Thanks for the tips on the boltrope, Tod. I think a lot of practice is going to make a lot of things smoother for us, definitely! I've heard about how interesting Bella Coola BC is. Isn't that the place with such a steep, rugged terrain coming down into it that the government wouldn't fund a road, so the community hired loggers to do it, or something close? I think my Dad may have told me that. I'll have to ask him if he sailed there. Was BuscaBrisas trailered there? A very twisty, steep road doesn't sound like trailering fun! Our family spent much of our time living on our sailboat on the east coast of Vancouver island. One of our favorite family stories is about a guy named Frank that we met, who lived on a sailboat he'd built out of driftwood, sealed up with creosote, I think. He was based on Hornby island where there was a sort of hippy enclave that we visited a couple of times. The most interesting thing, (to the teenage me and my sister), was that Frank preferred to always sail nude in the summertime! (And hike nude, and swim nude...) Danelle "Ceto" M17 #378 Ketchikan, AK ----- Original Message ---- From: "htmills@zoominternet.net" <htmills@zoominternet.net> To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 5:27:44 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: First sail finally! Quite the tale, Danelle! My boat, BuscaBrisas, has been up towards your way even if I haven't. A previous owner sailed her from Port Angeles, WA to Bella Coola BC and back one summer. Still quite a ways from Ketchikan, but... Regarding the boltrope, you have a couple of options: You can stay with the boltrope and just work on your technique, which will make a very big difference or you can add (or have someone add if you prefer) slugs to the sail. If you stay with the boltrope, on a 17 you'll probably need to get up next to the mast on the starboard side. What I've done on boats with a boltrope is first get the sail generally situated and straightened out, then guide it with my right hand by loosely holding the boltrope below the opening and along the mast just forward of the opening. The exact position usually isn't critical and the best place varies depending on the shape of the opening. Then pull on the halyard with my left hand while loosely guiding with the right, passing the halyard to my right (which is also holding the sail) so that the halyard doesn't go swinging off somewhere or the sail come sliding back down. Then I reach up again with the left for another purchase on the halyard, pull it down while feeding with the right, pass off to the right and reach up again... After doing it a few times it becomes a smooth motion, easier done than said. If you add slugs, technique is less important and I find I can leave my left foot in the cockpit and just place my right foot on the side deck to reach the halyard on the mast and haul away. Alternatively, you could run the halyard back to the cockpit, but I prefer mine at the mast as it is convenient there if reefing the sail. The slugs all stack up just above the gooseneck. With such a short foot, one long sail tie isn't so bad if you tie it on using the "log hitch". I generally use two, sometimes three, ties though. If the sail doesn't slide easily in the groove, you can get a special dry lubricant made especially for the purpose, such as McLube. Can make a big difference. I use that once or twice a season. A can has lasted me a few years now. Tod Mills M17 #408, 1987 galley model BuscaBrisas No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.2/1471 - Release Date: 5/28/2008 5:33 PM _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats