Hello everyone! My wife, Debora, and I (Rick) have just purchased a 2005 M17 from a very nice fellow down in southern CA. I just arrived back in Seattle with the M17 yesterday. Dan, the former owner, has owned Montgomery sailboats for over 30 years and only sold this barely used one because he messed up his back and can't single hand anymore (poor fellow). He installed numerous extra blocks and cleats...it is going to take some time to figure out his rigging plan since the 95 degree heat during the loading of the boat for trailering melted my brain while he was explaining things. I was also a little dizzy from having seen the boat ad on Monday night, buying a plane ticket that same night, and handing him a cashier's check Tuesday at noon! I have never been *quite* that spontanious before, but when you see a dream boat barely used for half price of new, you gotta act fast. Dan was also one of the nicest guys I have met, and kept tossing additional items I might need into my Uhaul making me feel even more guilty for taking his boat. When he handed me a set of padlocks that he had wrapped in protective foam so they would not scratch the gelcoat when installed on the lockers, I knew I had made a good purchase. We plan on doing a dry run of completely setting her up for sail this weekend in the driveway, then packing up and taking a test sail on Lake Washington. After we get a bit used to her and think we will not look completely clueless, it would be great to meet up with anyone for a day sail around the Sound or something. Our previous sailing experience consists of taking the first serious of sailing courses from Windworks at Shilshole marina and then taking out their Catalina 25 boats a few times for daysails. Hopefully what we learned on the Cat 25 boats will transfer to sailing the M17. Anyway, just wanted to drop a line and introduce ourselves. I look foward to sailing in the Puget Sound area with some of you soon! Rick