Much thanks, John. This is just the kind of hard info a new guy like me needs. This isn't just something out of a brochure. I take the implication what's good for the 15 is all the more so for the 17. The only other thing I wonder is what tears loose first. Does the boat have a weak point? The stop pin, the rudder hardware, the rudder blade? Do any of you work the foredeck from the fore hatch. That alone wd justify having a small cruiser in extreme conditions. Has anybody taken an offshore capsize or complete rollover? Will the bow bury in a short chop? ED> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> From: theoldcat@cox.net> Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:42:45 -0600> Subject: M_Boats: Re: M17 heavy weather capabilities> > Reference Ed's and Gary's notes on M17s in the 1/3/08 postings, I had > some fine sailing away back when.> Here is my personal experience that I posted last August, and it is > from my journal, not from> my fading and likely boasting memory. My first M15 "Joy" #264 was,> like Jerry's, well-ballasted. She had two 27 group deep cycle> batteries in the bilge to power the Minn-Kota trolling motor that I> mounted through the bilge, just aft of the keel. In mid-November of> 1989--I was a very young 60 way back then--I trailed to Stockton Lake> in Southwest Missouri, a Corps of Engineers impoundment noted for> very low surrounding hills and plenty of wind. My wind speed and boat> speed were as read from the Dwyer hand-held wind meter, and a hand-> held Knotstick. Not electronic and high tech, but neither were the> patent logs of the old Master Mariners. With a reefed main and full> jib, I sailed out of my anchorage, and "Dwyer said winds were rarely> below 20 miles per hour, usually 20 to 30 plus, with gusts to over> 40! Knotstick reads 5 1/4 knots at times when on a close to beam> reach." "Joy's changed heavy weather capability, with the second> battery in the bilge, is remarkable. Now I'd say she is good for> fifteen to twenty miles per hour, unreefed, thirty to thirty five > with both main and jib> reefed." Now that I am a hundred years older, my "Rejoyce!" M15 #361> may never see such fine sailing, but she loves to sail. And yes,> experience helps, too, as well as a lot of ballast. I have been> sailing for over 65 years, first with my "Snipe," and then a > procession of> sailboats from a Sun Fish, 13' canoe with a sail designed for an 18> footer, Philippine dugout canoe ("Banca"), Pearson Triton, so many> others, and aboard a 103' three stick schooner in winds over 70 knots> bucking a strong current, with waves over 50', in Australia's Tasman> Sea, complete with a couple knock downs and a pooping while I was at> the helm. Much fun! Yes, our wonderful little M15 can take a lot, if> you are prepared, properly rigged, and have some previous experience> in heavy weather.> "Grace is receiving what we do not deserve,> Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve."> > > > > _______________________________________________> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _________________________________________________________________ The best games are on Xbox 360. Click here for a special offer on an Xbox 360 Console. http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/wheretobuy/