Bill, 100% mainsail luff engagement - bolt ropes rule! Another boltroper and d*mn proud of it! GO In a message dated 5/22/2009 6:55:30 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, wriker@mindspring.com writes: I am going to count this whole hassle as another checkmark in the boltrope column. Bill Riker M15 - #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Tom Jenkins Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 12:28 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: Re: M_Boats: mast configuration Dave, I agree 2-3" is a little low if you are rigging and unrigging often. How about a short cutout just above where the boom rides, which in my boat is about a foot up? With a track stop above the opening, you could drop the sail and secure it without it shooting out of the slot, or let it all run out for unrigging with some turns of a thumbscrew. As for reefing, my cringles reach the boom over the pile of sail, but there is probably lots of variability among years and between the 15 and 17. There was a great thread about modifications to the mast a number of months ago, so I will seek them out. Tom Jenkins M17 Scintilla ----- Original Message ----- From: "W David Scobie" <wdscobie@yahoo.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 6:44 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: mast configuration SWEET PEA's (hull #375, 1983 build) mast has the 'opening' set very low ... 2-3" from the cabin-top. i find it anoying thus far as i must leave ALL slugs in when reefing (so the reef is set a bit 'high' IMO) and i must load the sail and then the boom ... this is a big PITA. the setup adds about 5 minutes to the rigging process. SCRED, my M15, has the opening much higher - at least 18" above the cabin-top. this allowed for putting the boom in place and then loading the main easily and quickly. reefing was also a cleaner operation. it seems at times many boats leave jerry's and bob's shop with 'own custom options'. dave scobie M17 #375 - sweet pea (http://www.m17-375.webs.com) M15 #288 - SCRED (for sale, http://www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred --- On Thu, 5/21/09, Tom Jenkins <tjenk@gte.net> wrote: Hello all, I assume the cutout on the M17 mast slot is designed to accomodate a boltrope main (by both size and location), but I find that it is not perfect for slugs. Among other things, one of my slugs falls right in the cutout on a double reef. Is there a reason why the cutout could not be, say, 8-12" from the mast bottom, assuming most newer boats come with slug-type sails? Thanks, Tom Jenkins _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet! _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet! _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet! **************A strong credit score is 700 or above. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585033x1201462753/aol?redir=http... cd=Maystrongfooter52309NO115)