Hello there I just ordered a new M15 for next spring.I found Bob to be very open to my ideas and changes to personalize the boat for me as well as very fair with prices.I have been sailing since 1977 and have owned MANY boats over the years...from a 15ft sirrocco,DS16 cuddy,17 ft siren,17ft suncat,18ft sandpiper,flicka 20(still own)21ft flushdeck,edel665,shark24,jenneau 25,Tanzer25,pearson Ariel(my favorite..still own),jenneau28,Alberg 29,and a beneteau331.I've both trailersailed(my favorite) and been offshore.Took the 331 from Charleston -down thru the Keys-to bimini-grand Bahama isl-Abacos and back.I plan to keep the Ariel at green turtle cay in the Abacos as a home base for it...winter sailing..and do my explorations here with the M15.My heart has always been with small boats. In this hectic world ,they represent peace and simplicity.Any thoughts on a M15..tips..must haves etc as well as great trailer cruising spots would be appreciated.I prefer less people-more scenery to busy locations. I'm based in Ontario Canada.Bob tells me another couple from London Ontario have also ordered one. Should make shipping east a lil cheaper.
Frank, With all your boats and experience, I'm not sure I should be suggesting anything. But you asked. For small boats, I like the Chesapeake. There are busy and quiet places. You can find a sheltered spot almost anywhere. You can anchor in big cities like Baltimore, remote cow pastures and anything in between. Open water provides steady breezes or you can hole up in a creek. Marine services are plentiful in areas and scarce in others. It is open to the Atlantic and ICW. You could probably explore all summer hardly crossing your earlier tracks. A single chart book covers it all. The shallow draft and kick up appendages on the M15 mean you can safely sail almost anywhere there is water. Enjoy. Bill Riker M15 - #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Frank Durant Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:30 AM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: M15 Hello there I just ordered a new M15 for next spring.I found Bob to be very open to my ideas and changes to personalize the boat for me as well as very fair with prices.I have been sailing since 1977 and have owned MANY boats over the years...from a 15ft sirrocco,DS16 cuddy,17 ft siren,17ft suncat,18ft sandpiper,flicka 20(still own)21ft flushdeck,edel665,shark24,jenneau 25,Tanzer25,pearson Ariel(my favorite..still own),jenneau28,Alberg 29,and a beneteau331.I've both trailersailed(my favorite) and been offshore.Took the 331 from Charleston -down thru the Keys-to bimini-grand Bahama isl-Abacos and back.I plan to keep the Ariel at green turtle cay in the Abacos as a home base for it...winter sailing..and do my explorations here with the M15.My heart has always been with small boats. In this hectic world ,they represent peace and simplicity.Any thoughts on a M15..tips..must haves etc as well as great trailer cruising spots would be appreciated.I prefer less people-more scenery to busy locations. I'm based in Ontario Canada.Bob tells me another couple from London Ontario have also ordered one. Should make shipping east a lil cheaper. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Bill..thanks for the reply...the Chesapeake sounds great and really isn't that long a drive for me.Don't you guys have a get-together there?? That would be a great excuse for a first trip.As to advice on a M15...sure I've had a few boats over the years.They all have strong points-weak points...personalities of their own!I've never even seen an M15 in person let alone sail one!I'm drawn to it because I hope to trailer sail lots and I can't think of a better lil boat.Light weight(gas prices while towing)great looks,documented speed and general sailing ability.But YOU have the experience! Is a storm jib worth it??a 150 overkill??What model portapotti fits??Great storage ideas??A 2hp Ok or a 4HP better?? Does pulling the board part way up help weather helm?? Bill ..thats where your experience comes in.I am semi retiring next year and couldn't think of a better lil boat to get old(older) with.Any advice is real welcome.
