The key is to have the attachment point of the pendant to the centerboard accessible from the bottom of the boat when the board is in its regular lowered position. I store my 15 on a boat lift, and easily walk under the boad to clean it and can access the centerboard (haven't looked for the pendant) as well when the boat is raised on the lift. Certainly, a 17 could also be easily raised on a boat lift - way easier than a crane or jacking it up off the trailer, and something that can usually be found on most shallow lakes. I lower my centerboard and clean it, with the bottom, every few weeks. If the board is on a pivot point, the full weight of the board does not have to be borne to take the weight off the pennant to disconnect, or to raise the board to reconnect. Adding more weight to the keel instead of the centerboard makes things a lot easier. Right now my boat is shrinkwrapped and looking at snow on her trailer. Mike m15 Anne Bonny ________________________________ From: "SALGLESSER@aol.com" <SALGLESSER@aol.com> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Sent: Fri, November 26, 2010 2:26:54 PM Subject: M_Boats: Need some "Sage" advice Hi all, As some of you know, my wife Gail and I are involved in the development and eventual production of a new Jerry Montgomery design called the Sage 17. As all trailer sailors know, a shoal draft offers real advantage in launching and sailing shallow waters. Also, as most sailors know, going upwind efficiently is best with a deep keel. Some feel the bigger the stick, the deeper the keel. The keel-centerboard is a logical synthesis of the two needs and that’s why Jerry Montgomery and Lyle Hess chose this option. In fact, as I understand, the early Monty 17’s had a deep (3’7”) keel and the design was later adjusted because of the associated problems (launching & shallow water) with a trailerable deep keeled sailboat. I have followed problems with the pendant on some of the Monty forums as well as the current dilemma Sean Mulligan is facing with his pendant on Dauntless. Gail and I feel that the owner of any product should be able to perform, with the assistance of the factory, maintenance and repairs on their product. As Robbin suggested, early thinking of this problem would be beneficial. The Sage 17 is a keel-centerboard design with a fiberglass / lead centerboard of approx 150-250 lbs (pending Jerry's decision). While we’re in the development stage of the boat, we'd like to find and incorporate a “built in ” solution to the pendant / centerboard maintenance question, preferably without using a hoist. Jerry has come up with some well thought out ideas on centerboards, but we would also like to solicit any thoughts or solutions that trailer sailors, especially Monty sailors might have entertained. It would be nice to offer a new Sage 17 to any great ideas, but it is a bit beyond our means. We can offer a very nice high quality knife to anyone that comes up with any idea that we use. Pending Jerry’s approval, of course. Thanx in advance for your thinking time. Salngail M-15 “Justus” 1986 #361 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!