Here is a thought: I rigged a downhaul on a P15 some time ago and thoughtlessly put the line inside the hanks and through a small bottom swivel block near the forward shroud connection and on back to the cockpit. I'm so smart I was thinking. I'm on SF Bay with a good wind blowing with heavy gusts, threatening to lay the Potter over, I had a reefed main so I pulled on the downhaul... I had a quick release pin on the bottom shroud connection (makes rigging quicker I was told) and I guess you can imagine how exciting it got when the mast fell back into the cockpit. I think the lesson is, take care where you run the downhaul. Maybe even, be careful where you put those push button quick release pins. Wish I had a video of that one. I believe I could have re-hoisted the mast if it was a Monty 15, but one does not wander about the forward deck of a Potter 15, in the middle of SF Bay! So, I motored for better than an hour, hoping no one of the hundreds of boats was watching as I dragged the mast, boom, mainsail, etc, into a Marina to re-rig. Even though my fault, that was when I decided the P15 had to go. Yea I know... dumb A%&! Bill On Jan 6, 2008 12:45 PM, Chris and Jeff Packer <cjpacker@theofficenet.com> wrote:
Yes, downhauls are great. I've had them on my last 2 boats and you can drop the jib from the cockpit so fast... especially when your sailing up to a dock or mooring buoy. They also have the advantage of being able to tie the jib down from the cockpit so its not trying to run itself back up in strong wind.
Jeff
----- Original Message ----- From: <Nebwest2@aol.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 9:34 AM Subject: M_Boats: Re: M17 heavy weather capabilities
I'd have to second Gary's observations about the M17 hatch. I'm a pretty big boy and honestly I never tried it. My 17 had the backwards opening front hatch, so even if you fit, the hatch lid would prevent you from leaning forward. In this photo you can see the hinges are on the front of the hatch and that there's no way you'd be able to work around it to deal with the luff of the jib.
_http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg_ (http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg)
On later versions and I believe the new M17's that Bob builds the hatch opens from the front... Hey Gary H.! Doesn't your hatch open from the front??? Could you manage a headsail change through it??? (http://msogphotosite.com/MSOG/b17thomps/b17thomps7.jpg) Lately, I have been experimenting for the first time ever (for me) with a simple downhaul attached to the jib/genoa head. Holly cow, why I never did this before is beyond me. I don't mind going forward and pulling a sail down when someone's on the helm but when singlehanding it's a pain. When I'm alone I try to make sure I don't overcanvass for the conditions, but if I do, now I can at least get the sail down on the deck and secure before I ever leave the relative safety of the cockpit. It also allows me to hank on a jib at the dock , and attach the halyard without worry that the halyard is going to foul something by swinging around slack before I'm ready to raise it. I just hook up the downhaul and tension the halyard. I know, I know, roller furling would solve that issue. Someday I may go back to a furler, but for now I'm happy with hank-ons.
Sean
**************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats