March 2008 - montgomery_boats - mailman.xmission.com

Montgomery Sailboats are in high demand
by Bob Eeg 15 Jul '13

15 Jul '13

And are built with top-notch quality. There is nothing in the market place faster, better built and as good looking as a Montgomery Sailboat. I don't run a factory; I run a very small boatshop. I built to order on a boat by boat basis. I do a lot of custom work when asked. Bronze ports, Stainless ports, extra ballast, Custom electrical systems, Idasailor rudders, anchoring packages..etc. This work is labor intensive. Quality takes time. I have 3 employees. These people are highly experienced in Laminating, construction, assembly and finish. Woodworking and other skills result in a absolutely beautiful sailing vessel. I use the best sails the best rigging, the best custom stainless fasteners..and yes....(laughing) the best cushions. This last 15 months have been EXTREMELY busy; hiring new help was impossible because all the good people are gone. We had a tremendous BACKLOG and we caught a break only when Pacific Seacraft employees (let go) began filtering into our shop looking for work. We did add some additional crew in the Laminating Shop and because of that we are caught up. Pacific Seacrafts Bankruptcy was good for us. Bad for the dozens of good people who are out of work. The FIRST question of anyone buying a new boat should be 'How is the construction quality'? First and foremost that is the most important issue. I can say that everyone has experienced and will continue to experience a BACKLOG of orders; especially if the boat is as popular as a Montgomery Sailboat. When we had an 8 month backlog and I actually turned down 2 M_17 orders so we could catch our breath. It is impossible to work any harder or any faster. Now that were caught up we can get back to our normal 50-70 days (depending on model and options). Also custom work really adds to the production time. One beautiful M_17 we did we cut the V berth out of and installed an oval bulkhead, custom shelves and inline potti area; with 4 bronze ports she is an amazing boat, but custom work takes time. Expect delays if you go radical on the interior. (I think BONES has a photo of that one...) We are really one of the only builders that entertain changes and options to satisfy the customer. This new Passagemaker M_17 were building (and installing a windvane on tomorrow) is going to be amazing. Other actual boat factories that produce boats for DEALERS (that Tod mentioned) like Precision and Compac are built on Factory Production lines for a large Dealership Network. Dealers who have these boats in stock can supply them right away. But ask for major changes on a future production boat and the wait will be many months. International Marine builds boats faster with more employees but those boats are piss poor sailers (upwind) and many arrive with a list of problems that are pathetic. That's not me. So try not to focus on the TIME factor. We can only go so fast. Hiring additional help is not an option because by the time you train someone the season gets slow and you have to lay them off. I can't do that. I have people that have been with me for 20 years; I keep us small and efficient on purpose. So be surprised if we hit the delivery time; which we do quite often. Be a little disappointed when we miss it; but get over it when you see your boat. Dozens of you know me; you've arrived to see me rig your boat, pack you up and shake your hand. (Heck...Gary Hyde even brought me a bottle of wine..!..Thanks Gary.!) One man bought a new M_15 from us and a new M_17 a year later.! The C word...Cushions. I inspect everyboat before it leaves for home. Scott's boat was leaving for the Bay Area early Friday morning; I was at the boatshop at 10:30 PM Thursday night, sleeping at the picnic table just inside the door, waiting for the cushion guy to arrive with the (late) promised cushions. He drove up, woke me up and I watched as he stacked them on the deck. We left. My man arrived at 3AM and hooked up the boat and slid the cushions inside the boat. I should have loaded them myself then I would have noticed they looked good but didn't have the required 'Squeeze' factor. Let's move on, shall we....? Fair winds Bob Eeg (949) 489-8227 Boat Builder

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Re: M17 heavy weather capabilities
by Nebwest2＠aol.com 07 May '08

07 May '08

I'd have to second Gary's observations about the M17 hatch. I'm a pretty big boy and honestly I never tried it. My 17 had the backwards opening front hatch, so even if you fit, the hatch lid would prevent you from leaning forward. In this photo you can see the hinges are on the front of the hatch and that there's no way you'd be able to work around it to deal with the luff of the jib. _http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg_ (http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg) On later versions and I believe the new M17's that Bob builds the hatch opens from the front... Hey Gary H.! Doesn't your hatch open from the front??? Could you manage a headsail change through it??? (http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg) Lately, I have been experimenting for the first time ever (for me) with a simple downhaul attached to the jib/genoa head. Holly cow, why I never did this before is beyond me. I don't mind going forward and pulling a sail down when someone's on the helm but when singlehanding it's a pain. When I'm alone I try to make sure I don't overcanvass for the conditions, but if I do, now I can at least get the sail down on the deck and secure before I ever leave the relative safety of the cockpit. It also allows me to hank on a jib at the dock , and attach the halyard without worry that the halyard is going to foul something by swinging around slack before I'm ready to raise it. I just hook up the downhaul and tension the halyard. I know, I know, roller furling would solve that issue. Someday I may go back to a furler, but for now I'm happy with hank-ons. Sean **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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New teak for Monty 17?
by Rodney Holland 24 Apr '08

24 Apr '08

Do any of you owners know whether it is possible to order new exterior teak replacement pieces for a 1977 17 from Montgomery boats? Would these pieces be standard enough year to year that I could be confident they would fit the same screw holes, etc? Im cursed with the love of properly cared for and varnished bright work and want to have that on our new boat(named it Texas Doghouse, maybe Ill share that story one evening with you). The teak that is there is in really bad shape, and to properly do the hand rails, they will have to be sanded down so much that I dont think they could be trusted for their original purpose. They are already way too thin and need probably an eighth of an inch of sanding to get them smooth in some places. Again, I dont know how standard these things are, but mine has the rails, the companionway hatches, the pieces on each side and bottom of the companionway opening, and there 3 or 4 strips along the top of the sliding hatch that would dress things up nicely if replaced. I think thats it. Anyone think I can get this done? Rodney Holland rodh(a)earthlink.net EarthLink Revolves Around You.

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re: Kendall with more info
by Steve R. 18 Apr '08

18 Apr '08

Kendall, Good luck with your project. I am sure everything will turn out well. One thing to be concerned about in pressure washing the cockpit is the only drain is the opening for the centerboard pendant. You may spend more time clearing debris from the drain than washing. With the CB removed it should go better. If I were in you situation I would think about plugging the drain somehow and periodically bailing with a bucket. After pressure washing the fiberglass I would suggest wiping down with acetone. Just make sure you have some ventilation, especially if you will be on the interior. To each his own, but I have removed the plywood that covers the porta-potti and the cushion insert that goes on top of the plywood. I suggest you finish everything else and go sailing to see if you need those or can live without them. The plywood for the hatch boards is 3/8 inches thick, IIRC. A few years ago Tod M., Bill W. and I split a 4' x 8' sheet of teak faced ply from Boulter Plywood in Mass. They rough cut the sheet into four small pieces for each of us, which gave us enough for a spare. I think since Bill and I had a 15 our pieces were 30" wide and the ones for Tod's 17 were 36". The cost of cutting was not much and it really saved on shipping. They allowed us to pay separately and shipped directly to us. Maybe someone would like to split a sheet with you. I can trace the patterns out for my hatch boards but it may be a few weeks before I can get around to it. Let us know how everything turns out. steve Steve R. M-15 #119 Lexington, KY

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Re: M_Boats: Victoria 18's?
by GILASAILR＠aol.com 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Flat, with a plumb bow and a three foot sugar scoop added. Just a smart aleck answer - for fun. GO **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom0…)

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Bow Eye Install Question M-15
by EinkaufR43＠aol.com 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Dear Group; Does anyone who has installed a bow eye on their M-15 recall the thickness of the hull through the bow? Naturally, any other words of wisdom on this topic would be welcome. I try to take poking holes in this boat very seriously, and do so only after considerable deliberation. Seeing that a bow eye seems now to be standard equipment, and expecting benefits in loading, trailer tie-down, anchoring, and stress relief on the bow fitting, it's on my to-do list. I found archive information on vertical location and looked at the current M-15 photo, but wonder how long the bolts need to be for a neat install. Currently I'm favoring the two bolt stainless like Sea Bowld 3/8"dia x 3 1/2" thread length. It looks the current M-15 photo. The WM 2008 catalog doesn't show it, but my local BW has it, and others on hand. Thanks, Ron Stanton, in Michigan M-15 #249 **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom0…)

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Re: M_Boats: interesting issue with other boats..
by bownez＠juno.com 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Hi Tod, Interesting to say the least. My neighbors in the slip next to me have a First 235....... Bones, waiting for spring to arrive. _____________________________________________________________ Enter for Your Chance to WIN TotalBeauty.com is giving away a trip to NYC plus lots of beauty produ http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/JKFkuJi7I78FjyEZqsEA8qQbkEHCFLL…

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interesting issue with other boats..
by htmills＠zoominternet.net 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Pretty impressive damage here: HYPERLINK "http://www.beneteau235.com/f235_rudder.htm"http://www.beneteau235.com/f235_ rudder.htm Tod Mills M17 #408, 1987 galley model BuscaBrisas No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1348 - Release Date: 3/28/2008 10:58 AM

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Re: M_Boats: Intro from SE Alaska
by Danelle Landis 29 Mar '08

29 Mar '08

Hi all, Such a warm welcome, thanks! I did take of photo of the boat today, but my three-year old is posing by it, so it's not really the most technically informational photo... We're having it hauled out and put on blocks Monday morning, so I'll get a lot of really good shots and upload them. This morning I looked for the boat's numbers. Unfortunately the blue hull was painted over thickly at some point with blue paint, so only part of the numbers were visible after staring hard with the right angle of bright sunlight. (Yes, bright sunlight in Ketchikan!) It looked like: M------3781083 The zero is a close guess, but it looks like I at least know it was built in 1983, maybe hull #378? I'll feel relieved to get a look at the bottom, as the CB fixes were the way I found the Montgomery owners website - from googling the boat, then I studied the photos to see what we might be taking on, when the owner mentioned that the CB had been stuck partway down for a long time. Someone cut the line to it too, and the opening that goes into the CB pocket from the winch has epoxy or something blobbed over it. The top gudgeon fitting for the rudder has two of the three bolts missing too, and the bracket is just swinging off of one bolt. (the rudder's in my house) Looking at that today, I see why the previous owner hadn't fixed it. I guess one would almost have to cut out the fiberglass, with so little access. I read about someone's swim ladder installation that addressed this... David P - did you live up here in rain country too, or only your daughter? Bill - thanks for the encouragement to document the projects. I know I have been very grateful for what people have shared, and I haven't even started yet! John B - I just knew I'd run into one or two people who were connected with this area! Boy, can I relate to your getting-towed story! My family has so many stories of being towed, especially in the rivers with their shifting bottoms, when we went aground a few times, and when we had outboards die at the worst times (entering huge locks next to giant barges and tugs, with house-sized whirlpools sucking at our boat, for instance) Sailing is such a story-generating hobby! Nothing like getting laughed at by compatriots to make it all more fun! What was your Matthews cruiser's name? It'd be fun to run across it maybe sometime...do you think it would be here in Ktn, if it isn't scrapped by now? David S - thanks for the link about Scred! Great backstory for a name. I'm an SNL fan too, but haven't seen Scred. I'm thinking hard about names. I like the idea of using one of the sea nymph sisters of Halimede, because that was our big, ugly unpainted aluminum boat's name when we first bought her. My parents changed the name (isn't that bad luck???) to Pacific Rays, after a nightmare summer of cutting out and replacing 60 percent of the plates that had horrible electrolysis holes, then painting it. I and my little sister worked ten or twelve hour days most of that summer with delightful jobs like grinding welds and sanding bottom paint. Every teenage girl's dream summer, right? ha ha. Thanks for the welcome and encouragement! Danelle Landis ____________________________________________________________________________________ Special deal for Yahoo! users & friends - No Cost. Get a month of Blockbuster Total Access now http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text3.com

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Intro from SE Alaska
by Danelle Landis 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

Hi, Danelle Landis here, I've been enjoying learning from the archives - and I have a *lot* to learn! I just bought an M17 here in Ketchikan, Alaska that of course, needs a lot of attention. It is pretty sound mostly, but needs what looks to be the typical repairs and rehabs that the older (I think it must be between 1981 and 1987). It's got the notorious rusted/stuck CB, and the boat has been sitting in saltwater, uncovered, in a marina for the last year and a half, probably longer. We need to haul it asap, but it came with no trailer. We'll probably have to buy one and have it barged up from Seattle. The sails are in great condition - even a spinnaker! Poor thing hasn't been really valued highly - she has no name, and I just realized today that the beat up old tiller is actually an old axe handle, among other pending projects. I started sailing with my family when I was about 7, on a Blanchard 26 on Coeur d'Alene lake in ID. My dad totally caught the bug and decided he wanted to retire at age 30, and move onto a sailboat. We did it, on the Islander 30 we had by that time, all five of us - us kids were 4, 10 and 14. We launched the boat at Lewiston, ID and sailed through the locks and dams in the Snake, Columbia rivers, the up the WA coast to Seattle where my parents promptly bought a Cal Cruising 36. It seemed HUGE. Eventually, we bought a 50' custom wierdly-designed aluminum hard-chined gaff-rigged sailboat we lived on for the next five years, and sailed up here to Alaska - our first dream destination. From there, the family all moved off and my dad kept on sailing, living aboard in Mexico, Hawaii, Sitka...for another fifteen years. He and I sailed the aluminum boat (since rehabbed into a regular sloop) from Hawaii to Seattle in 1988. Anyway, I've missed sailing all these years, and when this little M17 became available for only $2,500, I had to snap it up! I've never sailed on such a small boat before, but from what I've read so far, they sound capable of taking hard weather (we have plenty here), but are fun to sail too. The sailing part is second nature to me, the repairs - well, I'll need a lot of advice and help from my husband, who is great at those things, fortunately. I want to do most of it myself though. Having my own sailboat has been a dream of mine since I was a teenager pouring over "Sailpower" on my cozy bunk. My other hobbies - I'm a stay at home mom of three, and I have been a K9 Search and Rescue handler for twelve years. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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