Mark, Everything sounds ok. There should be 4 large flat washers that go on both sides of the shroud thimbles, 1 to ease the mast wear and 1 to keep the thimble from sliding over the bolt head/nut. The bolt on my M15 has bent in the middle, probably due to strain, but I am still using it. If you ever replace the shrouds/forestay you might consider puting in a hound assembly instead of the bolt (Dywer Aluminum Mast co - part DH856a). The hound assembly will change the the length of the standing rigging and I do not know if the chain plate adjusters have enough room to take up the slack. The mast should be raked aft and the standing rigging should be slightly loose. I do use a topping lift and wouldn't be without one ( or a boom kicker but big $). Most small boat topping lifts are adjustable, either from the boom or the mast. Mine is adjustable at the mast. I but a small cheek block as far up the mast as it will go. The line is fixed to the end of the boom (bowline), runs to the top of the mast through the block and back down to an existing cleat on the mast. Enjoy your new Montgomery:-) Doug Kelch M15 #310 "Seas the Day" --- On Tue, 12/9/08, Mark Delin <fernandelin@sbcglobal.net> wrote: From: Mark Delin <fernandelin@sbcglobal.net> Subject: M_Boats: Foreguy and Shroud Attachments to Mast on M-15 To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 12:34 AM Hi All, We have finally put the mast up on our recently purchased 1981 M-15, and I am wondering if it is rigged to factory specs. The shrouds are attached to a bolt that goes through the mast, being threaded through a thimble around which the wire rigging of each shroud is secured on each side of the mast. The foreguy goes through a hole in the front of the mast, and I think that this same bolt that holds the shrouds is threaded through the thimble on the end of the foreguy inside the mast. It seems adequately secure for such a small boat, but I wonder still. Any thoughts? Or if this isn't standard, does anyone have a picture or description of what it is supposed to look like? Also, do most of you use a topping lift? It doesn't look as if we have one. Thanks! Mark Delin Seabright 1981 M-15 San Diego _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats