I took my new 23 year old M15 (hull 172) apart screw by screw to see if there was any damage to screws and places that cannot be seen. I also refinished the teak. I only found a small area of damage under the anchor plate. I'm amazed at how well the M15 has held up over the years. While checking every nook and cranny, I noticed that the bilge is not closed. Water could go into the trunk with the ballast, and I'm assuming that water would go to the bottom along with the ballast. I don't think all of it could be pumped out since there are metal strip packed in there. I could reach several pieces and pulled them out for inspection. I noticed that the metal laying in the trunk is rusted. Has anyone glassed over this ballast opening? If glassed with a well of sorts, this could be a collection point for bilge water in order to be pumped out. Does anyone know if this should be glassed in to prevent water from going into the trunk? Also, I have large sheets of hard Styrofoam placed all around under the cockpit. It is stuffed so tight that there is no storage space in the cockpit hatches. Is this normal, or was the past boat owner overly flotation conscious? I guess I'm asking if the Monty will float without the extra Styrofoam? Norm Ventura CA