I have sailed my 17 in 30 knots true and it is a huge handful...specially going to weather. Anything off the wind is OK but still grey hair territory for me. The wind is not so much the deal as the waves. On the lake I sail right now, my marina is at the fetch end of the lake. I sail off a lee shore most of the time. Although the lake is very deep (over 800 feet in spots) the fetch is about 10 miles wide open and the waves are spaced short and breaking at our end. 3-4 feet high and steep. Now that becomes interesting in a chubby wrinkle boat. My smallest head sail is the stock jib. I use it a lot, but it is old and weak and I have felt it close to blowing out more than once. Having said that, I have been able to carry that sail combined with one or two reefs in winds in the high 20's. When it is approaching 30 just the jib alone is a surprisingly balanced rig. More so than a main alone IMHO. When I first got this boat I tried both...just sailing with a head sail or just the main. If I use a single sail, it will usually be the headsail. That includes sailing to weather. I can, and often do, tack the boat around under jib or intermediate alone. (I am replacing the standing rig soon and a new backstay adjuster should help with this as well.) This is not my prefered settup. I have been Jonesin for a storm jib since the M17 came to us. The only hold back has been funding. But this year it is going to happen. So in relation to Jim's letter, a storm jib is a perfect plan (in my eyes) specially for your sailing ground. Notorious winds for sure. A single or double reef combined with a storm jib would be the dogs bolox, no fear. Same speed, perfect balance and less hair colour alteration. Here is a link to a small bit of info on storm jibs I found useful. http://www.baconsails.com/stormjib.html I have found a sailmaker in California that will sell a new 6 oz./ 28 square foot storm jib with Wichard hanks for $200. They also make a 36 sq ft and a 48 sq ft. sail for a bit more $. I would love to have a fresh stock jib, a 48 and the 28. ....but I am ordering just the 28 for now. The stock jib for a 17 is about 73 sq ft.....so the 28 sq ft. should do the trick. Cheers, Tim D in Kelowna. ----------------------------------------------------- As many of you know, summer winds in San Francisco Bay are regularly over 30 knots. Since Spirit is equipped with only a main and working jib, it's time to visit the sailmaker. My instinct on a boat this size is to go from the working jib straight down to a (24 sq ft.) storm jib. An 80% #4 runs around 50 sq ft., but is this realistically enough of a reduction from the working jib? Please choose one of the following: A) Just get the storm jib. Boatspeed won't suffer that much and you'll have fewer gray hairs. B) Get both. You'll usually be ok with the #4 but there will be days when you'll need the stormy. C) You're a pantywaist Jim. Just get the #4 and Man Up. (I'm really trying to stay away from roller furlers.) Thanks Guys, Jim Poulakis "Spirit" (M-17 #648) _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.2/1387 - Release Date: 4/19/2008 11:31 AM