Picked up a 1973 M-20 that I'm refurbishing. The running rigging was not in place and there are a bunch of blocks, cams and lines that were included, both connected and apart. Does anyone have info on how to rig it?
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The M20 is now a 'dead' scow as few are being raced in organized ILYA fleets. The good news is that the M20 has been design updated into the Inland-20 (I20) and with exception of the retractable bowsprit of I20 the M20 is rigged in the same manner. I'd recommend you first contact Melges Boatworks, Zenda, WI, the principal builder of the M20 ... try to speak directly with {world famous} Buddy Melges the co-designer of the M20, and get the running rigging plan, etc. for the boat. www.melges.com If that doesnt get you the results you need go to: www.windwardboatworks.com and look for info/pics of the running rigging, etc. on the I20 - almost 'exactly the same' as the M20. (you can also 'update' your M20 to an Inland20 (carbon spars, retractable bowsprit, different shaped rudders, etc. etc.)
A basic M20 tuning guide can be found at: http://www.northsailsod.com/class/m20scow/m20scow_tuning.html
The running rigging plan of the M20 is somewhat complicated: My old M20 has 37 control lines with which to 'tweak' the boat to unbelievable speeds. For simplicity all the controls are 'close' to the person controlling them: the helmsman controls the mast bend and on-the-fly mast rake, all mainsail shaping/trimming; the jib trimmer controls the jib, the spinn sheet, the 'board down/up', the mainsail cunningham, the spinn pole topping lift; the bowman controls the jib traveller, raising/dousing the spinnaker and some of the spinnaker pole controls, the forestay tack controls and the jib cunningham.
You'll find that most controls are 'duplicated' on each side of the boat so that they can be adjusted easily when hiking out: ...............
Controls near the athwartship main traveller:
aft of the main traveller:
1. Mainsheet 4:1 to harken hexaratchet (on floor) to cam cleat on each side
2. Mast bend (4:1)
In front of the main traveller
3. Mast rake - there should be a Harken 'magic box' on the flooring near the mast ... this controls the mast rake by tensioning and lengthening the *wire luff of the jib* ... usually the left forward control (1 of 4) on the 'front of the cockpit coaming' near the mast controls the mast rake when not sailing and the jib (jib luff wire) is disconnected. The other 'wire with a shackel' that comes up through the deck at the bow is the 'jib cunningham control - the jib luff is free to move up/down on its 'luff wire'; you set the shape of the jib luff via the jib cunningham control.
When 'bending on' the jib (jib luff wire), you first pull the static mast rake position control tight so that the mast rakes 'all the way forward' (loosening the mast rake control -harken magic box on floor -, then attach one of the balls on the jib wire halyard into the 'jaw' on the left side of the mast base, .... then connect the wire/shackle that comes from the 'magic box' to the loop in the end of the wire portion jib halyard ..... then pull the mast rake control (the line at near the athwartship traveller that contols the 'magic box') until the ball on the wire portion of the jib halyard 'releases free' from the jaws on the mast, then set the approximate rake of the mast (and the bend in the mast) for the wind conditions for the day.
4. mainsail cunningham
5. spinnaker sheets
6. Bilgeboard 'down' position
7. mainsheet traveller
8. Mainsheet outhaul (usually under each tiller through 'throughdeck' roller-leads.
9. Bilgeboard 'up' control (cam cleats for bilgeboard are ON the bulkhead UNDER the aft end of the foredeck!!!! The board 'release' controls are affixed to rings that pull perpendicularly on the board control lines ... and OUT of the cam cleats.)
Midship:
1. bilgeboard release
2. Bilgeboard 'up'
3. Jib - via harken hexa-ratchets and cam cleat
Note: jib sheet goes from cam cleat to hexaratchet on (opposite) side deck to jib traveller block to one side of double block attached directly to jib clew (clew iron) then back to jib traveller car. Jib sheet @ 2:1 purchase. You adjust the 'jib sheet to clew angle' by attaching the jibsheet double block to the multiholed 'clew iron' plate (instead of a single clew hole on the jib) --- all instead of for/aft jib track cars, as there arent any! With mast rake 'way aft' the jib double block goes into the highest position on the clew iron, when the mast is 'straight up' (or a bit forward) the jib double block attaches to the lowest forward 'hole' in the clew iron.
