1) My M15 is fantastically maneuverable, but seems awfully tippy. If I'm not on the sheets a gust can push me over or at least give a good scare to passengers. I kinda figure that it's because I've got too much mast, as I put all the parts together from scratch (got the hull only to begin with - for $25!) but I'd like to know if anyone else experiences this. I've made every mistake once, including a knockdown with passengers which could have been scary, but turned out to be kinda fun (this could be hindsight...) without knowing the size of your sails, mast & boom it is hard to know if you are running with more sq.feet than the stock M15. as already stated the M15 does not have a lot of initial stability. i find SCRED wants to lean at 10-15 degrees. in any but the lightest winds you need to keep a hand on the main sheet. the M15 is a 'lot of boat' but still very small. I noticed that another M15 has lots of it in the same place (not under the cockpit, though) - I believe it was SCRED.
SCRED does have two LARGE blocks of foam under the cockpit. This is 'stock' for the M15. The photos on SCRED's www don't show the foam well as it is almost the same white as the internal spaces as painted by jerry.
3) Finally, anyone have advice on pulling out the centerboard? Is it cast iron or are there differences between manufacture dates? I believe mine is either an '81 or '82. I'd like to pull it out, examine it and see if I should clean it up or do any other work on it...
there are a good series of pictures at msogphotosite.com, and i think msog.org, showing the removal and repair of the M15 centerboard. dave scobie M15 #288 - SCRED visit Scred's www-site: http://www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred