Gary, I just wish that I could take up your "have fun" and "Go Sailing". I can still do the "Have Fun" part, but at my age I'm sad to say my sailing days are over. Had a lot of fun sailing though, saw a lot of blue water in Europe, from the Baltic to the Med, and later along the New England coast; the Florida Keys, Chesapeake Bay, and great M15 sailing areas like Moosehead Lake, ME and Lake Champlain, NY. Going through the Kiel Canal in North Germany in our Northeast 38, ( we cruised the Danish islands for 5 weeks) I was the 38 foot slice of ham between all the BIG Boys! Tankers, freighters, cruise ships, container ships.... Solid lines of big ships going in each direction. You are the last to enter the lock and you fit into the gaps the big ones have left for you. Ciao, Connie On 11/30/2018 5:08 PM, Gary Oberbeck via montgomery_boats wrote:
Connie I agree on the aspect of the dinghy availability and on the emergency and everyday use of an inflatable - PIA ! ' just a minute while I pump 400+ liters into this big condom ----errrr where's the dam* pump!?!?!' The issue on the M-15 is of course storage or a small boat towing any size dinghy, Larry Yake has used a rigid kayak and others seem to have good experience with inflatables. I am lucky and sail a M-17 with a M 7-11 (getting refurbbed for the grandkids) if and when I need a dinghy - pretty good rowing boat, stable, good sailer and perfect for teaching the young ones.
The only inflatable I have ever had fun with was a Zodiac Grand Raid 15+ foot with a tiller steer 40hp Evinrude - my father saw them at a trade show and took on the line - got the GR for himself as a demo and we kept it inflated on a custom trailer indoors - 2nd fastest acceleration I have ever experienced on water! We used to chase the blown V8 flat bottoms around and absolutely humble them with our 'machinery grey weiner boat' ! The bikini clad ladies loved it! One day I'll tell you how I got THE perfect set of oars for the 7-11 - great story! 7' Shaw & Tenney's in spruce.
Keep your helpful comments and experiences coming to the list - we all look forward to them! Take Care, Have fUn, Go sailing! GO
-----Original Message----- From: Conbert Benneck <chbenneck@gmail.com> To: Gary Oberbeck via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Fri, Nov 30, 2018 1:42 pm Subject: Re: M_Boats: Tender
Hi Gary,
I am totally against anything that is inflatable - or that has to be inflated first before it can be used in a case of emergency.
My experience: We were going from Rotterdam to Paris via inland waterways. Our Norwegian power boat was brand new. In the Dutch canal we were in, with a bow to stern stream of loaded barges going in both directions our boat suddenly stopped moving and ended up crosswise in the canal blocking traffic in both directions. Our diesel engine was running but the propeller wasn't turning. Now what.....?
I jumped into my hard 9' Dutch dinghy, tied a painter to the motor boat got out the dinghy's oars and rowed like mad to get to the side of the canal and let traffic flow again.
For my prompt action in getting the commercial traffic moving , I received some friendly toots from the barge Captains that had seen what had happened.
I called the SABB engine dealer in Rotterdam and explained the problem. An hour later he was there; toolbox in hand; inspected the engine and found that a set screw had loosened disconnecting the propeller shaft from the engine. After tightening the set screw, and safety-wiring it in place, we continued on our trip with nary a problem during the time we owned the boat.
In such a situation do you really want to inflate your dinghy before it can be used? I don't. I want a hard dinghy that is instantly usable if I loose something overboard; or to row out a second anchor at 2 AM when it is blowing 20 knots.
Connie
On 11/30/2018 1:19 PM, Gary Oberbeck via montgomery_boats wrote:
I would look for a clean used M-5-8* . Had one we used way back in the day - oars and a 2 horse -(2 hp not my idea). You are cruising right?? {;>) *titanium hens teeth are about as plentiful! Some boats use inflatable kayaks with good reports. Take Care, Have fUn, Go Sailing! Come on down to Lake Pleasant in Feb. - there is a fleet of 15's scheduled to show up!GO
-----Original Message----- From: Rusty Knorr via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> To: montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thu, Nov 29, 2018 7:17 pm Subject: M_Boats: Tender
Just curious what the M-15 sailors here are using for a tender. In Puget Sound your really need one because anchorages are rugged and rocky and beaching is a challenge or impossible. Please share your thoughts, experiences, opinions, etc. M-17’s need not apply! (Unless you also have an M-15. 😜)
Rusty
www.rustyknorr.weebly.com