Hi there, Connie. How did you rig flag halyards on your Montgomery 15? As I understand, courtesy flags are supposed to be flown below the spreader on the starboard side, but without spreaders, I wasn't sure of a good way to set this up on my Montgomery 15. David GrahBishop CaliforniaMontgomery 15 - Sky Message: 1 Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:50:50 -0500 From: Conbert Benneck <chbenneck@gmail.com> To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: Dinghies Message-ID: <ffece291-a579-6e57-57f9-564e72806d26@gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed On 6/21/2016 11:33 AM, Thomas Buzzi wrote: Tom, You're right about the fun in messing about in boats. As soon as you have bought a new boat, or a used boat, you start a process to adapt it to your sailing area's requirements; to how you use the boat - day sail or longer, overnight trips - and how you like to live on a boat; minimum facilities with just basic camping equipment; or something more elaborate. If you wear eyeglasses, do you have a built-in shelf next to the companionway where they can reside, and can be swapped instantly with your sun glasses? What about cockpit cushions? ... or do you prefer to sit on hard seats all day long? Where can you put your navigation gear so that it is in a safe place but instantly reachable when you need it? (GPS; VHF radio; binocular; compass) What about entertainment? How about a small pancake CD player and small speakers for the cockpit or the cabin? ....and a small radio for news? Did your new/used boat come equipped with flag halyards? If not, how can you raise the pig-stick with your Club pennant? Do you have a flag staff at the stern? Can you fly the Union Jack at anchor on Sunday? (Proper yachting etiquette) These and many more small changes and modifications turn a generic boat into "your" boat that suits your requirements, and that makes sailing life that much more enjoyable. Half the fun of owning a boat is solving all these little problems and coming up with clever solutions. Owning a boat changes your thinking process, and you will find that the same ideas you applied to your boat can also be applied to you regular house, and in particular, the kitchen. Another big enjoyment for me is the necessity to keep learning something new; fancy rope work; nautical history - which is the reason why Brazil speaks Portuguese and the rest of South America speaks Spanish. Spain and Portugal were at each others throats about who owns the oceans. The Pope finally got it settled with the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1467 that divided the World into the eastern half owned by Portugal, and the western part owned by Spain. The dividing line ran through what is today Brazil; ....or the art of anchoring. Build yourself a fender board. A great tool to have on board when you want to moor against a barnacle encrusted piling. You hang your fenders then hang the fender board outside the fenders. Now you can moor against a piling, and the fender board gets the scratches and dings, not your hull. Never a dull moment when you own a boat. Ciao, Connie