Hi Herb, I've sailed most of my life. Had a 29 footer for 26 years; worked my way up to a 38 footer - found I was over boated.... and then at 72 years of age I downsized to a Bolger MICRO, a ComPac 16, and finally the M15. The M15 is an absolute delight to sail, and I only gave up sailing at about 84 year of age, when Neptune tapped me on the shoulder and suggested I was getting a bit old for mast stepping. The only caveat is, that being a 15 footer, it sails well with two people on board - with three and even four if the others are children. You just don't want it to squat in the stern, so weight distribution is reasonably critical. I sailed our M15 mostly by myself, sitting as close to the companionway as I could. M15s are great boats. You'll have lots of fun with yours.... Connie Benneck ex M15 #400 LEPPO ----- Original Message ---- From: Herb Stokes <hms152@yahoo.com> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 8:25:21 AM Subject: M_Boats: M15, experience (lack of) and location Hello all, I'm very close to ordering an M15 and thought I'd try to get some reassurance before I jump. I have very little sailing experience (maybe 10 or 12 trips) but have 30-35 years boating experience, so I feel I have a good handle on the basic seamanship aspect of things. Here on the South Carolina coast we get an "afternoon seabreeze" of about 12-15 mph almost everyday throughout the summer. I've been looking at alot of different boats for a long time and I keep coming back to the Montgomerys. I'll be sailing the rivers and harbors, not out front. It is reasonable to think an M15 is a good choice for this. And, at 56, is this to lively a boat to manage, while leaning to sail? From all the reading I've done, I know there are a lot of seasoned veterans out there, so I'd appreciate any input you guys might have. Herb Stokes ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats