Hi Connie, Thanks for the compliment. I was just lucky to come up with the idea before it was too late. I didn't use a mockup of the motor, in spite of your suggestion. I carefully measured the height from the ground to the top of the fixed mount. I knew I wanted the motor at least a few inches deeper than with the fixed mount, while in it's lowest position. Then I ran a bolt through a couple of different holes in the new mount into an existing transom hole from the old fixed mount. Even without a nut, it sat there patiently while I measured. That gave me the vertical location. Then I remembered the glassed-in reinforcement in the transom, and realized I'd better make sure the attachment bolts all went through it. That meant another trip to the inner sanctum of the transom to measure. I needed to move the mount up an inch or so, but it still gave me enough depth to have the prop about 3" below the current position. All of the measurements were + or - from the height of the original mount top, as measured from the ground under the trailer. For the horizontal measurement, I had my wife swing the rudder while I held the mount in place and marked the position where it was just beyond the rudder swing. I still have mixed feelings about cutting a hole in the cockpit seat for a hatch. What I realized might work is to mount a board, say 1" x 4", vertically under the cockpit, between the forward and sternward supports. Then I will be able to slide plastic storage containers farther back and still retrieve them fairly easily. Either the boathook or an attached line should let me pull them forward. Has anyone thought about dumping something heavy, like chain or, ideally, lead, into the bilge, to make the M15 stand up a little more in a blow? You could probably get 50 or 60 lbs. down below the cabin floor. I haven't tried it, but keep thinking it might be useful. Bill Riker M-15 #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of chbenneck@juno.com Sent: April 22, 2003 1:55 PM To: wriker@mindspring.com; montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: M_Boats: Transom tales Hi Bill, Now you come up with a solution to the lift mount handle problem. Where were you with your ideas when I needed you? My solution was to cut down the handle a bit, plus very carefully making space for it in the lip on the transom. Of course moving the whole mount aft by a tad solves the problem the easy way............. Sheesh, you get too soon old and too late smart! On the other hand, I like my extra rectangular sail locker hatch aft of the regular one. Instead of having the Black Hole of Calcutta down there, I now have two access ports - the sail locker lid itself, plus the second one, which makes life very easy for getting at the cleaning bucket / sponges / cleaning materials / etc. without having to remove everything that previously was in the way; ..........and you can see what's there! I can't envision a 4 lb difference between the lift mount with springs and the one without springs. I'll bet they are exactly the same components, except mine has the two stainless springs. If they weight a half pound together that would be a lot. Bill, when I started my installation, I made a mockup of the outboard, from the clamp down, out of some scrap 1/4 inch lauan I had in the shop. Holding that up to determine the location of the lift mount is a lot easier than trying to hold the actual motor there while you try and draw some pencil lines. I have had my rudder apart several times: No elongation in the holes noted. Connie _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats