2 cents worth: The crutch that came with my new Montgomery 17 is quite satisfactory. It is all wood, with heavy-duty pintles that match the gudgeons on the boat. There was one problem: The first time I dropped the mast into it, with the foot still pinned to the step, the lower shroud tangs hit the saddle on the crutch and rotated quite a bit, almost kinking the wire. After that I had to put something atop the crutch to keep the mast out of it until the pin was removed and the mast position changed. The solution was obvious as soon as the problem was recognized: The pintles were on the wrong side of the upright piece. I mounted them on the other side, which moved the saddle a few inches aft. Now the mast lands in the crutch just right, with the saddle just above the spreaders. The assembler at the factory must have had a bad day. -- David Fann Montgomery 17 Dulcibella