Woops! I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate. Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4". I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole. Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad. Dumb question: What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it? Did that suddenly come loose too? If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first. Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep. Maybe try and recover it. Google says around 40'. On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote: Hello, I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID. It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively. The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard. My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement. Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made? -Don

Dear Don, I am in Rathdrum Idaho. there is a guy in Bayview that has a 15. His name is Jeff Kuiper. I have his contact info and before you make one it might make sense to drop his, make a detailed pattern for all Monty 15 owners. I also know some divers that might be able to help find yours in the spring if you have a rough idea where you lost it. Eric Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 1, 2025, at 14:42, Henry Rodriguez <heinzir@gmail.com> wrote:

Here's a video of someone who made a replacement board. Not a lot of details given so you might want to contact the owner.

https://youtu.be/M4jqBFtTfv8?si=uJ77TlxlEvwHNc97

Henry M17 #310 Monita

Sent from Gmail Mobile

...

On Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

Still hoping I may find actual dimensions, but measuring the trunk is where i'll head. Be interred in a price for a finished new or used one. But alas I am a wood worker and that is my back up plan. Considered aluminum too, and potentially some sandwich construction.

Thanks for those comments. The average depth may be 40 ft but where I was, likely deeper. Light even in our crystal clear spirit lake only penetrates about 30 ft. And I really have no idea we're it actually came loose. I sailed likey several times without the rope. (It went first) So I thought I was ok till winter with it down. I started to notice horrible pointing. But it really wasn't till I got her out of the water that I knew what that bump really was.

-Don

Last I heard, eeg's shop was shut down and assets seized by his landlord. I've heard that everything was hauled to the dump but also I've heard that someone bought the assets for pennies on the dollar. It would be great if someone could get access to the CB tooling. ________________________________ From: Rusty Knorr via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 7:26 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Rusty Knorr <rustyinafrica@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard. Doesn’t Bob Eeg have these? Or at least the pattern? Why hasn’t anyone reached out to him directly? You used to be able to just order spare ones from him. He seems like he should be the first resource.

On Feb 4, 2025, at 7:06 PM, Eric J Nelson <uralite@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Don, I am in Rathdrum Idaho. there is a guy in Bayview that has a 15. His name is Jeff Kuiper. I have his contact info and before you make one it might make sense to drop his, make a detailed pattern for all Monty 15 owners. I also know some divers that might be able to help find yours in the spring if you have a rough idea where you lost it. Eric

Sent from my iPhone

...

On Feb 1, 2025, at 14:42, Henry Rodriguez <heinzir@gmail.com> wrote:

Here's a video of someone who made a replacement board. Not a lot of details given so you might want to contact the owner.

https://youtu.be/M4jqBFtTfv8?si=uJ77TlxlEvwHNc97

Henry M17 #310 Monita

Sent from Gmail Mobile

...

...

On Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

Still hoping I may find actual dimensions, but measuring the trunk is where i'll head. Be interred in a price for a finished new or used one. But alas I am a wood worker and that is my back up plan. Considered aluminum too, and potentially some sandwich construction.

Thanks for those comments. The average depth may be 40 ft but where I was, likely deeper. Light even in our crystal clear spirit lake only penetrates about 30 ft. And I really have no idea we're it actually came loose. I sailed likey several times without the rope. (It went first) So I thought I was ok till winter with it down. I started to notice horrible pointing. But it really wasn't till I got her out of the water that I knew what that bump really was.

-Don

Hello, concerning the missing centerboard. When I bought my Montgomery 15, it did not have a centerboard.I happened to have an old c/b from a Lightening . The C/B of this Lightening was made of galvanized so I made a pattern, Knocked off the sharp edges and it’s working just fine.   Buying a dump bound sailboat may be the way to go. No, sorry, I no longer have the pattern I made.Mike On Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 09:06:43 PM CST, Eric J Nelson <uralite@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Don, I am in Rathdrum Idaho. there is a guy in Bayview that has a 15. His name is Jeff Kuiper. I have his contact info and before you make one it might make sense to drop his, make a detailed pattern for all Monty 15 owners. I also know some divers that might be able to help find yours in the spring if you have a rough idea where you lost it. Eric Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 1, 2025, at 14:42, Henry Rodriguez <heinzir@gmail.com> wrote:

Here's a video of someone who made a replacement board. Not a lot of details given so you might want to contact the owner.

https://youtu.be/M4jqBFtTfv8?si=uJ77TlxlEvwHNc97

Henry M17 #310 Monita

Sent from Gmail Mobile

...

On Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

Still hoping  I may find actual dimensions, but measuring the trunk is where i'll head.  Be interred in a price for a finished new or used one. But alas I am a wood worker and that is my back up plan.  Considered aluminum too, and potentially some sandwich construction.

Thanks for those comments.  The average depth may be 40 ft but where I was, likely deeper.  Light even in our crystal clear spirit lake only penetrates about 30 ft.  And I really have no idea we're it actually came loose.  I sailed likey several times without the rope.  (It went first) So I thought I was ok till winter with it down.  I started to notice horrible pointing.  But it really wasn't till I got her out of the water that I knew what that bump really was.

-Don

Don- If you sailed w/o the line, then that is what caused the board to go "bombs away". The pennant is not just for lifting the board; it carries the weight of the aft part of the board. Without it, the board drops until it hits the forward end of the slot, which gives only about an 8" lever arm between the two bearing points. In any kind of seas the board will hammer itself into oblivion and drop like a rock. The pennant Should allow only 15" of drop. We tied a knot place so the it stopped on the small hole in the partner. Careful, the knots have been known to migrate in use. Another thought on aluminum- for shaping, which is very important, you might try a power plane, set to remove only a 16th or 32nd or so. It's likely that won't work, but another possibility would be to get about a ¾ flat bottomed, fluted bit and a router and set it to only take off a bit each pass. The only alternative I can think of would be to rent a hi-speed grinder that takes 7X7/8 discs. Buy a hundred dollars worth of 36 grit discs and be ready to spend the better part of a weekend. If you try the router, get a bit made of high speed steel rather than carbide. A carbide bit will explode when used on aluminum. Have fun! ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, February 1, 2025 3:08 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard. Well, that sucks. If you really have no idea where you lost it, I think it's probably gone. I think you can look at this and see the basic shape or at least I think it's the basic shape. https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/montgomery-17/ Aluminum is a nice option as it's heavier than wood or fiberglass and it's nice to have some weight down there. If it was me, I'd start by assessing my abilities to whether I was up to the task, then after I'd deluded myself I could do it I'd start by figuring a way that I could block the boat up a few feetin the air so I had enough room to get underneath it with the keel exposed and high enough that I could actually put the whole thing in from the bottom. I'm guessing that's actualpretty highlike maybe 3 feet. That's probably 1/2 the battle for someone like me. Then I'd make something out of cardboard,then scrap wood, then when I was sure I had the right shape then i'd think of what I wanted my final centerboard to be. But by then you'll know the exact shape and you can get it made in a nice warm shop then rush out in the cold to actually fit it. Anyway, you've got a big project. Good luck. Send pictures. On Saturday, February 1, 2025, 2:02:20 PM PST, donkuehne@hotmail.com <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote: Still hoping I may find actual dimensions, but measuring the trunk is where i'll head. Be interred in a price for a finished new or used one. But alas I am a wood worker and that is my back up plan. Considered aluminum too, and potentially some sandwich construction. Thanks for those comments. The average depth may be 40 ft but where I was, likely deeper. Light even in our crystal clear spirit lake only penetrates about 30 ft. And I really have no idea we're it actually came loose. I sailed likey several times without the rope. (It went first) So I thought I was ok till winter with it down. I started to notice horrible pointing. But it really wasn't till I got her out of the water that I knew what that bump really was. -Don On Jan 31, 2025 3:58 PM, Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote: Underwater drones are getting cheaper too. Don't know much about them, but I think the future is very promising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fUIgP119H0 On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote: Woops! I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate. Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4". I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole. Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad. Dumb question: What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it? Did that suddenly come loose too? If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first. Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep. Maybe try and recover it. Google says around 40'. On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote: Hello, I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID. It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively. The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard. My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement. Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made? -Don

While the attached file is not-to-scale and undimensioned, I hope it's of some help. And hopefully the drawing Randy refers to can be found and is more valuable. Good luck, John Tyner M-15 #412 "Chimpanzee" On 2/1/2025 8:54 PM, Randy Graves wrote:

Hi Don,

Sorry about your centerboard. Just for reference - the later M17 (1982’ish and newer) use the same centerboard as the M15. I changed the centerboard on my 1988 M17 and wish I had made a template of the old damaged board.

My hope is you can find a drawing, or someone who has/will have their centerboard out and can get some accurate measurements. Seems I’ve seen a drawing and will keep looking. We are near neighbors as I sail on Pend Oreille.

Randy Graves M17 #410 On Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM<donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

...

Still hoping I may find actual dimensions, but measuring the trunk is where i'll head. Be interred in a price for a finished new or used one. But alas I am a wood worker and that is my back up plan. Considered aluminum too, and potentially some sandwich construction.

Thanks for those comments. The average depth may be 40 ft but where I was, likely deeper. Light even in our crystal clear spirit lake only penetrates about 30 ft. And I really have no idea we're it actually came loose. I sailed likey several times without the rope. (It went first) So I thought I was ok till winter with it down. I started to notice horrible pointing. But it really wasn't till I got her out of the water that I knew what that bump really was.

-Don

On Jan 31, 2025 3:58 PM, Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:

Underwater drones are getting cheaper too. Don't know much about them, but I think the future is very promising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fUIgP119H0

On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery < jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote:

Woops! I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate. Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4". I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole. Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To:montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski<lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad. Dumb question: What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it? Did that suddenly come loose too?

If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first. Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep. Maybe try and recover it. Google says around 40'.

On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne < donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hello,

I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID.

It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively.

The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard.

My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement. Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made?

-Don

You got me thinking about the idea of a cast iron centerboard.....Any other thoughts about this?   Would someone commercially be able tocast this from a wood plug better, or just make a wax version better? On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote: Woops!  I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate.  Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4".  I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole.  Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad.     Dumb question:   What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it?   Did that suddenly come loose too?   If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first.   Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep.   Maybe try and recover it.   Google says around 40'.            On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:     Hello, I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID. It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively. The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard. My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement.  Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made? -Don  

I wanted to throw out one centerboard replacement idea I came up with a decade ago, before I ended up eventually finding a fiberglass/lead board for my M15: You could build the board from layers of thinner cutting board style HDPE sheets you can get cheap from any plastics supplier, bolted and/or epoxied together with the bolts flush/recessed. This would allow you to cut out a spot for regular lead scuba diving weights in the middle layer, and could exactly match the designed factory board weight and dimensions. You could also easily shape this into a proper foil with just a belt sander. G/flex epoxy with flame treating bonds HDPE well, it be worked with regular woodworking tools, and a lead/HDPE board will last forever underwater. HDPE has a bad reputation for failure on the rudder in M boats during heavy weather, but I think the forces on the centerboard are much less concentrated, as it is much lower aspect than the rudder. Also, there are good photos out there of the factory M15 board removed from the boat, that you could trace to get an almost perfect outline, and then scale properly by getting someone to actually measure the length of their board from underneath. Sincerely, Tyler Backman ----- Original Message ----- From: "jerry montgomery" <jmbn1@outlook.com> To: "Lawrence Winiarski" <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com>, "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 11:47:46 AM Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Yes, an iron board could be done from a wood pattern, but it would be pretty heavy, which wouldn't hurt performance except in a drifter, but you'd need to come up with a better way to lift it, like a winch and a wire. If this is done, the wood pattern needs to be a bit larger to account for the shrinkage of the iron. Seems like it's about 3 or 4 %, but check with the foundry. ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2025 2:22 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard You got me thinking about the idea of a cast iron centerboard.....Any other thoughts about this? Would someone commercially be able to cast this from a wood plug better, or just make a wax version better? On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote: Woops! I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate. Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4". I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole. Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad. Dumb question: What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it? Did that suddenly come loose too? If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first. Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep. Maybe try and recover it. Google says around 40'. On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote: Hello, I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID. It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively. The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard. My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement. Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made? -Don

Don, If memory serves me correctly - the M15 centerboard weighs 40 lbs. I believe the original board was a fiberglass - lead sheet - fiberglass sandwich construction. Randy G. On Mon, Feb 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

You guys are awesome. I am appreciating all the ideas.

Anyone know how much the thing is supposed to weigh?

I am a civil engineer by schooling so I can understand most of the goals and your suggestions of the board and it's fabrication, so keep them coming.

Would still love to discover the actual dimensions. ... but as you all suggested, I can sketch and measure from the trunk something close- likely mocking up some model out of scrap. And then getting creative from there ...

On Feb 3, 2025 12:07 PM, casioqv@usermail.com wrote:

I wanted to throw out one centerboard replacement idea I came up with a decade ago, before I ended up eventually finding a fiberglass/lead board for my M15:

You could build the board from layers of thinner cutting board style HDPE sheets you can get cheap from any plastics supplier, bolted and/or epoxied together with the bolts flush/recessed. This would allow you to cut out a spot for regular lead scuba diving weights in the middle layer, and could exactly match the designed factory board weight and dimensions. You could also easily shape this into a proper foil with just a belt sander. G/flex epoxy with flame treating bonds HDPE well, it be worked with regular woodworking tools, and a lead/HDPE board will last forever underwater.

HDPE has a bad reputation for failure on the rudder in M boats during heavy weather, but I think the forces on the centerboard are much less concentrated, as it is much lower aspect than the rudder.

Also, there are good photos out there of the factory M15 board removed from the boat, that you could trace to get an almost perfect outline, and then scale properly by getting someone to actually measure the length of their board from underneath.

Sincerely, Tyler Backman

----- Original Message ----- From: "jerry montgomery" <jmbn1@outlook.com> To: "Lawrence Winiarski" <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com>, "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 11:47:46 AM Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard

Yes, an iron board could be done from a wood pattern, but it would be pretty heavy, which wouldn't hurt performance except in a drifter, but you'd need to come up with a better way to lift it, like a winch and a wire.

If this is done, the wood pattern needs to be a bit larger to account for the shrinkage of the iron. Seems like it's about 3 or 4 %, but check with the foundry. ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2025 2:22 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; jerry montgomery < jmbn1@outlook.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard

You got me thinking about the idea of a cast iron centerboard.....Any other thoughts about this? Would someone commercially be able to cast this from a wood plug better, or just make a wax version better?

On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery < jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote:

Woops! I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it.

If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate. Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4". I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick.

If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole. Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot.

Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron.

Good luck!

________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard

Sounds bad. Dumb question: What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it? Did that suddenly come loose too?

If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first. Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep. Maybe try and recover it. Google says around 40'.

On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne < donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hello,

I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID.

It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively.

The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard.

My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement. Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made?

-Don

Added advantage if it it gets lost again you can just fish it out with a really big magnet!   I suppose seawater corrosion could be an issue.    It's not particularly easy to get to.   Obviously it needs to be serviceable.   Maybe there shouldbe some places on the casting for zincs if anyone gets the courage to actually do this. I really like the idea, but I have no idea what a foundry might actually charge if you had a plug and you wanted a price for just a one-off. On Monday, February 3, 2025, 11:47:48 AM PST, jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote: Yes, an iron board could be done from a wood pattern, but it would be pretty heavy, which wouldn't hurt performance except in a drifter, but you'd need to come up with a better way to lift it, like a winch and a wire. If this is done, the wood pattern needs to be a bit larger to account for the shrinkage of the iron.  Seems like it's about 3 or 4 %, but check with the foundry.From: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2025 2:22 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard You got me thinking about the idea of a cast iron centerboard.....Any other thoughts about this?   Would someone commercially be able tocast this from a wood plug better, or just make a wax version better? On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 03:44:22 PM PST, jerry montgomery <jmbn1@outlook.com> wrote: Woops!  I think Lawrence is right; do a good look for it. If all fails, I think you could make a decent on out of aluminum plate.  Double check this but I think the boards were 1 1/4".  I don't think an accurate drawing of the board exists anymore, but you could determine the size by taking some close measurements of the trunk, using a yardstick. If you're a woodworker you could make one of wood, with a lead slug at the tip, then heavily glassing it, and bushing the pivot hole.  Err on the side of too thin because you can always use bushings on both sides at the pivot. Another good way would be to make a pattern of wood, then have it cast in iron. Good luck! From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2025 3:05 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Sounds bad.     Dumb question:   What about the rope that you use to raise and lower it?   Did that suddenly come loose too?   If it was me, I'd exhaust all methods to find it at the bottom first.   Spirit lake is deep, but not that deep.   Maybe try and recover it.   Google says around 40'.            On Friday, January 31, 2025 at 12:23:50 PM PST, Don Kuehne <donkuehne@hotmail.com> wrote:     Hello, I am the proud owner of a M15 on Spirit Lake, ID. It can get pretty gusty here and my "Penelope" can get rocked on the dock pretty aggressively. The centerboard front pin had worked its way loose (unknown at the time to me) and during a sail last season I notice a bump... then no centerboard. My board is lost in the deep and I am looking for a replacement.  Does anyone know of a source or specs for the size, shape etc... To have a new one made? -Don  

Aluminum? Given a pattern, a waterjet cutter could turn this out easily. 5000 and 6000 aluminum are supposed to be very corrosion resistant.

1. Make sure the stopper knot is tied in your CB pendant line so that the trailing edge of your CB is always supported when lowered. I believe Jerry said about 15" of line is visible below the knot when the CB is up. Just make sure the board doesn't 'clunk' against the trailing end of the keel slot when lowered. The knot in the line has to stop it before it contacts the aft end of the slot. 2. When the boat is on the trailer, visually check that the pivot pin is still secure in the keel trunk. It may be difficult to see exactly where that pivot pin is located, if so, it should be fine. Problems arise when the pin has worked loose and broken through where it was glassed into the keel (look on both sides of the keel trunk). Hopefully, the above is clear enough for you to check and relax. Losing a CB from an M15 is a very rare issue as far as I can recall. Mark Dvorscak M23 M15 M10 ________________________________ From: Robert Tintera <tinterapalmisle@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 6:11 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: drifkind@acm.org <drifkind@acm.org> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard Hi all, Robert here, M15 owner Melbourne Beach Fla, as I read all these and the great joint effort to restore the lost centerboard, I'm now worried about losing mine in the salt water down here?!? Is there any preventive work, look for, ideas, signs, safety now, work I can do to prevent what our M15 friend is dealing with. My centerboard is working fine it appears, rope and all, but, ahead of time, anything preventive, pls share. Thank you all!!! Roberts Melb Bch M15 ..... On Wed, Feb 5, 2025, 8:28 AM David Rifkind via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:

Aluminum? Given a pattern, a waterjet cutter could turn this out easily. 5000 and 6000 aluminum are supposed to be very corrosion resistant.

If it was me, I'd replace the centerboard pin with a stainless bolt and nylock nut.    Easy job to do and give piece of mind.    Fancier option is silicon bronze which is better and impresses the Kool kids down at the marina but harder to find.    Seems I saw it for only $5 online but I can't remember where.    Stainless will eventually rust in 50 years or so I'm told. Either one works.    Just do it.  On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 6:12:31 AM PST, Robert Tintera <tinterapalmisle@gmail.com> wrote: Hi all, Robert here, M15 owner Melbourne Beach Fla, as I read all these and the great joint effort to restore the lost centerboard, I'm now worried about losing mine in the salt water down here?!? Is there any preventive work, look for, ideas, signs, safety now, work I can do to prevent what our M15 friend is dealing with. My centerboard is working fine it appears, rope and all, but, ahead of time, anything preventive, pls share. Thank you all!!! Roberts Melb Bch M15 ..... On Wed, Feb 5, 2025, 8:28 AM David Rifkind via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:

Aluminum? Given a pattern, a waterjet cutter could turn this out easily. 5000 and 6000 aluminum are supposed to be very corrosion resistant.

Folks, Spring has sprung and I am hoping to get working on my replacement M15 centerboard. I am just about ready to pull measurements from the trunk and fake the dimensions. However if someone has access to a real board or know the actual dimensions it would be greatly appreciated? Thanks in advance, -Don ________________________________ From: Lawrence Winiarski via montgomery_boats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2025 3:26 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Cc: Lawrence Winiarski <lawrence_winiarski@yahoo.com> Subject: M_Boats: Re: New to email list, looking for a replacement centerboard If it was me, I'd replace the centerboard pin with a stainless bolt and nylock nut. Easy job to do and give piece of mind. Fancier option is silicon bronze which is better and impresses the Kool kids down at the marina but harder to find. Seems I saw it for only $5 online but I can't remember where. Stainless will eventually rust in 50 years or so I'm told. Either one works. Just do it. On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 6:12:31 AM PST, Robert Tintera <tinterapalmisle@gmail.com> wrote: Hi all, Robert here, M15 owner Melbourne Beach Fla, as I read all these and the great joint effort to restore the lost centerboard, I'm now worried about losing mine in the salt water down here?!? Is there any preventive work, look for, ideas, signs, safety now, work I can do to prevent what our M15 friend is dealing with. My centerboard is working fine it appears, rope and all, but, ahead of time, anything preventive, pls share. Thank you all!!! Roberts Melb Bch M15 ..... On Wed, Feb 5, 2025, 8:28 AM David Rifkind via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:

Aluminum? Given a pattern, a waterjet cutter could turn this out easily. 5000 and 6000 aluminum are supposed to be very corrosion resistant.