Does anyone else have trouble with the height of the luff-groove "throat" on the older M17's (I have an '84) mast? I don't know the dimensions, but my throat is substantially higher than the position of the boom (once installed). Perhaps this serves a purpose, but I'm no engineer, so I have no idea what that purpose is. The height of the "throat" makes it very difficult for me to feed my mainsail (I'm only 5' tall).
I would like the throat located lower, perhaps only a few inches above the resting position of the boom. I could feed the mainsail, which now has slugs (I had them added last year), then use a sail-stop to prevent the slugs from sliding free when the sail is dropped. If I had the main ready to go on the boom, perhaps secured with lazy-jacks, with the luff (slugs) fed into the mast, it would ease single-handing 100%. What I'm wondering: Would it be possible for an aluminum shop to close the old, high, throat and bend a new one in a lower, more convenient spot? _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
