Hi Jerry This sounds like fun! Is this going to be for yourself, or will it be a commercially-available option? Speaking for myself, my Monty is easily the best boat I've ever owned. Lyle is a designer after my own heart... this boat sails and handles like a dream. I have lots of confidence in the design. But there are a few things I wish I could have that would be different. The main thing is the cabin size... mine is a '79 dinette model... I wish I had a cabin that was big enough for two people to sit and have a cup of coffee in the rain, with some sort of table... it wouldn't have to be permanent, could be folding or removable. I know this means a larger boat... say, 19-20 feet or so. But there's no way I'll ever be able to afford a 23, and that's about my only other Hess option. I'd spend a lot more time on my boat if I could set up a desk of sorts, and read or write. I know, it can be done after a fashion on my 17, but I'd prefer a designed option, rather than my usual cobbled- together solutions. The Monty cockpit is another very strong point, and the high coamings forward give me a real feeling of security, BUT... I would have definitely molded in a small bridgedeck under the traveller. This would prevent water form heading below should the scuppers get clogged, and you've got to step over the traveller to go below anyway. One of my hairbrained small-business schemes would be to build a small female mold for a bridgedeck/storage locker to add as an aftermarket upgrade for these boats... one that can be caulked into place (so that the next buyer can revert it back to stock, if he/she doesn't like my "improvement." I bet I'd sell four, maybe even five whole units! Move over, Beneteau, we're takin' over the sailboat market!) On second thought, maybe I'll just do a one-off fiberglass over-foam. If you're designing from scratch, another thing I'd ask the designer to do if at all possible. Make all spaces at least big enough for your hand. Specifically, I'm thinking of when I had to replace the traveller. The top surface of the liner nearly touches the bottom of the deck, making access to the traveller bolts very difficult unless the hull and deck are separated. Try to think ahead ten or even twenty years, when the boat's systems have to be repaired or replaced, and leave access space. (even if you can't put in all the access hatches you'd like because of the cost, try to design them in and leave the installation up to the final owner. Run wiring and plumbing in the upper corner of a liner, and keep the center area clear so a jigsaw blade can penetrate.) I know this isn't always practical and certainly complicates things, but designing for longevity is an important goal in terms of resource management and it'll help the resale. I know you had this in mind when you molded the 17, and left solid fiberglass where bolts pass through the deck. That's probably why my boat still has a solid deck core after all these years. Thanks! Keep us posted on the project, it's great fun to be involved in the design-and-dreaming phase. Best BG Brian Gilbert Author, Fix It And Sail, The Complete Trailer Sailer On May 13, 2009, at 9:51 PM, montgomery_boats-request@mailman.xmission.com wrote:
strake:? How do you think the average buyer, looking for a boat in this size range, would look at a lapstrake hull as opposed to a smooth hull?? You and I are probably prejudiced so we don't count.? People can see that a lapstrake hull is dryer (but not much, really) and they can see that it's stiffer- a