4. spinnaker pole topping lift.
Front edge of cockpit
1. forestay length release - for adjusting mast rake (used in combination with 4:1 tackle that runs from near the mainsheet traveller to the running backstay
2. Spinnaker (pole) downhaul
3. forward hiking strap tension control
4. Jib cunningham
5. (at the fore corners of the forward cockpit) bilgeboard release
Foredeck just in front of forecockpit
1. Jib athwartship traveller controls
2. 4:2:1 'cascading/doubler' boom vang (total mech advantage = 8:1)
If the boat was raced actively you may find 35 to 40 'tweaking controls' (some are duplicates so that the boat can be controlled when you are in the hiking straps on either side of the boat. My old M20 has 37 'control lines' ... I used to have them all marked with embossed tape labels to keep the confusion to a minimum.
BTW ... only have ONE bilgeboard down at a time as they are 'angled' so that the boat easily 'lifts to weather' when the bilgeboard starts to 'lift' (and will hummmmmmmm at very high speed). Normal sailing heel angle is about 25 degrees over.
Boat is easily sailed INTO (better explanation would be: into and INSIDE of) a BIG wave and easily will 'disappear' as it sails itself under water ... thats why the M20 called the 'submarine scow' - so keep all the weight aft when at super high speed in BIG waves. The symmetrical spinnaker makes the boat 'unstable' when at high speeds downwind .... thats why the change to the lighter weight Inland-20 with an asymmetrical spinnaker on a retractable bowspirt
Before the change to I20 scows in racing the later M20 fleets required ***floatation panels affixed to the upper panels of the mainsai***l .... a damn good idea to prevent the boat from capsizing with the mast "pointing straingt down in the water*.
The M20 is still a fantastic boat, let her heel over until the rub rail is AT the water and she'll *FLY*. In most wind conditions and when beating, scows are faster when well heeled to about 25 degrees. Top scow sailors 'steer' their boats mostly by sail shape/trim (and rapid mast rake and mast bend) ...... using the rudder only for 'major corrections'.
If all the above fails in your finding out the very complex running rigging of the M20 and all the above sources dont answer your needs, contact me again and I'll send/post some labeled digital pictures .... (but you gotta hurry as Im sailing off to 'de islands' by mid October).
SEE M20Specs.pdf .... ATTACHED BELOW
A basic M20 tuning guide can be found at: http://www.northsailsod.com/class/m20scow/m20scow_tuning.html
The running rigging plan of the M20 is somewhat complicated: My old M20 has 37 control lines with which to 'tweak' the boat to unbelievable speeds. For simplicity all the controls are 'close' to the person controlling them: the helmsman controls the mast bend and on-the-fly mast rake, all mainsail shaping/trimming; the jib trimmer controls the jib, the spinn sheet, the 'board down/up', the mainsail cunningham, the spinn pole topping lift; the bowman controls the jib traveller, raising/dousing the spinnaker and some of the spinnaker pole controls, the forestay tack controls and the jib cunningham.
You'll find that most controls are 'duplicated' on each side of the boat so that they can be adjusted easily when hiking out: ...............
Controls near the athwartship main traveller:
aft of the main traveller:
1. Mainsheet 4:1 to harken hexaratchet (on floor) to cam cleat on each side
2. Mast bend (4:1)
In front of the main traveller
3. Mast rake - there should be a Harken 'magic box' on the flooring near the mast ... this controls the mast rake by tensioning and lengthening the *wire luff of the jib* ... usually the left forward control (1 of 4) on the 'front of the cockpit coaming' near the mast controls the mast rake when not sailing and the jib (jib luff wire) is disconnected. The other 'wire with a shackel' that comes up through the deck at the bow is the 'jib cunningham control - the jib luff is free to move up/down on its 'luff wire'; you set the shape of the jib luff via the jib cunningham control.
