Re: M_Boats: Positive Floatation
Randy, thanks for the tip: Ted's Sailing Page does have some very helpful contributions to the discussion of floatation. (see http://sites.netscape.net/tedsailingpage/Floatation.html) Specifically, it is very helpful to know that fiberglass weighs 125 lbs per cubic foot. Using Ted's method of calculation, a fully swamped M15 would displace about 3.8 cubic feet all by itself, without any added foam. However -- the brochure states that "We also core the V-berth section of the liner with foam so that it's strong yet light." In addition, the balsa-cored decks need to be taken into account. So the swamped M-15 unquestionably will displace even more than that 3.8 cu/ft of fiberglass. But how much more? I'm willing to chalk up small unknown amounts of displacement, such as the balsa deck cores, to extra reserve boyancy and leave them out of the calculations. But what about the alleged foam-cored V-berth area? Does anyone have the slightest idea how much volume of foam we might be talking about? How thick is it? and how much of the hull liner is constructed in this way? Also, does anyone know: were all the M15s built with that foam cored hull liner? (I have already found other claims in the brochure which do not seem to apply to my #152, such as the alleged "cavernous" port cockpit locker.) Steve M15 #152
Did a first sail last week on my new old boat, 15-196, an 82' model. The trailer will require an overhaul but the boat appears to be sound. We had a very windy day and she sailed OK...healed over quite a bit so we put in a reef and pulled out the Yankee. She came with three jibs, the main, and a spinnaker. We had a large time until we attempted to put her on the trailer. That's when we discovered the centerboard has broken at the pin and was dangling under the boat by the rope. Fortunately I was wearing a wetsuit so I got under there and cut it off. Looks to me that it had been cracked for some time because most of the break is discolored. There was only about a square half inch still together. Anyone else had to replace the centerboard? Suggestions? Now that I've sniffed around every inch of the boat (which didn't take long) I wonder what you folks do with the crazy space under the cockpit. Clearly I can access it only from inside the boat and even then only limited access. Also, it seems to me that the bilge doesn't drain...right? Hers is full of black dirt. How do you get in there to clean it out? Is there any documentation describing how the mainsheet is meant to be rigged? I think I had it right but there were a few blocks unused on the boom. Thanks, Dave Rossi
David, My centerboard dropped on me several years ago. It was relatively simple to punch out the pin. It goes out either side. Mine also exhibited aged cracks. I had it repaired at a fiberglass shop but when I was reinstalling it my grip on the line slipped and it dropped hard and broke again. I took it back to the shop (rather red faced) and this time had them enlarge the area to be replaced and install a 6 inch eye bolt. The centerboard now pivots on a stainless steel eye imbedded in the fiberglass which, I like to think, spreads the stress to more than just that corner of the board. The cockpit drains into the centerboard housing. Flushing with lots of water while the centerboard is down should eventually get ride of any accumulation of mud trapped in the box shaped housing through which the drain flows. Once your remove your centerboard you could get at the underside of the drain. It isn't a big opening and it can get partially blocked. Inside the cabin, the bilge does not drain. What you are finding is probably the accumulation of years of dirt - or the grunge deposited through a leak at the backside of the cockpit drain housing. Slapping some fiberglass (or 1,000MPH tape) around the back of that box should stop the leak. A mirror will help you analyze what is going on back there. You should have two clam cleats on the starboard side of your mast under the main hallard jam cleat. There should also be two lengths of line fixed to the port side of the mast. The shorter one runs through the eye on the underside of your gooseneck and clamps off in one of the clam cleats. That's your cunningham. The longer line runs through the tack reef point grommet and ties off with a slip knot on the starboard side of the sail until you need to reef. Then it serves as your tack and holds the mainsail in reef by locking into the other clam sheet.
Dave, Sorry for all that about the cleats on the mast - I read right past your saying it was the boom. The unused blocks may be part of your jiffy reefing setup. Tied off at the clew, a line passes through the aft mainsail cringle then down to a cheek block near the back of the boom. The line runs forward to a clam cleat. Stan M-15, #177, Carol II
--- David Rossi <David.Rossi@wcom.com> wrote:
Anyone else had to replace the centerboard? Suggestions? I lost my centerboard due the pin coming out while sailing. The pin actually came loose due to trailering vibrations and I didn't notice it. You can find my used Centerboard on the bottom of Nantucket sound about half way between Hyannis Ma and Nantucket:) If you find it you can keep it.
I obtained new board via Bob Egg but discovered that it wouldn't quite fit into the well. It turns out the older M15s were built with iron as part of the keel. The Iron will swell with time probably due to internal rust. My M15 is #310 built in 1984. I had to grind the gel coat off both sides of the CB to get it to fit. I made a long handled gauge to move around the centerboard well to find the swelling so that I new where the tight spots were. I lightly epoxy-y+ied the pin in and it vibrated out again. I covered the ends of the pin with boat life and it came out again. I finally covered both end of the pin with sail repair tape and the pin is staying in.
drain...right? Hers is full of black dirt. How do you get in there to clean it out? I use a shop vac to retrieve lost items that find their way to the bilge. It is a wet/dry vac so when I have spilled water in there by accident I use it to suck the water out. So... dry vac for valuables, add water, stir well and suck it up:)
Is there any documentation describing how the mainsheet is meant to be rigged? I think I had it right but there were a few blocks unused on the boom.
On older boats it is not unusual for someone to have changed the rigging so answers to this may not make sense. I believe my boat has the original equipment with a rope traveler and two blocks at the traveler end, one used by the traveler and one for the mainsheet. The mainsheet ties to a becket?(thingy)at the end of the boom, goes through the block on the traveler and up to the block on the end of the boom, through the block about mid boom and down to the mainsheet cleat just in front of the cabin entrance.
Thanks, Doug Kelch "Seas the Day" M15 #310
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Doug Kelch wrote:
I lightly epoxy-y+ied the pin in and it vibrated out again. I covered the ends of the pin with boat life and it came out again. I finally covered both end of the pin with sail repair tape and the pin is staying in.
A friend made a new centerboard for me out of 1/2" plate steel this past summer. A new board ordered from Bob E. didn't fit into the slot of my 1981 M15 (the board was later passed on to Doug who made his previously mentioned modifications). Rather than epoxy the pin in when I installed the board, my friend tapped the ends of the pin, inserted flat head allen bolts through 1" diameter stainless caps and Loctited the bolts into the ends of the pin. The caps were machined so that the head of the bolts fit flush inside of them. The result is a one inch diameter by 1/8th inch thick disc on either side of my keel. If I need to remove the pin in the future, I will only have to lightly heat the bolts to break the Loctite and remove them. Dale Williams "Sophie Mae" M15 #185
Rather than epoxy the pin in when I installed the board, my friend tapped the ends of the pin, inserted flat head allen bolts through 1" diameter stainless caps and Loctited the bolts into the ends of the pin. The caps were machined so that the head of the bolts fit flush inside of them. The result is a one inch diameter by 1/8th inch thick disc on either side of my keel. If I need to remove the pin in the future, I will only have to lightly heat the bolts to break the Loctite and remove them.
Dale, Great idea. You've actually built the better moustrap. I haven't had any problem with my centerboard, but if the pivot pin ever needs repair or replacement I'll use my little Unimat lathe to fabricate a pin like the one you described. Joe Kidd M15 #207 "Poco A Poco"
participants (6)
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Dale Williams -
David Rossi -
Doug Kelch -
Joe Kidd -
Stan Winarski -
Steve_McClellan＠hmco.com