Thanks Larry, Yes, I am using an electric trolling motor and so far it has worked very well (though I still tell everyone interested ... or not .. that it is an experiment). It weighs about 17 lbs or the entire package including batteries weighs about 120 lbs. Probably not too far different than a small gas 4-stroke plus extra fuel just the location of the weight is different.
She sails very nicely trimmed as she is with the batteries forward. With two medium sized humans in the cockpit the trim is about neutral. It just looks a bit funny to see this beauty nose down a bit on the buoy or for that matter when I am motoring solo. Under sail she seems to look and act right smart. I guess my real question is ... How do the other M17s float with all the gear on board ready for a short sail but absent the Lord and Master and the various mates? ( I was recently in Puget Sound and in particular in Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Island (terrific wind!) and there in the Dockton public marina sat a lovely white hull M17. I didn't have time to look closely but she seemed to be sitting nice and level and, yes, Larry, she did have a gas engine hanging off the stern.) Thanks for your input. I'll continue fussing with this to see what combination works best. Fred Dulce On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:48:02 -0700 Larry E Yake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Fred, > I didn't see any other replies on this, so I'll give it a shot. > According to Jerry and the speed guys, the rule of thumb on both the > M17 > and the M15 is get the weight as far forward as possible. You want > to > have the transom out of the water as much as possible for good boat > speed, as it causes drag. 3 inches seems like a lot, but you're > carrying > a lot of battery weight there. Are you using an electric motor? If > you > don't have an outboard hanging on the transom, that would explain > the > difference in trim. I wouldn't think you'd want to move the weight > much > further back than the mast support. > Larry > > On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 07:38:05 -0700 Frederick M Berthrong > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > M-17 ers, > > > > I have two, frame 24 batteries which I installed on a platform > which > > is > > glassed in just forward of the mast support strattling the > > centerline and > > under the bunks. I haven't weighed them but that is about 100 lbs > > > total. > > The problem is Dulce sits in the water heavy by the bow (about > > three > > inches lower in the bow) . I concluded that the two batteries are > > > the > > reason. I temporarily, just to check it out, moved the batteries > > > aft and > > on either side of the CB trunk. This helped the trim but did not > > > correct > > it entirely. It is clear that the bow section displaces less > water > > than > > the stern part so it is logical that heavy stuff be stowed aft. > But > > even > > with the 100 lbs of battery further aft she sits with the stern > > about an > > inch or more higher than the bow as indicated by the factory > > located > > water line (boat fully rigged but with no humans on board). > > > > Does anyone else have this issue? > > > > Once I get a couple of folks in the cockpit everything evens out. > > > Is > > that by design? > > > > Fred Berthrong > > Dulce M17 #300 > > > > > > On Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:06:05 -0700 "jerry" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > writes: > > > If I can comment- that's probably the best place for a battery. > > > > > > Jerry > > > jerrymontgomery.org > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Brian Gilbert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2005 3:01 PM > > > Subject: M_Boats: Re:Battery Location M17 > > > > > > > > > > Hi Steve: > > > > > > > > The original battery location on my M17 was under the port > > berth, > > > but it > > > was > > > > too small for the monster battery I just bought for Tiny > > > Dancer.(1000AH- > > > at > > > > least it's a monster to me) Since the battery weighs 55 lbs, I > > > > figure it's > > > > pretty good ballast, so I've built a high-sided box of epoxy > and > > > > glass-covered plywood, and epoxied that along the centerline > of > > > > > the boat > > > > just forward of the mast support under the Vberth. The battery > > > is > > > a little > > > > harder to get to, but it should work a little better than the > > > > stock setup > > > > with regards to trim. It'll be harder to check the water in > it's > > > > > new > > > > location, but it's well secured and should stay in place. > > > > > > > > Best > > > > BG > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Brian Gilbert > > > > Marine Media > > > > Author, Fix It and Sail > > > > (423)876-9990 > > > > 3404 Hartford Drive > > > > Chattanooga, TN 37415 > > > > www.sailingsmall.com > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
