Hi Paul,I have had good luck untying stubborn knots using vise grips where trying to use a marlin spike or a fid failed.My knowledge of the M 17 is nil, however with the M 15 the knot should be tied so that when lowered the centre board is just short of striking the trunk when under way. I would think tis is also true for your boat. Best of luck, RTH. -----Original Message----- From: Paul and Katy Kasriel Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 2:25 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: Length of centerboard pennant on 2005 M-17 I sail "Reef-or-Madness," a 2005 M-17 (hull # 628) out of Sturgeon Bay, WI. A knot was tied on the centerboard pennant by a previous owner that prevents the centerboard from dropping more than 1' 4" from its fully-up position in its trunk. Should the board be able to drop further? I would experiment except for the fact that the knot appears to be almost impossible to untie. Also, my cockpit seems to drain exceptionally slowly. For example, a day or two after a rain, there remains residual water in the cockpit. I have checked the cockpit drains and they are not clogged. Admittedly, I do have enough gear in the cabin to sustain me on an ocean crossing, but even when I place the full weight of my 170 pound torso on the top of the stern wet locker lid, the cockpit still drains slowly. Is this typical of 2005 M-17s? Paul Kasriel