On 3/18/02 9:20 AM, "Donald Andrew Miller" <damirrra@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi all,
Pretty new Montgomery 17 owner here. I brought the boat to Florida and am plannig to sail out of Tarpon Springs for the next month. However, yesterday, when I tried to lower the centerboard, the rope ripped a section of the board out, and the centerboard crashed into full down position, where it's been ever since. I dove down to have a look, and the section of the board above the rope hole was just ripped out.
I've got her in the water now, with the centerboard in full down position, and the rope is completely separated from the board/winch/cleat which should be holding the board up.
We're going to haul her out at high tide today (2:45 pm) and have a look at it, but I'm wondering what can be done. Will I need to replace the whole centeboard? Can I drill a new hole and attach the rope to it? This is an older boat (1975) and I'm afraid the whole board is rotten. Has anyone seen/heard/read of a problem like this?
Fair Winds,
Donald Miller "Coquette" #66
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I would guess your existing CB is or should be made of cast iron, and one of two versions. There are two sets of photos on the MSOG.org site: http://msog.org/models/m17/m-17-cb.cfm Which is my boat, and: http://msog.org/how-to/cb-fritz.cfm Which is an older M17 still, and maybe one of the original designs. If it's a cast iron board like mine, and you are missing a chunk of metal where the pennant should be attached, you likely need a new board. The best current solution appears to be cutting a new board from plate steel, probably 5/8". I traced mine when it was out, and have a rough sketch that might be useable for a welding/machine shop to make a new one if there isn't enough of your old board that can be used as a pattern. If you want a copy, let me know. Howard M17 #278 "AUDASEA"