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"Bundek"
Montgomery 15 - Hull Number 172
3. There were lead strips glassed into the bilge as added ballast. Norn spent 45 days of misery... grinding, gouging and busting out the mess.
4. The prior owner got ambitious and created his own version of the Montgomery lifting rudder (visible in the top middle photo), which he did quite well. Norm says he does not think a new Montgomery rudder would be any better, so he left this modification as it came.
Norm writes to say:
4. The prior owner got ambitious and created his own version of the Montgomery lifting rudder (visible in the top middle photo), which he did quite well. Norm says he does not think a new Montgomery rudder would be any better, so he left this modification as it came.
Norm writes to say:
"I was always a water ski boat owner. I could never understand why someone would want to go slow on the water and be mostly at the mercy of the wind. I sold my last ski boat about 8 years ago and have not been on the water until three years ago.
I have been organizing the local Kinetic Sculpture Race in Ventura for the past 7 years. Two years ago I became a participant in the race (first time) by rebuilding an old vehicle from a past year's race for the radio stations I work for (click here) I had so much fun that I bought a one man inflatable kayak to use in Ventura Harbor. This lasted about two weeks until I wanted to go out in the Pierpont Bay out side of the break water. I upgraded to a Hobie Outback with a sail option (for sale click here) I enjoyed the limited sailing feature for about two months then made the decision to go to a real sailboat.
After searching every where about small sailboats, I ran across the original MSOG site. I read every back issue and decided that a Monty was the one for me. I saw a Monty 15 for sale on-line locally at 11am and bought it at 1pm that day. What can I tell you? It was love at first sight! The boat was in pretty bad shape due to weathered teak, dull finish and rusted out trailer (welded new bunk supports along with new tires, bearing etc). Bottom left above is the before photo. While bottom center and right are the after shots.
During the four months of my total refit, I read every thing I could find on how to sail. I had the theory, but the reality was a different story! My first sail was on a local lake. It was a disaster! It took almost three hours to setup which I did from memory. I had watched the previous owner and a friend of his do it five month prior to this day, and I was doing it by myself! The 3 hp Evinrude would not run. I picked a windy day which was not a good idea. I could not get away from the dock for almost an hour. The wind was blowing onto the dock. So I could not motor away until the engine would run for about 5 minutes before quitting. Once out, I put on the largest jib and kept being blown around in a circle. I put up the main and almost lost the boat! I knew that some thing had to wrong with the whole setup since I had to leave the rudder to go into the cabin in order to reach the jib and main halyards on the mast. As soon as I would let go of the rudder the boat would get almost blown down. I had a choice of either holding on to the rudder or trying to get the jib and main down. I finally got the jib and main down and tried to motor into the marina again.
This first experience almost made me give it up. However, after spending the prior four months working day and night on the boat I was not going to give up.
I went to the MSOG site and found out about single handed control set-up". I did this and found sailing to be fun. I've made other mistakes along the way. But, as someone once said, what does not kill you, makes you stronger. I did not take any sailing classes. I would read how to books and articles along with the MSOG library before and after each sail. One year later, I feel confident on sailing in the ocean in all kinds of weather conditions. I took a boating class from the Coast Guard Auxiliary to learn the rules of the road. I also joined them and have taken numerous courses on weather, navigation, and communications to become a safer boater. I feel good about my skills since I could almost keep up with Sean and Jason in their M17 on the recent Anacapa trip."
Norm also mounted SONAR in his M15. The how to information is in an album click (here)
I have been organizing the local Kinetic Sculpture Race in Ventura for the past 7 years. Two years ago I became a participant in the race (first time) by rebuilding an old vehicle from a past year's race for the radio stations I work for (click here) I had so much fun that I bought a one man inflatable kayak to use in Ventura Harbor. This lasted about two weeks until I wanted to go out in the Pierpont Bay out side of the break water. I upgraded to a Hobie Outback with a sail option (for sale click here) I enjoyed the limited sailing feature for about two months then made the decision to go to a real sailboat.
After searching every where about small sailboats, I ran across the original MSOG site. I read every back issue and decided that a Monty was the one for me. I saw a Monty 15 for sale on-line locally at 11am and bought it at 1pm that day. What can I tell you? It was love at first sight! The boat was in pretty bad shape due to weathered teak, dull finish and rusted out trailer (welded new bunk supports along with new tires, bearing etc). Bottom left above is the before photo. While bottom center and right are the after shots.
During the four months of my total refit, I read every thing I could find on how to sail. I had the theory, but the reality was a different story! My first sail was on a local lake. It was a disaster! It took almost three hours to setup which I did from memory. I had watched the previous owner and a friend of his do it five month prior to this day, and I was doing it by myself! The 3 hp Evinrude would not run. I picked a windy day which was not a good idea. I could not get away from the dock for almost an hour. The wind was blowing onto the dock. So I could not motor away until the engine would run for about 5 minutes before quitting. Once out, I put on the largest jib and kept being blown around in a circle. I put up the main and almost lost the boat! I knew that some thing had to wrong with the whole setup since I had to leave the rudder to go into the cabin in order to reach the jib and main halyards on the mast. As soon as I would let go of the rudder the boat would get almost blown down. I had a choice of either holding on to the rudder or trying to get the jib and main down. I finally got the jib and main down and tried to motor into the marina again.
This first experience almost made me give it up. However, after spending the prior four months working day and night on the boat I was not going to give up.
I went to the MSOG site and found out about single handed control set-up". I did this and found sailing to be fun. I've made other mistakes along the way. But, as someone once said, what does not kill you, makes you stronger. I did not take any sailing classes. I would read how to books and articles along with the MSOG library before and after each sail. One year later, I feel confident on sailing in the ocean in all kinds of weather conditions. I took a boating class from the Coast Guard Auxiliary to learn the rules of the road. I also joined them and have taken numerous courses on weather, navigation, and communications to become a safer boater. I feel good about my skills since I could almost keep up with Sean and Jason in their M17 on the recent Anacapa trip."
Norm also mounted SONAR in his M15. The how to information is in an album click (here)
Story by Norm Bundek
Norm Bundek is well recognized as a consistent contributor to the MSOG E-mail forum. The top three rows of photos are from the recent day sail made by the MontyNeers to Anacapa Island off the coast of California. The whole story can be seen and read in it's own album
click (here).
When Norm bought 172, he bought a project. It seems the prior owner did not like the healing of a sailboat and made several modifications to try to level her out, never thinking to learn how to sail her flat with technique and reefing.
1. The mast had been shortened by three feet. Norm replaced the mast with a new one.
click (here).
When Norm bought 172, he bought a project. It seems the prior owner did not like the healing of a sailboat and made several modifications to try to level her out, never thinking to learn how to sail her flat with technique and reefing.
1. The mast had been shortened by three feet. Norm replaced the mast with a new one.
2. The sails had been cut down to fit the modified mast. Norm replaced the sails with new ones to spec.
Click on photo to enlarge
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