John, Have you checked the Montgomery web site and read about Willi and his M-17, Strawanza? He can be selfcontained for 100 days at a time sailing from CA to South Africa. Check it out. Sounds to me that you have the right spirit for being the minimalist sailor. If that's your idea of how to sail because you like it that way and not so much because of economic influence, then your next move is to pick the right boat. And I guess you've heard enough of us to suggest that you can't beat the Monty's. But I go back to what influences not which boat to buy but why do you want to go small. I've been extremely lucky in having crewed on a lot of different sail boats that included a 90' gaff rigged schooner, a 56' John Alden designed ketch, a 51' Hylas, a 42' Morgan and then having owned my own NorSea 27. And after having those experiences, here's what I found out myself. Keep in mind this only relates to me. I'm sure everyone has different reasons for all their different choices. The bottom line is I enjoy trying to experience things with the absolute minimun of things needed to do it. Even though I have a small motorhome I'm a backpacker at heart. While I hated to sell my NorSea, I didn't hate letting go of the trappings of work and worry maintaining her. It wasn't so much the cost. It was the hassle and the unfair balance between sail time and work time that I had to put up with. So I dusted off one of the first books I read by Lyn and Larry Pardey. Bottom line.. go simple, go small, but go now. And that mantra fit me. Now when I go down to check on Seafrog it takes about 5 minutes to do what I need to do and to feel comfortable. And when I drop anchor out at the Cape Lookout lighthouse, I see the same beautiful scenery out of my 6" port as the guy next to me in his 50' ketch. The big difference is that I'm looking at the scenery. He's checking his list of a million to-dos. Just do it. Regards, Joe Seafrog M-17 ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Merrell" <mayrel@hughes.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 10:21 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
Morning Eldor and Dorothy, Thanks for your good words. You're absolutely correct. You can make just about anything work for you if you have the passion. That's one of the reasons we're looking for a small trailerable sailboat; we don't need a big boat, nor can we afford the expense of a larger boat that isn't trailerable. If were going to liveaboard, that would be an entirely different situation. We're basically thinking about cruising the ICW and staying on the hook for not more than three nights, then seek a marina. We will be spending most of our time in the cockpit, and likely a generous amount of time motoring. We might venture out on those occassions we have a weather window and the passage is not too long. But I have enough sailing experience to know, if you go often enough, you're going to get caught in weather. Having a solid seaworthy boat and a reasonably capable crew is absolutely necessary for survival. I would think we would have ample room for a couple of solar showers, bottled water enough for drinking and rinsing off, some canned goods, coffee maker, small stove, room for trash, naturally the portapot, clothes enough for freshness and a stanction mounted SS BBQ for grilling in the cockpit. For longer cruises down a river such as the Tennessee Tombridge heading for Mobile would be more challenging; I'm not sure what's available along that route as far as marinas and places to get into for stores and such? We're still working to see if we can't find an M17 owner close enough to us to view....again thanks for your response...happy sailing..John and Joy ----- Original Message ----- From: <Eeeisen@aol.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 8:24 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
I know our Mboat is configured differently from most but the basics are the same. We spent 6 days cruising the San Jauns in 2007 and plan to cruise for two weeks in 2009. If it is something you really enjoy, you'll find a way to fit. We did win the Sardine Award in 2007.
Eldor and Dorothy Eisen M-17 Motu iti fixed keel
In a message dated 11/16/2008 7:11:43 A.M. Central Standard Time, mayrel@hughes.net writes:
Morning Jim, Thanks for your comments; if a big guy like you can be comfortable in the M17 cabin, surely I can manage at 6'1" and 225lbs. However, there will be two of us, my wife Joy is 5'2" and less than half my weight, so is there enough room for spending several nights on the hook? This is our most basic question. From what everyone is telling us, this is not a problem. We are anxious to locate an M17 we can see for ourselves....thanks for your comments...John ----- Original Message ----- From: "James Poulakis" <picfo@comcast.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 3:02 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
John, I'm 6'4" 230# and can sit in the M17 cabin seats without having my head touch the cabin top. I put a foam floatation cushion behind my back to position myself away from the side deck.
As far as comfort goes, you gotta be kinda philosophical when it comes to the M15 and M17 cabin. Sarge, if you've ever spent time in a Vietnam era pup-tent then you'll find the interior of a Montgomery to be downright luxurious.
