David, That must be you I saw on Cherry Creek a few weeks ago. Another nicely maintained M17. If yours is a newer boat with the lighter weight CB the knot in the pennant is only supposed to be made with the outer sheath. The inner core is cut out for about 4 inches and a then a regular stopper knot tied in the outer sheath after it is passed through the CB hole. Did you buy the boat that was at Cherry Creek? Thanks Doug Kelch --- On Tue, 8/26/08, David C. Patterson <davidcpatterson@msn.com> wrote: From: David C. Patterson <davidcpatterson@msn.com> Subject: M_Boats: Stuck CB on M17 due to stop pin tang wear To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 1:58 PM Here is another possible centerboard problem: getting it stuck in the down position, but not due to swelling of board or case. My M17 (Cloud Girl, #393) was reported when I bought it this March to have had the centerboard refinished, and indeed has a new 3/8" yachtbraid pendant. But after my first solo sail a week ago, the board would not come up. I still managed to get it on the trailer, barely and very tilted, and got it back to the storage yard at the south Denver reservoir where I sail her. Yesterday I had the yard workers lift her, we tapped out the stop pin, and discovered the board was jammed against it because the tang was worn just enough. Amazingly, it jammed hard enough to support the weight of the boat! A little welding built up the tang sufficiently to stop against the pin again. The pendant was still attached with a somewhat fat but tight bowline. But after the boat was back on the trailer, I discovered the knot was so big that it had broken through some damaged fiberglass at the top of the centerboard case. I had noticed a bulge and thought it to be water damage somehow. Now I will get to repair that area, after I connect the pendant to the board in a better way. Why isn't it spliced on, I wonder? Winter work on the board system coming up. My appreciations to all who have shared about their board work, and left photos on the msog.org site. Just knowing how everything is situated helped me make this problem manageable. As to the solo sail, I need to arrange a jib downhaul for soloing. While she is a very forgiving boat, there are times when going forward to drop the jib seems foolhardy. And how is it that the M17 seem so nimble and so beefy at the same time? _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats