While we're on the subject of Connie: It's been asked before on this thread, or at least suggested, but have you or are you currently doing any writing? You've certainly got some good style and the wistful nature of a sailor. My father and I have been trying to get down as many of our sailing experiences of the last 15-20 years as possible and it's been an interesting exercise in reminiscence. It's a pleasant thought that perhaps my children (when I have them) could look back and learn what not to do... Cheers! Chris M15 Persephone On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 11:04 AM, Conbert H. Benneck < chbenneck@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
wcampion@aol.com wrote:
Robert,
I don't know if this will help, but until last year, I had been towing my M15 with a 2001 Jetta TDI, 5 speed, with no issues.? I plan on towing my boat this year with my 2004 Passat Wagon GLX V6 5 speed.? I have installed the hitch and by the end of this weekend I hope to have the lights wired.? Due to the larger engine and the manual I am hopeful that the Passat will tow and retrieve as well as my Jetta.? Also, to help ease the launching and retrieval of my boat, I had a custom tongue extension (8 ft) made for my trailer.? This helps keep the car dry and higher on the ramp.? If the tires are dry and at a better incline, this all helps retrieving the boat.
If anyone has any additional input on this subject, I'd be interested in hearing about their personal experiences.
Thanks, Skip Campion M-15 1982 #201 Wild Guppy
-----Original Message----- From: Robert O. Hess <robertohess@yahoo.com> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Sent: Wed, 20 May 2009 10:58 pm Subject: M_Boats: Paging Connie Benneck
Hi all,
I live in the LA area and have decided to buy a M15 as my first sailboat. It's really the only boat of this size that I find seaworthy enough for longer trips out to the islands. I am sure you agree :-)
My problem right now is that I am not sure whether my 2004 VW Passat 1.8 Turbo will make a proper towing vehicle at the launch ramp. While the car is rated - at least in Germany - for 650kg (ca. 1400 lbs) of trailer weight, the car has only front wheel drive and, even without a trailer, is not easy to start smoothly on a steep - dry -? incline, due to the turbo charger and also the manual transmission. Several knowledgeable M sailors have also recommended against using the Passsat as a towing vehicle, basically for these reasons.
Soooo, I am trying to track down Connie Benneck of this site, who apparently tows or towed a M15 with a VW GTI 1.8T, a smaller and lighter version of the Passat. Specifically, I want to ask her what her experience is when pulling the trailer out of the water on a wet ramp. Do the car's front wheels get a good grip? Does she ever slide backwards? How steep is the ramp she is using? And so on.
If you are on this list, Connie, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback. If not, maybe someone else who knows how to get in touch with Connie could forward this mail to her. My hope is that this list is small enough to make this work somehow.
Many thanks for your help in advance!
Robert Hess (unfortunately no relation to Lyle Hess :-( )
P.S. I am reading Robert Manry's "Tinkerbelle" right now and am seriously wonder whether the Montgomery line of boat was at least in part insprired by Manry's boat. Anyone know?
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Hi Skip,
The "she" is a he.... Because of advancing age, I now unfortunately, am boat less.
To answer your questions:
When we first bought the M15 I towed it with a VW GTI - manual transmission. We picked up the M15 in Panama City, FL, and drove back to Connecticut. We had no problems on that trip nor on any subsequent trips. Never had any problems pulling the M15 plus trailer up a ramp. The ramps we used were all of reasonable inclination, with a concrete surface. We had used the VW GTI prior to buying the M15, to tow our Bolger MICRO from Connecticut to Clearwater Florida and back several times; up to Lake Champlain - several times - and my only recommendation would be to add trailer brakes to the M15 trailer. We also towed a ComPac 16 that we bought in Clearwater, FL as a replacement for the Bolger MICRO, from Florida to Connecticut, and made several similar round-trips, before we bought the M15 - all towed with the same VW GTI. The launch ramps we used were the Municipal ramp in Clearwater, FL; the NY State ramp in Wilsboro, NY; and the ramp at Rockwood on Moosehead Lake, ME, all paved ramps.
Pulling the trailer is no problem (We cruised up and down I-95 at about 70 MPH with the MICRO / ComPac / M15 in tow), but if you stop in an emergency, ...... the rig stops, but you will start fervently wishing for more stopping power.
Another time, we were planning to sail on Lake George, NY. We found every marina full of powerboats - masts were a rarity - and decided on the spot to continue up to Lake Champlain, where we knew we would find peace and quiet.
This meant driving up a narrow, winding, two lane blacktop on the north side of Lake George. The road at the upper end of the lake now goes through some very sharp climbs and steep descents, and on one of these descents - twisty all the way down, I got the sudden feel that I might be loosing my brakes (overheating on the previous downhill stretches of the road). That was where I became an instant believer that you needed trailer brakes as well as the car brakes.
Long gentle downhill runs such as on an Interstate Highway present no problems. You can down shift to a lower gear, and keep things under control, but an extreme condition like the Lake George road shows you the limits of car brakes alone to control the trailer.
When we sold the M15 three years ago, the highest priority item on my "To Do" list at that time, was to put trailer brakes on the trailer. They aren't cheap, but you will tow with a much more relaxed feeling knowing that if something jumps out in the road ahead of you; or you have to stop suddenly, ....you can.
Later we bought a VW Jetta wagon (2002) with an automatic transmission and used that car to tow the M15.
We never had a problem with wheel slip on a wet ramp.
We never slipped backwards. (But please use chocks under the back wheels of your car when launching or retrieving the boat to prevent accidents. I saw a jockey in a pickup truck going to make a fast retrieval of a metal flake speedboat at the Clearwater, FL ramp. He backed down the ramp too fast. He hit the brakes as the trailer was in the water and the speedboat was going to run up on the trailer, but..... The wheels locked, and trailer and pickup slid happily into the drink, with the ocean water up to the hood line....... The moral of the story: Do things deliberately; with planning; and USE CHOCKS behind your wheels to prevent that sort of disaster).
Have fun,
Connie Benneck
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-- Chris