Hello Montgomery Friends, I bought a brand new Montgomery 17 with four bronze opening portholes from Bob Egg in Ontario California seven years ago in 2000. I trailered her back to Clearlake, in northern California, where I have sailed her ever since. She rides on a buoy in Lakeport at the north end of Library Park and waits patiently there for my return. When I arrive I make sail, slip the buoy, and we're in the wind again. I launch in April and haul her out in November (because of insurance requirements). I work on her during the winter months because "Messing around with boats" is the next best thing to sailing. I spent so much time on my boat during the summer my wife finally gave up and joined me. After a few turns on the helm, especially in a bad blow when the steep chop was running, she became quite the salty dog. I seldom sail alone anymore. My wife tells our speedboat friends, "The joy is in the journey when you're sailing. Couldn't of said it better myself! This year we had a problem the day we launched. We made sail we went to lower the keel - but the rope that raises and lowers the keel broke off somewhere down in the hole! Only then did we realize why we had so much trouble slipping her off the trailer at the launch ramp. The keel must have gotten stuck on the carpet in center of the trailer! Any suggestions as to how to replace the keel rope so we can raise the keel? We'll use all the brains we've got and all the brains we can borrow! Thanks a bunch, Steve & Peggy MacDonald