I think the overlapping joint with teak was done for cosmetic, not structural reasons (per Jerry's "History of the M-17 on the MSOG.org site) ... It was only an improvement insofar as anyone might prefer damage-prone teak to a perforated aluminum rail, and their fiberglass deck exposed to the dock (with the overlap), rather than having a built-in rubrail ... That said, I'm not trying to start an argument, just saying the aluminum-toe-rail boats are fine, extremely structural sound, models ... Mine was built when both the aluminum and teak were options, and, as much as I have a "classic boat aesthetic" and love lots of wood and bronze, I'm glad my boat's original owner chose aluminum. The perforations, the bullet-proof strength (stand on it while walking forward, don't worry about cosmetically marring it), the low maintenance and built-in rubrail are great features ... ----- Original Message ----- From: Rachel To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 1:11 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Hull-deck joint Before I bought my M-17, I looked at one that had problems very similar to what you're describing. At least I think so, as I take your description: it had numerous scallop-shaped cracks on the outside of the hull, just below (some of) the bolts of the hull-deck joint. At first I thought it might just be cosmetic cracks in the gelcoat but then inside I could see evidence of persistent leakage running down the inside of the hull from the hull-deck joint area. I decided to keep shopping and although I never saw another with that much of a problem, I did see numerous boats of the older hull-deck design (pre-1981) that had sealants/caulks around the hull-deck joint, so I suppose the leaking was not a totally isolated problem. Note that in 1981 the hull-deck joint was changed/improved to one with overlapping flanges. At the same time there were a number of other changes/improvements - they cast new molds for the boat then, so it was a good opportunity. Just goes to show that there's always room for improvement, even in a great boat design like the Montgomery :-) That being said, I do like the aluminum toe-rails of the older designs - they're so handy and functional. I do believe that a few of the newer boats were made with them; perhaps it was an option on the earlier new-design boats. I think it was actually an expensive and labor-intensive toe-rail -- but I have a feeling the wooden rail was more popular with boat-buyers for cosmetic reasons. In the end it just so happened that I bought 1981 M-17 hull #334, which was the first of the new-toerail-design boats. Fatty Knees 7' #302 Former owner, M-17 #334 Former owner, M-15 #517 On Aug 13, 2005, at 11:45 AM, krahnke@comcast.net wrote:
The more I think about it, it seems pretty serious to me. Since the cracking is below the bolts, it would seem to indicate major structural weakness in the hull, just below the joint. Odd in a well-built boat. How could this happen?
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