October 2003 - montgomery_boats - mailman.xmission.com

Re: M_Boats: New 1981 Mongomery-15 owner has some questions for the experts...
by chbenneck＠juno.com 20 Oct '03

20 Oct '03

Hi Rusty, Welcome to the clan! You'll find that the M15 is a wonderful little ship. To answer your questions: Boom down haul: There should be a jam cleat on the starboard side of the mast, and an eye on the port side. The boom down haul line is tied to the eye, then goes through the eye at the bottom of the gooseneck, and back down to the jam cleat (same jam cleat as you have on the boom). Tiller length: My original M15 tiller length, when I bought the boat, was: 41". I also used a Forespar tiller extension so that I could sit all the way forward in the cockpit. However, the laminations on this tiller were coming apart so I ordered a new tiller from Bob Eeg. This tiller was 36" long. The Forespar tiller extension wasn't a good answer to sitting forward in the cockpit. The operating angle should be about 90 degrees between tiller extension and the tiller itself, but in this case it is more like 120 degrees - i.e., poor control. So, I decided to build a temporary tiller extension to fit on the regular tiller, which was to accomplish two objectives: A. Raise the forward end of the tiller to a more comfortable operating position, and, B. Get the tiller to my preferred sitting position (forward in the cockpit). The Eeg tiller (36" long - total length) plus my temporary extension now had a total length of 57 1/2". My "temporary" (nothing is as permanent as a temporary solution) tiller, is now at a very comfortable operating height when I am sitting forward in the cockpit. It is also easy to hold (without any tiller extension ). An added advantage of the longer tiller is that course corrections are effective with much less tiller movement (longer lever arm); moving the end of a 57 inch long tiller a finger's width gives you very fine course adjustments (assuming that you don't have slop between the rudder blade and the rudder cheeks). I find it a big improvement. There is a pin on the bottom of the extension that goes into the Forespar fitting. This locates the extension in the fore and aft direction, as well as keeping it from rotating on the tiller when pressure is applied. The bottom of the extension is hollowed out to fit the shape of the top of the tiller. It is held in place with a piece of Velcro around the tiller and the extension: remove the Velcro and lift the extension out of it's socket and you are back to using the regular tiller. Bow rollers / chocks: On my M15 I installed bow chocks for the same reasons. My boat is at a slip in a marina, and tends to rock violently from the wake of outboarders towing water skiers, and the PWCs roaring about. I cut away a portion of the teak toe rail, added a teak pad to match the size of the base of the cleat (the cleat base was wider than the teak in the toe rail), and then through bolted the cleat to the deck. Can't comment on bow rollers, since I don't have one, but I'm sure that someone in the group must have such an installation, and will respond to your question. Connie M15 #400 LEPPO Glastonbury, CT

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RE: M_Boats: stiffeners and the M17 mainsheet
by Smith, Tom 19 Oct '03

19 Oct '03

These stiffeners--I call them stringers--appear elsewhere in the older M17s besides the cabin top. They're aft on the hull beneath the cockpit too, running parallel to the lapstrake. This has probably been discussed, and I've talked offline with a couple people about it, but has anyone changed the main sheet arrangement on the M17 (the older models with the track just behind the bridge deck--I know sheeting's been moved back on the later models)? The M15 mainsheet is mid-boom sheeted too, but the sheet also runs back to the boom-end and then to a yoke across the transom. I like this setup (even though the yoke and sheet can foul under some circumstances) because I believe it distributes the main sheet stresses and provides additional mechanical advantage (maybe I'm wrong on this point--it just seems easier to sheet the main in on the M15). The M17 boom is considerably stressed and I have to think the track and cockpit floor are too. Additionally, the M17 boom is significantly less stout than the M15's and gets swayback over time. Any opinions (dumb question...)? Tom Smith & Jane Van Winkle Sandpoint, Idaho M15-345, Chukar _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats This message was scanned for viruses.

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Re: M_Boats: New to List
by Larry Yake 19 Oct '03

19 Oct '03

Hi George, When I first read your letter, I thought you might have seen my pale yellow M17 which I've sailed with the Northwest Potters several times this summer. However, I've only sailed in Washington and Oregon this year, so it must be someone else. I solo rig, launch, and sail my 17 regularly and think it is the best boat available for this kind of sailing. It is faster than the Potters and so strong and seaworthy that you'll feel comfortable taking this boat anywhere and in almost any kind of weather. The 15 is a little easier to tow and launch, but is much smaller in every way. It also is a very good boat, but if you like the size of cockpit you had on the C22, or plan on taking more than 1 passenger, I would recommend the 17. Larry Yake M17, #200 Tullamore On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 20:17:02 -0700 G Burmeyer <burmeyer(a)sbcglobal.net> writes: Hi, Having recently and reluctantly parted with an old Catalina 22, I have been looking around for something smaller, easier to pull, store and single-hand, but strong enough to handle some stiff wind. My ideal boat would be easy to rig off the trailer, have a cabin/interior large enough for an overnight or two and be fun to sail. I live in Santa Rosa, Ca, which is within an hour of San Francisco Bay, Tomales Bay and Clear Lake and I want to be able to sail on all of them safely and without a lot of fuss. One day this summer, while sailing out of Richmond Bay Marina, I spotted a really pretty little lap-strake boat (I think it had a pale yellow hull) that was among a small fleet of West Wight Potters in the harbor. At first I thought it was a new kind of Potter. Finally, after searching the net for a while...discovered that what I had seen was a Montgomery (15 or 17? DonÂt know?). So... Here I am, wondering if I have found the kind of boat IÂve been looking for. Joining this list is, hopefully, a first step for me to find out. I subscribed to a C22 list after I bought my old Catalina and found it immensely useful and entertaining, but often wished I had subscribed before buying the boat: might have ducked some issues (rusty cast iron swing keels are a real pain!). IÂll browse the archive and ask some questions and see what happens... Hope this wasnÂt too long-winded... -- George Burmeyer, currently boatless Santa Rosa, CA

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welcome George
by MC Carpenter 19 Oct '03

19 Oct '03

Welcome George, I agree 100% the 15 is a gem, you can not go wrong on that one.

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Re: M_Boats: Chukar Hunting
by chbenneck＠juno.com 18 Oct '03

18 Oct '03

Hi Steve, Could that be Bill Lacey from St. Louis? Connie

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Bad News and Good news
by Saltm17＠aol.com 17 Oct '03

17 Oct '03

The bad news is that it is a staff infection, the good news is that it is "sensitive" to some of the new drugs. It should be gone in a week or so. What next? Well, writing a book this winter, but I also plan to race in the PHRF series starting next week and attend the 2004 B.E.E.R. ( Backwater Environmental Emergency Rendezvous) cruise with the trailer sailors -trailersailor.com. After that, I'm planning a trip to Montana next summer to float (canoes) a 160 mile wild and scenc stretch of the Missouri river with some friends. I hope to take Miss T with me and sail her at the Apostle Islands, and finally get to sail the North Channel of Lake Huron. Beyond that I'm not sure, but I do hear the Bahamas calling! As with all the trips, anyone who wishes to come along is sure welcome. John Edwards Miss T M17 # 372

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better sails
by MC Carpenter 17 Oct '03

17 Oct '03

who makes soft sails that are easier to handle and store away

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Back Home
by Saltm17＠aol.com 17 Oct '03

17 Oct '03

After 12,700 road miles and 153 days, the trip is over. I got home yesterday after a week on the Chesapeake, but not without a few problems. The last night at anchor I was bit by a mosquito on my forearm and by moring it started to swell. I'm on antibiotics and we'll see what it is when the report gets back from the lab. I really want to thank everyone I met on this trip for their hospitality and kindness and for allowing me to tag along on their sailing vacations. I hope we can sail together again sometime soon. Thank you. John Edwards Miss T M17 # 372

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RE: M_Boats: Chukar Hunting
by Smith, Tom 17 Oct '03

17 Oct '03

Thanks Steve. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for you, Jerry is strictly a cheap beer kind of guy. So prepare yourself for Oly, or Black Label, both best served just above freezing... Tom Smith & Jane Van Winkle Sandpoint, Idaho M15-345, Chukar M17-064, Unnamed -----Original Message----- From: Steve & Diana Parsons [mailto:sparsons@canby.com] Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 8:13 PM To: Montgomery Boat List Subject: M_Boats: Chukar Hunting Tom, I sent a fellow your way to check out Chukar via email. His name is Bill Lacey. If you sell it to him, I will require the standard Jerry Montgomery finder's fee (beer:-). Regards, Steve _____ This message was scanned for viruses!!

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Chukar Hunting
by Steve & Diana Parsons 17 Oct '03

17 Oct '03

Tom, I sent a fellow your way to check out Chukar via email. His name is Bill Lacey. If you sell it to him, I will require the standard Jerry Montgomery finder's fee (beer:-). Regards, Steve

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