Got it! Have fUn, go sailing! GO M-15 #330 ‘Cahoots’ On Fri, Oct 14, 2022 at 1:47 PM Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Don't know if I made it clear. You can do this (picture attached) on the m15-bridle and get the pulley on either side justby looping around the cleat.
On Friday, October 14, 2022, 12:50:43 PM PDT, casioqv@usermail.com < casioqv@usermail.com> wrote:
Rusty, your statement reminds me of my favorite quote from "Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach" by Don Casey:
"Some of the cruising books devote a page or two to the issue of external halyards versus internal halyards. Which kind does your boat have? Those are the ones for you."
That quote was a huge relief to me and changed everything about sailing. I used to have a feeling that I always needed to upgrade things, change things, or get a different boat. Now I just enjoy sailing and forget about all of that.
That said, if you like racing and like the engineering challenge, it can be really fun to do stuff like this, and can give you enough edge to win. Gary's previous M17 is really impressive, and truly fast with some brilliant modifications.
Sincerely, Tyler '81 M15 #157 S/V Defiant
----- Original Message ----- From: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: "Rusty Knorr" <rustyinafrica@yahoo.com> Sent: Friday, October 14, 2022 11:56:35 AM Subject: M_Boats: Re: Main Sail Traveller
Just keep the M15 simple. It works perfectly as designed. All the time you spend trying to improve a virtually perfect boat could be spent enjoying sailing it. You’re not going to go from 5 knots to even 6 with any upgrades on that dinghy, any “improvements” could only result in tenths of a knot at most, and only add unnecessary complication with more things to fail.
Just go sailing!
R.
www.rustyknorr.weebly.com
On Oct 14, 2022, at 10:33 AM, casioqv@usermail.com wrote:
Hi Gary,
I remember many years ago I borrowed and tried your split tail mainsheet on my M15, and just tied the tails to the two aft cleats. It's possible that some more tweaking could have fixed this, but I found that I could not point well to weather in light winds compared to the factory setup, and my sail shape was really weird looking. If I remember correctly, my theory at the time was that it wasn't working because I could only get any headstay tension with the boom perfectly centered, and depending on conditions (especially very light wind) sometimes I wanted more tension with the boom a bit leeward.
The stock M15 rigging can point to windward in very light wind better than almost any boat. A few weeks ago I did the Richmond Yacht Club (RYC) beercan race in very light winds, and found my M15 actually passing high end racing sailboats of all sizes.
I am thinking for an M15, possibly an adjustable cleat for each tail could be useful. Using a continuous loop type system, they could both be adjusted from one side of the cockpit.
Sincerely, Tyler '81 M15 #157
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary H.Oberbeck" <fairandsquare1@gmail.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: "Charles Adams" <chaada@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2022 7:03:48 PM Subject: M_Boats: Re: Main Sail Traveller
I no longer sail a M-17 as I downsized to a 15, but I had a mainsheet system that solved all the concerns I had for an ‘open and clear’ cockpit space AND allowed the boom to come above centerline when I required it. Looks too good to be true, but it works. Back in my dinghy racing days, it became fashionable to use a ‘split tail mainsheet. Snipes,C-15’s and other classes have used the split tail for decades. Using the system you are able to move the boom to weather of the centerline as far as a cockpit seat top mounted track without the hardware intruding into that valuable cockpit space. You have less deck penetrations to leak. You will have more money for new sails. You will not have: a track running across your cockpit, banged shins, crew sitting on your traveler, additional control lines, to remember to drop or pull the traveler to the new tack. If you like hardware- ignore the split tail sheet system- if you like simple systems that work, search out ‘split tail mainsheet’ systems. I have tried with limited success to explain the machinations involved, best shown in practice (I have never been a geometry teacher). I no longer own the boat so I cannot make a video. Would you like one less control to attend to, but still have the benefit of a mainsheet traveler? Check it out.
PS- I have not yet tried this setup on a M-15, but it should work. Mainsheet tension is not a function of the sheet in order to work, note most dinghies do not have a backstay to maintain headstay tension. Photos of a ‘clear cockpit’ and a split tail mainsheet on the above mentioned M-17. Have fUn, check out ‘split tail mainsheet’, go sailing! GO