When 'bending on' the jib (jib luff wire), you first pull the static mast rake position control tight so that the mast rakes 'all the way forward' (loosening the mast rake control -harken magic box on floor -, then attach one of the balls on the jib wire halyard into the 'jaw' on the left side of the mast base, .... then connect the wire/shackle that comes from the 'magic box' to the loop in the end of the wire portion jib halyard ..... then pull the mast rake control (the line at near the athwartship traveller that contols the 'magic box') until the ball on the wire portion of the jib halyard 'releases free' from the jaws on the mast, then set the approximate rake of the mast (and the bend in the mast) for the wind conditions for the day.
4. mainsail cunningham
5. spinnaker sheets
6. Bilgeboard 'down' position
7. mainsheet traveller
8. Mainsheet outhaul (usually under each tiller through 'throughdeck' roller-leads.
9. Bilgeboard 'up' control (cam cleats for bilgeboard are ON the bulkhead UNDER the aft end of the foredeck!!!! The board 'release' controls are affixed to rings that pull perpendicularly on the board control lines ... and OUT of the cam cleats.)
Midship:
1. bilgeboard release
2. Bilgeboard 'up'
3. Jib - via harken hexa-ratchets and cam cleat
Note: jib sheet goes from cam cleat to hexaratchet on (opposite) side deck to jib traveller block to one side of double block attached directly to jib clew (clew iron) then back to jib traveller car. Jib sheet @ 2:1 purchase. You adjust the 'jib sheet to clew angle' by attaching the jibsheet double block to the multiholed 'clew iron' plate (instead of a single clew hole on the jib) --- all instead of for/aft jib track cars, as there arent any! With mast rake 'way aft' the jib double block goes into the highest position on the clew iron, when the mast is 'straight up' (or a bit forward) the jib double block attaches to the lowest forward 'hole' in the clew iron.
4. spinnaker pole topping lift.
Front edge of cockpit
1. forestay length release - for adjusting mast rake (used in combination with 4:1 tackle that runs from near the mainsheet traveller to the running backstay
2. Spinnaker (pole) downhaul
3. forward hiking strap tension control
4. Jib cunningham
5. (at the fore corners of the forward cockpit) bilgeboard release
Foredeck just in front of forecockpit
1. Jib athwartship traveller controls
2. 4:2:1 'cascading/doubler' boom vang (total mech advantage = 8:1)
If the boat was raced actively you may find 35 to 40 'tweaking controls' (some are duplicates so that the boat can be controlled when you are in the hiking straps on either side of the boat. My old M20 has 37 'control lines' ... I used to have them all marked with embossed tape labels to keep the confusion to a minimum.
BTW ... only have ONE bilgeboard down at a time as they are 'angled' so that the boat easily 'lifts to weather' when the bilgeboard starts to 'lift' (and will hummmmmmmm at very high speed). Normal sailing heel angle is about 25 degrees over.
Boat is easily sailed INTO (better explanation would be: into and INSIDE of) a BIG wave and easily will 'disappear' as it sails itself under water ... thats why the M20 called the 'submarine scow' - so keep all the weight aft when at super high speed in BIG waves. The symmetrical spinnaker makes the boat 'unstable' when at high speeds downwind .... thats why the change to the lighter weight Inland-20 with an asymmetrical spinnaker on a retractable bowspirt
Before the change to I20 scows in racing the later M20 fleets required ***floatation panels affixed to the upper panels of the mainsai***l .... a damn good idea to prevent the boat from capsizing with the mast "pointing straingt down in the water*.
The M20 is still a fantastic boat, let her heel over until the rub rail is AT the water and she'll *FLY*. In most wind conditions and when beating, scows are faster when well heeled to about 25 degrees. Top scow sailors 'steer' their boats mostly by sail shape/trim (and rapid mast rake and mast bend) ...... using the rudder only for 'major corrections'.
If all the above fails in your finding out the very complex running rigging of the M20 and all the above sources dont answer your needs, contact me again and I'll send/post some labeled digital pictures .... (but you gotta hurry as Im sailing off to 'de islands' by mid October).
SEE M20Specs.pdf .... ATTACHED BELOW
Attachments
Thanks RichH
Wow! Thanks for the info... I guess my M20 scow is not single handed...what about a simple main & jib sheet operation?
Wow! Thanks for the info... I guess my M20 scow is not single handed...what about a simple main & jib sheet operation?
