Weird, Ron . . . Do you have a compression post, or do those hollow "deck beams" support the mast? Jerry doesn't mention foam core in his M17 history . . . ----- Original Message ----- From: "ron and cathryn goodspeed" <rcgoodspeed@mac.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 7:30 PM Subject: Balsa-core deck Hello Tom and Jane, Our 1974 M17 "hula pie" is hull # 025 and the only core material is foam which is used only in the cockpit floor and hatch covers and the forward hatch. I don't know what the small block under the mast step is. Nor do I know what materials are in the transom which is about one inch thick. There are 4 semicircular deck "beams" inside the cabin top which appear to be hollow. Everything else is glass. Ron Goodspeed