For a few years I owned both an M-15 and a Vancouver 25 (imagine a pacific Seacraft Dana 24 but quirckily hand-built in Taiwan). Then, three years ago, I sold the M-15 after it had remained too-little used for too long. Now I'm wondering if that was such a smart idea. I really like my V-25, but I seem to spend far too much time solving problems. Engine problems, rig problems, replacing chain plates, finding a new propeller and shaft, new ports..... And so it goes. You're probably thing "Of _course_ there are always problems -- it's a boat", but the M-15 had few problems like this. A new centerboard and rebuilding the trailer was as far as it went. The M-15 felt rather small, though. At the boat show last year I spent rather a long time aboard the Com-Pac 23 thinking "I could live with this" but it's still pretty large. The only time I've been aboard an M-17 was at the show, and now I'm wondering about how that would work. What's the point of this message? Well... I'm asking for your thoughts. Did you downsize? Was it a good idea? What do you miss? And how about the M-17 itself -- My V-25 is pretty comfortable, but perhaps all that I really missed with the M-15 was having somewhere inside with sitting headroom. Rather a large favor, but if anybody has an M-17 that I could visit, and perhaps sail aboard I would be very grateful, and very pleased to let you try my V-25 if that was of interest (I live in McLean VA and Dolphin lives in Deale MD). Nothing is for sale or actively sought to buy, but I must admit that I'm wondering.... Giles Morris Still missing M-15 Umiaq Enjoying Vanvouver 25 Dolphin

Good points Bones, A friend of mine had neglected his Catalina 30 for over a year and asked me to take her out and use her "as if she was my own". You know to me that implies what is said, it took me a week to clean the mildew and grime of a year sitting in the sun at the marina. I was so amazed at the size of everything. After cleaning her up I tried to start the inboard atomic 4 gas engine, but found she had gotten water in the cylinders and was frozen solid. I removed and overhauled the engine, this project took me over a year to complete. During this time I parked my M-17 and covered her after washing and waxing her hull. I could not work on 2 boats at once, so.. at the beginning of summer I started taking the cat30 out for short sails and tweaked the motor, learned where all the lines led and how to work stuff, the best thing happened last week when I sailed to the marina and was checking out the other boats and after the engine failed to start (I missed my trusty yamaha4 outboard) I had to beat out the channel, I got all these stares from the boat owners thinking "he's not going to beat out, is he?" not a lot of room here especially with a 30footer. Well I learned to sail on a smaller boat, the essence of sailing is in the these little wonderful boats my M-17 is a dingy that thinks its cruiser, I didn't know better when I beat out of that same channel I had traveled in my monty so many times before, I didn't see much difference except I got a lot closer to edges than before. I am enjoying the heavy displacement sailing of a larger boat and I drool over a Bristol channel cutter or a Pacific Seacraft Orion which although I have never sailed in one, are my idea of the perfect cruiser. I still have my Monty parked and protected and yes I will be putting her in the water before this season is over because I have to show off her newly painted mast at least a couple of times, and I just put some more money on getting my trailer lights working. 1976 M-17 "Sagitta" A small, faint constellation, located in the Milky Way between Aquila and Vulpecula. Arrow-shaped

Mike Frederick wrote:

"Giles,

As Connie pointed out, life is short. You have owned an M15. Now you have the opportunity to experience the many wonderful qualities of an M17.

We now own an S2 6.9 but I often think about the M17 my wife and I owned for several years. We sailed and camped on our Monty on lakes all over the Midwest, sometimes traveling as far as 500 miles, one way. Jerry Montgomery told me that part of the design criteria given to Lyle Hess for this boat is that it "should be able to cruise two people for two weeks." There is a lot of comfortable interior space and lots and lots of storage. The cockpit is one of the most comfortable of any boats I have ever sailed on regardless of size, it sails very dry in all kinds of chop, and knocks the socks off of all those who see her.

Regarding ease of use, after many trailer launchings we were able to rig and launch in 30 to 40 minutes. As my experience with this process grew, I was even able to stand the mast and launch from a ramp by myself, and I am of average size.

Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.

Mike"

Nice post Mike. Would you mind sharing what method you used for raising and lowering the mast of your M17? I generally keep the boat rigged, so have only moved the mast a couple of times. Still looking for an easier method. Thanks, Tim D.

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Tim, My memory of raising and lowering the mast by myself is better than my ability to describe the procedure, but I'll try. I recommend that you have an assistant with you the first few times you do it. Here goes... With the mast resting on the mast post, the bolt through the mast plate, leave all shrouds attached including the backstays. I tied in a short 1/8" line that I left permanently attached to the forestay turnbuckle a loop. Next I attached a carabineer to a long dock line that had a pre-spliced loop on one end and then to the loop on the forestay. I would take the dock line to a carabineer on the deck fitting at the bow. Once the dock line was all hooked-up, I led it back to the base of the mast. Then I stood in the cockpit, raised the mast to my shoulder and would walk forward until it was standing straight up, making sure that all the shrouds were clear of possible hang-ups on winches, etc. Next, I picked up the dock line, pulled it tight and walked forward keeping tension on it. At the bow, I tied off the dock line to a bow cleat and then attached the forestay. Reverse all this to lower it. Mike

Would you mind sharing what method you used for raising and lowering the mast of your M17? I generally keep the boat rigged, so have only moved the mast a couple of times. Still looking for an easier method. Thanks, Tim D.

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