Anyone have the M17 problem, their pendant hole all cracked, broken and gaping? Think I remember someone installing a plate ... Think I remember they even gave me the part number and/or the link ... I had it repaired once in 2001, but now it's worse than when it was first broken ... ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Shenkel To: 'For and about Montgomery Sailboats' Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 3:11 PM Subject: RE: M_Boats: Second sail Good advice! Currently I am trying to keep the boat reasonably functional to enjoy a few day sails over the next 30 days. I have a medical procedure in early October that will keep me out of action until after the first of the year. I have read about several "keel" jobs on the site, and I bought the boat with the assumption that this was something I would have to do. The probing with the shim stock peeled off big chunks (3-4 square inch sections) of oxidized paint for the most part. As I said, after this (probing) I could stick the sheet metal shim in around most of the centerboard. Internal blisters or bulges are possible, but the boat does not have bottom paint, and there are no signs that it ever set in the water for any extended period of time. So hopefully, there will be no blisters. Year round sailing is nice, but you really got to tough it out during the hot summer months. However, it beats the heck out of "frost biting" it. Steve Shenkel _/) <>< M17 263 Arizona