Gilbert, In rebuilding M17 #410 last spring we replaced the stock wood lifting rudder with an IdaSailor kickup rudder. I made the switch because while shopping used 17's I observed nearly all of them had some form of noticeable stress cracks around the rudder pintles (ours included). I assumed these were from accidental groundings. I made the switch as insurance against transom damage. The original wood rudder did great! I think the IdaSailor rudder requires a lighter touch on the tiller. In my opinion the rudder is well made and stout. I can't imagine what force a sailbout would encounter that would brake the blade in half. Wow! Because the IdaSailor rudder pivots in the middle, it is more cumbesome to handle than the original wood rudder. Randy G.
________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Tom Smith Sent: Mon 11/28/2005 9:33 AM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: RE: M_Boats: New Kick up rudder Larry has an Idasailor rudder, Randy Graves has one, and I have one that's not yet installed. I'll let those guys speak regarding durability over time and performance, but I'm impressed with the quality of the build. I wasn't aware of a new, lighter version, or if the Montgomery blades can be ordered in a different hdpe material than what I got or not. It sure seems industrial strength to me, and in my opinion it's a superior solution to grounding than the original slide-up design. t /)) Tom Smith & Jane VanWinkle M15/345--Chukar M17/496--Unnamed _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
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