Sure you can single hand an M20 ... just be prepared to be 'busy' during a tack.
Most of all the 'busy' controls are along or near the mainsheet traveller. Those that are infrequently adjusted can be so adjusted before you leave the dock. Your M20 has 'simplified' controls .... still adequate.
For single handing you probably will want to be able to 'release'/drop the bilge boards: suggestion is install a large ring around and located above the bulkhead mounted cam cleat that restrains the bilgeboard control 'down' line .... then run a line attached to the ring back to a block mounted in the aft corner and in front of the main traveller then across to block on the exact opposite side.... then to a ring attached to the bilgeboard control line on the opposite side. When needing to drop a board, as you pull up the opposite board you just tug on the line in front of the traveller and release which board that needs to be dropped. You dont want to sail an M20 with both boards down as the board are NOT in parallel alignment with the boats centerline ... with both boards down you will have too much drag from the water .... and that will cause the boat to heel more. see attached for running the board release
Youll also want to run the jibsheets from the opposite side of the harken hexaratchet blocks ... sketch attached
Most of all the 'busy' controls are along or near the mainsheet traveller. Those that are infrequently adjusted can be so adjusted before you leave the dock. Your M20 has 'simplified' controls .... still adequate.
For single handing you probably will want to be able to 'release'/drop the bilge boards: suggestion is install a large ring around and located above the bulkhead mounted cam cleat that restrains the bilgeboard control 'down' line .... then run a line attached to the ring back to a block mounted in the aft corner and in front of the main traveller then across to block on the exact opposite side.... then to a ring attached to the bilgeboard control line on the opposite side. When needing to drop a board, as you pull up the opposite board you just tug on the line in front of the traveller and release which board that needs to be dropped. You dont want to sail an M20 with both boards down as the board are NOT in parallel alignment with the boats centerline ... with both boards down you will have too much drag from the water .... and that will cause the boat to heel more. see attached for running the board release
Youll also want to run the jibsheets from the opposite side of the harken hexaratchet blocks ... sketch attached
Attachments
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Where are HIN Numbers on my 1973 M-20
I'm trying to register my M-20 to power it with an outboard and I need the HIN numbers. I was told that all US manufacturers were required to have them on boats built after 1972. The only numbers that I can go with so far are the used on the sails. Three numbers. Anyone know where the HIN are located? Also thanks for prior posts!!!!!
I'm trying to register my M-20 to power it with an outboard and I need the HIN numbers. I was told that all US manufacturers were required to have them on boats built after 1972. The only numbers that I can go with so far are the used on the sails. Three numbers. Anyone know where the HIN are located? Also thanks for prior posts!!!!!
HIN numbers should be on the (outboard) starboard side of the transom.
If the sail numbers are correct for the boat the M20 associoation should be a source for the actual year of the hull.
My only question is why would you even consider putting an outbord on an M20?
The hull is so light that the motor will imbalance the boat. besides, if you sail it at all in puffy conditions, I guarantee you will tip it over more than once in your life.
There were only 2 manufacturers originally of the M20: Melges, in Zenda, Wisconsin and Johnson Boatworks in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Johnson is no longer in business as a manufacturer.
If the sail numbers are correct for the boat the M20 associoation should be a source for the actual year of the hull.
My only question is why would you even consider putting an outbord on an M20?
The hull is so light that the motor will imbalance the boat. besides, if you sail it at all in puffy conditions, I guarantee you will tip it over more than once in your life.
There were only 2 manufacturers originally of the M20: Melges, in Zenda, Wisconsin and Johnson Boatworks in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Johnson is no longer in business as a manufacturer.
Should be a small metal tag on the stb. upper transom on Johnson boats .... but it usually gets knoced off. Melges boats have a molded in number on the upper stb. of the transom.
If you have the sail numbers ... give Melges Boatworks a call and see if they can help you to 'reconstruct' the HIN ... and you can then etch it into the stern.
A 2Hp mounted with a detachable 'trolling motor mount' will work very well. You will probably have to 'reinforce' the under surface of the stern coaming to be sufficient strong for a small ouboard mount. You'll need on of the bilge boards to be partly down when motoring .... or the boat will 'wander' all over the place when under power.
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