s that I am pretty sure that a MAC X or M with the gear we all generally have...
WILL NOT RECOVER From A KNOCKDOWN.
If your ballast is in, the boat will recover from a kncokdown. It happened to me 4 years ago, 2nd time out. Got hit with a huge gust, probably 45 kts while sheeted hard. The boat was on its side 90 degrees, sails in the water. Once I released the sheets, she came right up. Of course, this is still something to be avoided.
Companion way hatch was open. The hatch at the bow is always closed unless I'm at anchor in warm weather. Absolutely no water got inside. My wife and I were standing on the leeward cockpit , while holding on to whatever we could grab on the windward side. I had to carefully make my way to the sheets to release them. Both sails had water in them, but once the sheets were released, the boat came up straight rather quickly.
We have an 05 M as you see . I fill the ballast when I launch and empty it when I remove the boat for the season. MJJASO water never leaves the ballast tank. We motor to open water plus about 1/2 miles and sail all day and return to do the opposite. 1/2 miles out down come the sail or sails and we motor in. I was caught Once last fall in a situation like Louis experienced, but with full ballast DB and rudders down Merc running. By the 2nd maybe it was the 3rd wave we had all boards up and the Merc 50 BF pushing hard for home. I was told by the old salts that the wave curl pulled on the DB when we were at the top . If we had had all boards up we would have just road the wave. All that nice ballast adding to the splash but to stability as well.
Several in this thread mentioned going forward to open the vent valve to let the ballast tank fill. I suggest modifying the forward vent valve so that it is vented to the anchor locker drain line. Then the captain has only to open the fill valve, without leaving the helm area. Perhaps this is a difficult mod on a M, however, I have a early X and it was quite difficult since there was no forward vent valve. Having a permanent open vent that can't splash inside the boat makes the filling and draining of ballast very simple and much less work.
Haven't sailed much without ballast this year, but have done so often in other years. The X is self-righting even in heavy winds with no ballast. The problem is that when it pops up it's likely to be knocked right back down. This gets a little crazy and most would avoid doing it.
Accessing the drain hose for the anchor locker could be a problem. I'm thinking of running a hose to the head area and letting it vent high on the starboard side. I already have an air outlet there to facilitate head pumpout (so the tank doesn't implode.) Of course, I would run a separate hose and not splice to the head...that could get nasty Still wondering if ballast water can spill with this setup. BTW, what sort of tool would one use to create threads in the vent plug?
Still wondering if ballast water can spill with this setup. BTW, what sort of tool would one use to create threads in the vent plug?