Jim Poulakis M-17 "Spirit"
On Nov 15, 2008, at 7:13 PM, John Merrell wrote:
Evening Joe, Thanks very much for your response. I'm curious however, how tall are you? I'm 6'1" @ 225lbs; is there ample room for this old retired sargeant? I've always thought the Norsea 27 one of the prettiest boats afloat. The other boat I always admired was the Flicka 20. The closest I got to either of them was a Skipper 20 and a Morgan OutIsland 30; that was a few years ago. What we hope to do is utilize a trailerable "pocket crusier" as both a means to explore various waterways, lakes and rivers, and to use it as a land camper. I know it may sound rediculous, but if you can sleep in it comfortably on the water with a portapotti and solar shower, you can certainly sleep aboard on land at a KOA campgrounds. We can't quite afford to purchase a new boat, but we hope to find a good clean used boat in the $10K price range. Of course, we need to see one before we put our money down. I realize these boats are highly sought after, and they don't last long once put up for sale. However, it's possible the M17 wouldn't work for us? Again thanks for your time and good information....John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Murphy" <seagray@embarqmail.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 7:36 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
John, You'll not be disappointed with the M-17. I bought mine this summer sight unseen. The only time I saw one was 4 years ago at a Lyle Hess Rendevous up in Solomons MD. At the time I had a NorSea 27 and spent most of my time talking with other NorSea owners but I couldn't help checking out these other little sisters, the Montgomery boats. I opted for the four round ports to get some cross through ventilation. I live on the NC coast and it can be nearly tropical at times. The interior is workable. I sit on the port side berth facing aft with my legs up stretched out. I find it to be pretty comfortable. The V berth is very comfortable. The compression post doesn't really get in the way and serves as a good hand hold to spin around to get out of bed. There is great storage room and everything is pretty easy to get to. True, you can't stand up unless the hatch is open. If you decide to buy one from the factory you will find Bob Eeg extremely easy to work with and very accessible. Figure on 6-8 weeks start to splash. Good luck with your search. Joe Seafrog M-17
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Merrell" <mayrel@hughes.net> To: <wdscobie@yahoo.com>; "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 5:12 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
Afternoon Dave, Thanks for your response. I understand, if you see a lot of anything on the market it's probably because folks don't like them that much. But we need to physically see one before we make any decisions to buy one. That's why we're researching owners' in the hopes of finding some one within 150 or so of us(Mentone Alabama) that would allow us to take a look. Thanks for your time....John ----- Original Message ----- From: "W David Scobie" <wdscobie@yahoo.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 1:57 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Montgomery 17
john & joy:
i'm a M15 owner (wishing to 'move up' to the 17).
sleeping - the forward v-berth is the location. the compression post does 'split' the berth. the 1/4 berths are good for seating, not adult sleeping.
seating - one can sit in the 17 no problem (unless you are long in body and over 6'4"). one cannot stand when in the cabin.
overnighting - if you work well together one can do multiple weeks/months in the 17 ... but my perspective is from the M15 and tent-camping. the Mboats can carry more stuff than you can really need ... under the berths, the stern end of the quarterberths and cockpit locters.
potty: under the v-berth, starboard side of the compression post.
steel centerboard & ballast - only the older boats the the steel. the new boats are lead. the current model M15 & M17 use the same centerboard. see SCRED's www-site for a page about the steel centerboard/ballast and the M17 (link below).
you are correct that there are not many used M17s available ... there is a reason for this. they are GREAT boats!
dave scobie M15 #288 - SCRED visit Scred's www-site: http://www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred
--- On Sat, 11/15/08, John Merrell <mayrel@hughes.net> wrote:
Greetings, We're researching various trailerable "pocket cruisers" such as the Montgomery 17, ComPac Sun Cat, Precision 18 and Catalina 18 MK II. Since Montgomery sells direct to the public from California, it's difficult to view on of these fine boats. With that said, we're soon to be retired and want to do some "trailer sailing" to enhance our retirement activities. Having owned a Skipper 20 and a Morgan OutIsland 30, we have some sailing experience. We've emailed Montgomery with some questions, but we'd prefer to obtain information from M17 owners. One of our first questions is does the cabin have sufficient room for two adults to spend 3 to 4 nights on the hook? How much sitting headroom is there, especially where the head is located? How long and wide are the berths? Without opening ports, is there enough ventalation, or would dorades be a good idea? What about the steel centerboard; is maintenance difficult and what all is required to keep it working properly? We realize we're asking a lot of questions, but Montgomery's are expensive new and there doesn't seem to be many pre-owned M17's on the market. Again, it's difficult to find one to even look over. So we are hoping we can find some help through this avenue. Early thanks for any help you can provide. Sincerely, John and Joy
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