It's nice to hear of another M-boat on Lake Erie! Sounds like maybe your home waters are Mosquito Creek? When Bill Riker on M15 Storm Petrel used to live closer, he and I in my 17 used to sail out of Sadler Basin in Sandusky. I've contemplated a sail from Sandusky to Erie before (about 125nm-130nm as the crow flies), but as yet haven't done it, and am unfortunately currently tied up with a non-sailing renovation project, so no sailing presently. Previously have sailed from Sandusky over to Leamington, ON before. Made the same trip some years earlier with my Thistle. That has the advantage of having a chain of islands to mostly hide behind in the event of strong winds. "except for going forward holding the last 20’ of rode and securing to the bow cleat. This would be very tough in heavier air and waves." You can avoid that by beforehand having a line (call it a hauler line) run from the cockpit to the bow to a strong turning point of your choice (trailering bow eye or a bow cleat?) and back to the cockpit outside the shrouds to a snatch block. Capture the sea anchor in the snatch block and haul the snatch block back towards the bow. You can adjust the angle the sea anchor comes off the weather bow by hauling or easing your hauler line from the cockpit. If you wanted, you could reverse the lines by tying the tail of the sea anchor rode off at the bow beforehand and having the hauler run from the rode back to the cockpit. Tod Mills M-17 #408 (1984 galley model) BuscaBrisas ----- Original Message ----- From: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: "E Blohm" <eblohm@rocketmail.com> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2023 12:03:11 PM Subject: M_Boats: M17 Sea Anchor test This was the week I had planned on sailing from Fairport Harbor Ohio to Erie Pa or even Buffalo NY on a long 3-5 day downwinder but it was not to be, at least this week! A dreadful weather forecast that proved to be correct (thunderstorms bringing 30-50kt winds and a tremendous amount of lightning) this weather has been going on for the last 3 day and it made me take pause! I still have my M17 in the little 5x1 mile inland lake since I decided to not trailer it up to Erie this week. I was able to give my ParaTech 3’ storm anchor a test. The anchor has a fender float -15’ of 3mm line tied to the back of the chute to prevent it totally sinking /6’ of 3/8” chain and 200’ of 1/2” rode which is then fastened to the bow cleat. Conditions at lake were 12-16Kts 1-2’ waves. I had 1 reef in main and 115% jib rolled 1/3 up and got myself hove-too. I deployed the anchor off the windward side of the boat and payed out the system easily except for going forward holding the last 20’ of rode and securing to the bow cleat. This would be very tough in heavier air and waves. The Sea anchor set itself perpendicular to the boats slow drift downwind and backwards and held the bow maybe 10-15* higher than hove-to alone into the small choppy waves. In storm conditions while hove-to I think it would help a bit. After 20 minutes or so I struck the sails down and the Sea Anchor after a couple of the bow oscillations through the wind held the bow into waves and into the wind. Once again this would probably be a good tactic as opposed to lying a hull if caught out on bigger water. I suspect as wind velocity increases the pull and effectiveness of the sea anchor will increase. I calculated the 3’ circumference sea anchor (basically a half sphere) will have @34# of pull at 1 knot, and @126# at 2 knots drift downwind. Pulling the anchor in by hand proved relatively easy without a trip line. I debated between the 3’ and 6’ sea anchor for the M17. I think it will work but suspect the 6’ would be even better! I’ll keep my out for a 6’ one to test. Erik M17 S/V “Reef or Madness” Sent from my iPhone