January 2004 - montgomery_boats - mailman.xmission.com

depth sounder
by MC 03 Feb '04

03 Feb '04

looking for a small "cheap to keep" depth sounder, found one called the Speedtech, has any one used one how good do they work how heavy on the batteries are they???

4 5

Re: M_Boats: Anker light...
by chbenneck＠juno.com 02 Feb '04

02 Feb '04

Hi Rusty, Anker is German for anchor. What you are looking for is an anchor light. My guess is that they are of German manufacture, because they label their lights: "Anker, Backbord, Steuerbord, Heck (stern light)" In my DEFENDER catalog, pages 117 to 122, you will find a large listing of navigation lights. What you may be looking for is the "Den Haan Anchor Light" - comes in three different sizes and all are kerosene lamps. GUEST - page 117 also has electric automatic turn on - turn off anchor lights to hang from a jib halyard, or a mast head fixture that offers you a 360 degree strobe light or an anchor light. Connie

3 4

Re: M_Boats: Phil Bolger
by chbenneck＠juno.com 02 Feb '04

02 Feb '04

Hi Craig, The latest issue of MAIB has a fascinating article written in 1847 about building an aid to navigation on the York reef in Maine. When you read it you just have to marvel at man's stamina and will power. The workers had to row 5 miles to the reef, and if they were lucky got to work an hour before they had to leave again., with waves washing over them most of the time. Can you imagine putting in a foundation on solid rock under those conditions? .........and they tried working into November..........!!!! The article covers the hazard to navigation presented by the reef, and how the tower was built. Well worth the price of admission to read such articles. Connie

3 2

Re: M_Boats: Anker light...
by chbenneck＠juno.com 01 Feb '04

01 Feb '04

Hi Rusty, DEFENDER is located at: 42 Great Neck Road Waterford, CT 06385 Tel. 800-628-8225 web site: www.Defender.com Connie

2 2

Maryland slip sailors
by htmills＠bright.net 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

I know there is at least one person on the list that keeps their M-boat in a MARYLAND slip: This was sent to a list I'm on.... January 30, 2004 Dear BoatU.S. Member: Did you know that Gov. Ehrlich's budget calls for a yearly $50 per-boat slip "fee" for boats kept in Maryland marinas? The purported purpose of Governor Ehrlich's so-called "user fee" is to raise money to protect Maryland's wetlands. While restoring wetlands is a worthy undertaking that every Maryland resident should support, vessels large enough to be kept in marina slips receive no special benefits from wetlands, so we fail to understand why slip holders are being singled out to pay for this program. Commercial marinas will simply pass this new tax on to their slip holders. To add insult to injury, did you know that the state already collects millions of dollars each year from boaters in marine fuel taxes, but diverts 70% of these funds to non-boating purposes. It just doesn't seem unfair to us to ask recreational boaters to pay more when the money they're already paying isn't being used to benefit boating. Besides, Maryland boaters already pay millions each year to the state in sales and use taxes as well as boat registration and launch ramp fees. Please contact your state senators and delegates immediately to let them know of your opposition to this proposal. For more information go to http://www.BoatUS.com/gov and click on the state news alert section for a sample letter on the issue and a listing of your state legislators. Ask your representatives if you can count on them to just say 'NO' to the boat slip tax. Dick Thompson Associate Director, State Affairs BoatU.S. 880 South Pickett St. Alexandria, VA 22304 Tel: 703.461.2864 Fax: 703.461.2845 E-mail: DThompson(a)BoatUS.com

2 1

Think Spring!!
by Doug Kelch 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

