Thanks for the responses. I really appreciate the info and advice and especially the warm welcome to the group. I'll be working on several things so I am sure I will follow up with more questions. First are the issues with the rigging -- I've never experienced it personally, but by observation it appears that losing a rig can ruin your whole day. I bought the boat after only one afternoon sail with the friend who owned it. After learning more about M-17s, when he called to offer it for sale I pretty much bought it over the phone based on the daysail and reputations (the boat, Lyle Hess, and Jerry Montgomery). And this group! Later, Nick Chappell --------------------------------- Need Mail bonding? Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo! Answers users.