sales—do I buy a new Potter or fortable for a family or extra crew, and Barrilleaux P-14 #564 and HMS 18 #48 a slightly used one for less money? the new keel improves seaworthiness and The company did purchase the molds especially accommodations. With this “Pointing ability is excellent.” Soobin Im, for the Sanibel 18 and re-release it some configuration, International Marine was 2014 Voyager 20. years back, but their last in-house design able to do away with the molded dagger- was the Potter’s bigger sister ship called the board trunk that bisects the Potter 19’s “Winds that the Potter 19 would not even West Wight Potter 19 (originally H.M.S. cabin sole. Instead the Voyager features recognize were picked up by this boat and 18) launched in 1971. And that boat, too, teak companionway steps atop a stainless we had a wake—small—but we were sail- is mostly unchanged after 45 years. So it support post that discretely houses the ing. With a good wind of about 15 knots was newsworthy then, when the steady, centerboard pendant that leads out to the and really pushing it… I had the gunnels patient folks at International Marine cockpit for easy adjustment. almost in the water with an absolute con- began to produce a brand new boat re- If the Voyager’s keel and centerboard fidence that heading up in a sudden gust cently—one they call the Voyager 20. combo reminds you of the Montgomery As you’d probably expect, the Voyager boats, it’s no coincidence, as Ken Lange ABOVE—The Voyager was steady and predictable looks every bit a West Wight Potter— partnered with Montgomery Boats’ Bob regardless of wind speed. Photo Jim Gossman her builder choosing to expand on the Eeg for help with the new model. virtues of their existing boats as opposed “Bob did the design for the new keel,” RIGHT—The Voyager is essentially a longer West to trying something totally new. In fact, says Lange. “He also did the tooling for Wight Potter 19 with a shoal keel/ centerboard combo. 62 SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR 63 64 SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR brought us right around. The tiller pressure is finger strength, perfectly balanced.” Mark Benton, Voyager 20. After an uneventful rigging and launch- ing, we pushed away from the dock in a narrow finger of the Oakland Estuary, heading out dead into the wind. Portend- ing what we’d later determine was one of the Voyager’s strengths, we had no trou- ble at all tacking up the channel in the mostly light air. Even lugging around the oversized 8-horse outboard, our review boat seemed easy to move. Once we were into the main part of the estuary the wind began to build and we continued to work to windward. The Voyager demonstrated a perfectly slight weather helm and a smooth motion through the water. The mainsheet on the demo boat led to a traveler located on the stainless stern rail, through blocks at the end of the boom, and back to a block and cam cleat assembly terminating just above the tiller. Above the helm, a standard split backstay with adjuster terminates at a starboard-side cleat on the aft deck. Jib sheets run through blocks on adjustable cars to winches and to cam cleats on the coaming top. Everything was acces- sible—even for a singlehander—and worked well. The review boat was also equipped with a boom vang, jiffy reefing, and topping lift. Sailing under main and standard 110% lapper on a furler, the Voyager seemed to have a wide comfort zone—perform- remained predictable and steady. utilized for the inner stays. This gin pole ing reasonably well in light air and not With the long but shallow fixed keel, sticks up about 90 degrees from the mast. developing any bad habits as the wind the Voyager doesn’t come about like a At the front of the trailer is an extension speed increased. Before long we were able dinghy—or a Potter 19 for that matter— that sticks up about five feet. Attached to to put the rail down a bit—sitting up on but neither is she as slow and deliberate this is a 2,000 pound winch. The cable on the windward coaming—but the boat tacking as a fuller keelboat. Ultimately we this winch is attached to the gin pole on the were pleased with her maneuverability. mast and then the sailor simply stands in OPPOSITE (clockwise from top)—Good headroom, The 7/8-rig of the Voyager carries the cockpit and with a remote control in places to sit, a spot for the head, a galley, and com- about 25% more sail area than the Potter his hand, lifts the mast with the winch and fortable berths for four. 19, but the Voyager is also about 75% bingo, the mast is set up with no sweat. A heavier. Whether mostly a function of small motorcycle type battery powers the The molded galley storage cabinet with stainless the hydrodynamic keel, the longer water- pump sink and cooker. winch. The system is so well thought out line, the narrower transom, or something that because there is no hassle, many Voy- The stainless companionway step post also serves to else, the Voyager moved at a very satisfy- ager 20 owners will routinely trailer their shield the centerboard pendant leading to the cockpit. ing pace and pointed extremely well. boat to other lakes, bays and waterways.” Mark Benton, Voyager 20. ABOVE TOP—Fortunately even with the shoal keel TRAILERING AND LAUNCHING: the Voyager doesn’t sit terribly high on her trailer. “The Voyager 20 comes with a Gin pole With spreaders and a mast that’s four-feet which is used to raise the mast when the longer than the Potter 19’s, the Voyager ABOVE BOTTOM—Lots of details visible: genoa boat is still on the trailer. Literally, this looks like a more intimidating rigging tracks, stainless cabintop rails, a Lewmar forehatch, is a one man operation. The Gin Pole is prospect. But in fact it’s not a particularly and Starboard toe-rails with scuppers. attached to the mast with a bolt that is also laborious process, as you can leave back- SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR 65 ABOVE—We think the Voyager’s stretched proportions are more appealing than the Potter 19. stay and sides shrouds—everything except size. Few 14-foot, 500 pound boats, for and sealed from the cabin. There are no the forestay—attached. From there it’s just example, will have ventured as far and other cockpit lockers, making it very se- a matter of setting up the single-handed wide as the West Wight Potter 15.