Frank, I'll give you my $.02, but others may have different ideas, bred of different experiences. I grew up sailing on the Finger Lakes in W New York State. Really nice, but I have yearned for something more adventurous. Hence the interest in sailing the Great Lakes, Chesapeake, etc. The storm jib is definitely worth it, for safety. You may need to go to windward in a blow and a little handkerchief in front is a big help. Two HP is enough. Probably half or more M-15 owners have the Honda 4 cycle 2hp. It's great. The Thetford 135 is, I believe, the only potti that fits. Jerry designed the boat around it!! It is a very tight fit. Some hot water to soften the plastic helps. The M15 is very well balanced. Depending on weight distribution, there can be a little lee helm in light winds, but it comes around as the wind increases. Lifting the board doesn't seem to affect the helm much. I like my full-batten main. I bought all (4) new sails the second year I had the boat, 1999, and wouldn't do anything different. FWIW, tanbark is much more visible on the water than conventional white sails. The jib reef points are salty-looking, but are a little difficult to use. I probably just need more practice. Living in Pittsburgh, I don't sail that much. So I haven't installed a 12-volt system. I run everything on dry cells. I even have a fishfinder (for depth) that runs for days on AA-cells. A real winner. Other winners include: The Origio non-pressurized stove A nylon ground cloth (6'x7', I think) for a boom tent. The Horizon Claw 4.4lb anchor. Fits in the shallow cockpit locker and I proved that it will hold in a real blow. (My older 1982 model has shallow lockers on both sides.) Sony mini-speakers for my CD player. A scrap of outdoor carpet cut to fit the cabin floor. Swiveling fairlead/cam cleats on the comings for the drifter and jib when running. And various other uses like remote steering and fender attachment points. I just installed a longer (J-26 I think) tiller. The M15 wants weight forward and the extra length lets the skipper sit where the weight belongs. It's great for single handing, which I mostly do, but probably in the way with crew. I installed a Forespar tiller extension with lock box. The lock box works okay, but the extension doesn't cut it with any amount of wind. That's all I can think of right now. By the way, I'm planning to retire next year also, and will be heading to New Mexico. Actually, to a town on a lake behind a Rio Grande river dam. Not the best sailing, but I'll be retired with lots oftime. With a very trailerable boat. And not too far from the Sea of Cortez, one of Jerry's favorite sailing spots. Best of luck. Bill Riker M15 - #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of fdurant@webhart.net Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:18 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: RE: M_Boats: M15
Bill..thanks for the reply...the Chesapeake sounds great and really isn't that long a drive for me.Don't you guys have a get-together there?? That would be a great excuse for a first trip.As to advice on a M15...sure I've had a few boats over the years.They all have strong points-weak points...personalities of their own!I've never even seen an M15 in person let alone sail one!I'm drawn to it because I hope to trailer sail lots and I can't think of a better lil boat.Light weight(gas prices while towing)great looks,documented speed and general sailing ability.But YOU have the experience! Is a storm jib worth it??a 150 overkill??What model portapotti fits??Great storage ideas??A 2hp Ok or a 4HP better?? Does pulling the board part way up help weather helm?? Bill ..thats where your experience comes in.I am semi retiring next year and couldn't think of a better lil boat to get old(older) with.Any advice is real welcome.
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Frank, I'd think you have more choices for sailing venues than you can shake a stick at, being in Ontario. Probably the hard part is deciding WHICH one to choose from. Of course for regular sailing you'd want something not too far away, but otherwise: Georgian Bay, North Channel, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario (I understand the area between Belleville and Kingston is real nice), or way east you could always visit the Saguenay River mouth on the St. Lawrence for all the marine life. And that doesn't even touch on the myriad of smaller inland lakes to choose from or, in the event you are up north, Superior, Lake of the Woods, etc. You have a beautiful province! And of course, as Bill and others mentioned, you could always head south of the border for a different sort of sailing. Although my sailing season is ended to start on a project boat, I normally sail out of Sandusky, Ohio and perhaps next summer we could cross paths on Lake Erie. I've been over to Leamington before; they have a very nice village marina. Tod Mills M17 #408 BuscaBrisas three Ontario sailing stories here: www.todspages.net Re-thinking my approach to packing BuscaBrisas in what is undoubtedly a futile attempt to expedite trip preparations. -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Frank Durant Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 9:30 AM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: M15 Hello there I just ordered a new M15 for next spring.I found Bob to be very open to my ideas and changes to personalize the boat for me as well as very fair with prices.I have been sailing since 1977 and have owned MANY boats over the years...from a 15ft sirrocco,DS16 cuddy,17 ft siren,17ft suncat,18ft sandpiper,flicka 20(still own)21ft flushdeck,edel665,shark24,jenneau 25,Tanzer25,pearson Ariel(my favorite..still own),jenneau28,Alberg 29,and a beneteau331.I've both trailersailed(my favorite) and been offshore.Took the 331 from Charleston -down thru the Keys-to bimini-grand Bahama isl-Abacos and back.I plan to keep the Ariel at green turtle cay in the Abacos as a home base for it...winter sailing..and do my explorations here with the M15.My heart has always been with small boats. In this hectic world ,they represent peace and simplicity.Any thoughts on a M15..tips..must haves etc as well as great trailer cruising spots would be appreciated.I prefer less people-more scenery to busy locations. I'm based in Ontario Canada.Bob tells me another couple from London Ontario have also ordered one. Should make shipping east a lil cheaper. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Todd thanks for gettin back. I learned to sail on lake huron around Bayfield and Grand bend.Not lots to see there. You're right about the north channel ..there for the 1st time this August...BEAUTIFUL.If you have Mar/Apr small craft adviser...check the cover....WOW...that would be my 'holy grale'It's a smaller lake in northern Montana...check it out!!.Mountains or ocean views or quaint lil fishing villages are the destinations I'd love.Ya always look for 'different' from home.That Montana lake is on the 'must do' list as is Bill's suggestion of the Chesapeake.Gotta be more out there.
participants (4)
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fdurant＠webhart.net -
Frank Durant
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htmills＠bright.net -
William B. Riker