Matthew Lyon wrote:

Hello all... just a quick note to introduce myself. I live in western Montana and am a sea kayaker who's been bitten by the sailing bug. I don't own a sailboat yet, but have been doing a ton of research and have come to the conclusion that a M17 would be the perfect boat for us (my wife and I, with the occasional daysailing guest. We live near Flathead Lake, a pretty big "mini ocean" (it's the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi....) and would love to eventually trailer west and explore Puget Sound and points north. As kayakers we really like to get into the shallow out of the way places the big boats can't get to, so the M17's shoal draft definitely appeals to me.

When I first started looking into boats, I was attracted to the WWPotter 19, especially the beachability, and positive flotation, but I'm getting the feeling that the Montgomery is a lot more boat... tougher and more seaworthy. (not a small consideration on Flathead and some of the other cruising areas that interest us.) I'd be interested in hearing people's comments and opinions about how the two boats compare, both in build and sailing manners. Coming from the quiet world of kayaking, the idea of a boat that sails well is important. I'd love to be able to never have to start the motor all season...

Anyone out there moving up to a bigger boat who's got a M17 that they're ready to part with? I'm not adverse to putting in some "sweat equity" on the right boat, so old is fine. (ok better even... I've got a kid in college and a less expensive boat I can work on as money permits would be great!) At any rate, I look forward to listening in, learning and finding out more about the M-boats and sailing in general.

regards, Matthew Lyon

_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats

Matthew- Your logic is sound. I live in Seeley Lake (about 75 miles south of Flathead) and have a M15. I wouldn't hesitate to put it on Flathead, and I'm very confident it will get me back that 10 miles when the weather changes. It will handle the big water just fine, and I'm sure the M17 will probably be better. I haven't really looked at a Potter 19, but the Potter 15, in my opinion, doesn't compare to the M15 if you are looking for rugged and seaworthy. I'll bet the comparison between the 17 and the 19 is similar. I also think smaller is better in Montana. I've got a Ranger 20 and I much prefer to trailer, launch and rig the M15. The Montgomery will be as easy to deal with as most daysailers--and therefore probably get used more. Best of luck! Jim Kyle