Well tomorrow is Feb 1 and only 7 more weeks to the Vernal Equinox. It's time to plan your vacation time around the Chesapeake Bay Cruise! The traditional time of the second full week in June will be adhered to again this year so plan on starting the cruise June Saturday June 12th. The trip generally runs for the week but If you can only stay a couple days come anyway. The sailing is good the camaraderie is great and these areas of the Bay are still pristine. Every trip I make in company of others I learn things I would never have thought of myself. Our largest cruise to date had 13 Montgomery's together at one time. Videos of previous cruises are available for the cost of media and postage. If there is any interest at all send me an email directly, doug_kelch(a)yahoo.com, and I will add you to the Chesapeake Bay Cruise list. There are two candidate areas for the 2004 cruise, the Chester River area and Southern end of the Potomac river. The Chester river is on the Eastern shore just north of the Annapolis Bay bridge. It is relatively isolated area and there are no restaurants on or near the water except at Kent narrows. There are a couple of marinas with showers, ice and minimal groceries. The area is far enough north on the bay with enough fresh water to keep the sea nettles away. It is an area with numerous sandy beaches with good swimming and clamming and not much boat traffic. Lots of side creeks, coves and bays to explore with enough open water. This area has some of the nicest bucolic anchorages on the bay! We did a Chesapeake Bay Cruise on the Potomac a couple of years ago and had a great cruise. If we go back to this area we would do the St. Mary's river (which we skipped the previous cruise) and then cross to the SW shore of the Potomac to gunk hole and explore the Coan River and the Yeocomico river. I maintain a separate distribution list for these trips so that the we do not clutter up the Mlist with things that are not of general interest. If there is any interest at all send me an email directly, doug_kelch(a)yahoo.com, and I will add you to the list. Anyone interested should also include a note on their preferred cruising area for this year. Thanks Doug Kelch "Seas the Day" __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ps/sb/

1 0

M15 challenge - interior
by Doug Kelch 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

The thread on portable kitchens lead me to seek help on a different challenge. The interior of the M15 is very comfortable to sleep in but I cannot get a comfortable position to read. Has anyone come up with an interior modification/ arrangement that would let you recline in a comfortable position in the cabin. The hatches and hatch boards could be open for this as the closed up cabin is almost intolerable to me. Thanks for any ideas! Doug Kelch "Seas the Day" __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ps/sb/

8 15

Re: M_Boats: new to the list
by chbenneck＠juno.com 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

Hi Doug, Welcome to the M-gang. If you have any questions please ask and we'll all pitch in to inundate you with answers, experience, and opinions. Connie M15 #400 LEPPO - buried in snow at the moment, here is southern Siberia (Connecticut)

1 0

Re: M_Boats: Phil Bolger
by chbenneck＠juno.com 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

Hi Craig, MAIB has become my favorite magazine because it is wide ranging, and every issue is fun to read. Everything from commercial collisions (that you never hear about in the newspapers); big ship scrapping problems; to canoeing along the German Baltic coast - or, by the same author, around the Newfoundland peninsula; to Robb White's rambling, amusing, informative writings - as well as a Bolger commentary on some design of his: the why's, how's, and often times how the design really worked .. .........or in the latest issue, about a man in New Zealand with a 6 foot long, four masted, radio controlled schooner model; and articles on nature observed from a boat - dragon flies, otters, seals. I gave up on SAIL long ago. How often do you want to read that the pointy end is called the bow, the blunt end is called the stern; and sheets are used to control sails - not put on a bed (berth)? ..........or that the hot shot racers are loosing masts in a bit of a chop but haven't a clue as to why; ..........or that their expensive "toys" are ready for the scrap heap after a year of racing...........? CRUISING still in interesting to read, but at my age, I've sort of given up the idea of sailing to Samoa. The M15 might make the journey, but I can't quite convince myself that it is something that needs to be done, when Lake Champlain or similar bodies of water let me play out my adventurous fantasies - rail down, headed for distant shores - but at night I can come back to the luxury of a B&B and a good diner in a restaurant. My Admirable finds this much more to her liking that being braced in the galley in a Buzzard's Bay wind against the tide situation, cooking lunch for four as the boat crashes to windward. Been there - done that! Connie

2 1

Re: M_Boats: Maryland slip sailors
by TOMMYVAL＠aol.com 31 Jan '04

31 Jan '04

Tod, Thx for passing the info along. Same old story at every corner someone has their hand out. Did you know that in years gone by some counties in Maryland imposed a local tax on slips. Lots of folks just went to the counties without the tax and now the tax is no longer in effect. Anyway if it passes Im sure I'll get hit. In the current issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine (Feb) page 19 they mention the fees for park admission is going up, which in turn increase the launch ramp fees. A bit of good news is it will only apply to the most visited parks/ramps. I guess it is easier to take more of peoples money than it is to stop spending it. Hope to see you this summer. Gary

1 0