International West Wight Potter 19 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Potter 19 is built with solid fiberglass hulls across all examples, and International Marine later switched its decks from plywood coring to balsa while keeping the hulls solid. Closed-cell foam enclosed in the fore and aft sections renders the boat unsinkable, a meaningful safety attribute for a trailerable pocket cruiser that owners routinely launch and recover. The retractable keel lifts vertically into the hull and can be trimmed to various levels, while a 300-pound keel fully deployed draws 3 feet 7 inches and, when fully raised, leaves just 8 inches of draft. Combined with a kick-up rudder, this allows the boat to be sailed right up onto a beach. The centerboard itself is a simple, dependable design with no moving parts, though some owners of older, mid-1980s boats have reported slight structural problems with the centerboard trunk anchor. Newer boats show a much improved nonskid pattern on deck and carry handrails on both the raised and lower sections of the cabintrunk.

Rig and Handling

A fractional rig supports a good-size main, and a husky bowsprit has always been part of the deck package. The mast section measures 22 feet 6 inches, giving an air draft around 25 feet, and a clever mast-raising system lets one person hoist the stick. All the lines are typically led aft, and the jib sheets and centerboard winch are well placed, but the mainsheet is a bit awkward, angling down from the end of the boom and forcing the helmsman to keep clear. Most owners report that they can be sailing in less than an hour from arriving at the launching ramp. The forward chine tends to deflect water aside, keeping the cockpit relatively dry even in choppy conditions, and visibility in the cockpit is great. On the water, the boat is well balanced on a reach and owners report speeds of 5 knots in winds of 10 knots and above when reaching, but upwind sailing is not its strong suit, as it does not like to sail much closer than 50 degrees apparent.

Accommodations

Below, headroom is just five feet, so the interior is strictly for sitting or lying down. A galley of sorts is sandwiched between the berths, with a butane stove to starboard and a sink to port, and lockers sit under the berths, under the sink and stove, and in seat-back bins. Two adults have room to stretch their legs in the cockpit, which makes the boat usable for short coastal hops despite the minimal cabin volume. Newer boats include a chain locker, a practical addition for those who choose to anchor.

Equipment and Power

New West Wight Potters come standard with five-horsepower long-shaft Tohatsu outboards, and most used boats also carry five- or six-horsepower outboards of various makes. An adjustable motor bracket makes the outboard more efficient in the water and easier to lift clear when sailing. On the used market most boats carry overlapping genoas in lieu of a working jib, and many include CDI flexible furling on the headstay. New boats come standard with a 110 percent overlapping headsail, and most owners suggest carrying as big a headsail as you can afford.

Known Issues

The one documented weakness is the centerboard trunk on older, mid-1980s examples, where some owners have reported slight structural problems anchor. Otherwise the construction record is straightforward: solid hulls, balsa-cored decks from the International Marine era, and enclosed flotation.

The Verdict

The West Wight Potter 19 is a long-lived, unsinkable pocket cruiser that punches above its 18-foot-6-inch length for trailer sailing and relaxed reaching. Its simple centerboard, led-aft lines, and one-person mast rig make it uniquely easy to launch and sail, while the dry cockpit and good visibility suit day and overnight use. The awkward mainsheet and weak upwind angle are real limitations, and the mid-1980s centerboard trunk deserves a close look.

Pros