My Fellow and Fella MSOGgies, 1. Well, We're sitting here watching "Teenage Space Vampires" on the tube and We says to Ourself, "Hmmm...vampire...bloodsucker...time for the MSOG fund drive!" Perfect timing--just after the Public Radio/TV Spring Fund Drive and right before April 15th taps everybody. Perhaps we're looking at blood from a turnip (not that anyone's a turnip; everybody knows vegetables can't read a nautical chart, not like ornamental flowers can. You don't believe it? Really? Two words: Compass Rose. Here's another: Day Marx: Communist navigation aids, but only the red ones, which should always stay on the left. Go figure.) Anyway, as you may remember, last year We (I can use the royal "We", We am, after all, a King, in fact, my parents nearly named me "Nojets") requested sufficient funds to pay for a first-class round-trip airline ticket, rental car, luxury suite, laptop, scanner, and color laser printer so that We could go to California to gather stuff for the MSOG site directly from the factory. And We paraphrase: "These add up to a total of just $10,300. Since we're on a roll, and to strike while the iron is hot, if we go by Keith's numbers that there are 25 regular users, We'd like to ask you each to send Us only $410. It's actually $412, but hey, We'll spring for the extra $50." We're sad to say we didn't quite make that goal (We didn't even cough up the 50.) This year, We really think we have a chance to do something big, since there are so many new MSOGgies now. Our suggestion is that we all chip in and buy the web master a new M-23 so that They can report firsthand on its capabilities. Naturally, it should be fully outfitted so that They can report on all of the features. Think of the slogan: "The Montgomery 23: Fit for a"--well, you get the idea. And of course, anyone who donates would get to use the Royal Barge, if you can find where We live or a body of water within six hours' drive that's bigger than the boat itself. In lieu of that, once again We respectfully ask for a small donation from those of you who think the MSOG web site is worth $5 a year. Any extra funds will go to the "Buy That Royal Web Guy A Beer" Fund (or royal something Fund, if that's how you feel.) Any ADDITIONAL funds will go to buy Tod a computer with a date on it. (Good Luck, Tod, We're thirsty--We're afraid you're stuck with your ENIAC.) ;) Please send your donation to: HRH Doug King 704 Ascot Lane Blacksburg, VA 24060 2. Just as a little added incentive, We have the latest set of pictures and narration from Bob Eeg on the new 23. Bob sent them today. He and Jerry have finished the mold and started production. Must be about 25 new pictures, one of which should win an award. Fascinating stuff. Incredible. Amazing. But, tuh, gee, We just can't seem to find the time to get to 'em until Our, uh, financial problems are taken care of--yeah, that's the ticket, financial problems. Yeah, can't do anything until--aaah, forget it. they're up on the web site under Meet the M-boats, New M-23, "Part 3: The Production". Or click: http://msog.org/models/m23new/Part3_new23.cfm here. Something to browse this weekend. 3. For the MSOGgies planning rendezvous-ses(?), don't forget the MSOG Chat Room is available. You can all get on at once and work out plans, or become more confused, pretty quickly. 4. Please, please, PLEASE report bad links or errors that you find on the web site. It won't upset Us a whit. We want it to work the way it oughta. Just found out the M-15 painting screensaver .zip file probably hasn't worked for months, if ever. We're sure We tested it, but We could be wrong. We're a King, not a Pope. 5. If there is any information you would like to see on the web site or, especially new owners, if there is any information you have that you think would be useful, please e-mail me and we'll type about it. New or repair projects with pictures are always of interest. Seriously, your MSOG donation would be very much appreciated. All in fun except the sentence above, Doug ------------------------------------------ Doug King M-17 #404 "Vixen" Montgomery Sailboats Owners Group Web site: http://msog.org Email: mailto:msog@msog.org