Lawrence, Kansas

I found a new use for my P-15, completely unrelated to sailing. I parked it in the front yard on the grass and raised the mast, after stringing several sets of Christmas lights along the standing rigging, around the hull, and attaching a set of flags from bow to the top of the mast and to the stern. She looked great sitting there as it got dark.

Then I picked up my gal at the airport in a limo (she lives in Tennessee), and, on the pretext of showing her the boat for the first time, got her to crawl inside, where I had a bottle of champagne and a wedding ring hidden. After she said yes, we sat in the boat, in the front yard, and drank a bottle of champagne and toasted the neighbors and the cars passing by.

Looks like I will be moving to Tennessee.

(My logic is this: She'll never ask me to sell the boat, because I'll say, "But dear, that's the boat I proposed to you in! It has too much sentimental value to ever sell!")

Butch,
Top Banana

Sausalito, California

Who says these boats aren't romantic? My Potter, Otter played a similar role in my love life.

When I first met the woman who is now my wife, it was at the "block-warming" party of my next-door neighbor. Our first conversation was about sailing--and I was happy to point out to her my oh-so-cute boat in the adjoining driveway.

Our first date? A languid cruise around Richardson Bay (a subset of San Francisco Bay) on Otter. The small cockpit offered plenty of excuses to sit close to each other.

Almost exactly a year ago, we packed a picnic lunch and sailed to Angel Island. I was able to beach Otter on a small isolated strand (away from the marine parking lot of the main docks), and we took a short hike to one of the world's most spectacular vistas. A perfect place to pop the question. I'd hidden the ring amongst the vegetables in the cooler.

We've been married six months. I'd never really thought about it before, but that little boat really deserves a lot of credit in smoothing the path of our romance. There's something endearing about a Potter that makes people want to hop on board...and the scale makes intimacy almost automatic.

Jason and Patricia
Otter P-15 #555

Delaware

Butch: Wonderful tale! Also, what a great way to ensure keeping a boat in your future! I did something broadly similar when I purchased Always, my lateen rigged P15 a few years back now. I had set things up with the local Potter dealer to have the boat delivered around the time of our wedding anniversary. Michele, my better half, was completely unaware of these plans. Always was a dark blue hulled P-15; I had arranged for the word "Always" to be scripted onto the hull in white flowing script, on both port and starboard rear quarters.

Back when Michele and I were married, I had arranged with my father's help to have a piano wheeled into the parish house where our reception was to be. So, after we were married, we walked into the parish house, and there was the piano. I left Michele's side and sat down at the piano after reaching into the bench to pull out some music. The song I played for her was a composition I had written just for her at this special moment between us. The song was entitled "Always."

So, when Always pulled up to our house on our anniversary, Michele had an instant kinship and wamrth toward the boat. It became much more personal to her, and for us.

Again, GREAT story Butch!

Lars

Sir, you are a genius. I missed out on proposing in my Potter but used a row boat in a lake, so the nautical theme is there. Maybe I can convert my Potter into a birthing suite when the time comes. John Haley P15 #391 Morgan Back Home