Using the stock mount, original or aftermarket rudder will lift all the way out of the water, not much more, maybe 10 degrees. (Kick-up rudder mounts are a whole 'nuther story.) I'm no puss, but I found it really hard to raise the rudder out of the water with a single line. I fashioned a little 4:1 ...

Regarding the trailer's crossbar under the centerboard, it's a boat-saver. I read recently that many sailors release the raised centerboard so it can rest on the crossbeam once the boat is on the trailer. When you think of the leverage the heavy centerboard has on that lift line as it bounces down t...

I didn't see this possibility mentioned: On most 26S, the centerboard lift line comes up through a tube, around a block and through a metal stop before it proceeds forward, around another block, then aft to the hole out into the cabin. (Yeesh.) In the water, the centerboard can actually swing forwar...

Lots of springtime tree jizz falls on my uncovered boat, so I added the screen-type drain to my 26S. The drain hole is too close to the edge, so the screen didn't cover well. And it's fragile, so I was constantly reshaping it. In the end it worked waaay too well, clogging much faster than the origin...

Does anyone still sell the white PVC clamshell vents at the back of the cockpit and the engine well? Logo looks like N-M, with a sail between the letters. Mine are functional, but tired-looking. Kinda like me.

I made similar additions to my 26S mast. Had to drill out original rivets, and the new hardware made remounting a little awkward. I got it done but didn't feel great about my craftsmanship. But yours — wow! I'm impressed.

Mine was the same, only PO ran a bolt through the tiller to attach a cleat, and the end of the bolt carved a trough. Oiks. A friend on a FB forum had wrapped a length of rope artfully around the tiller to lift it. Looked sharp, and I'll copy that.

Just traded my Hobie 18 catamaran for a 1995 Mac 26S, and am looking forward to a whole new lifestyle. Sticking my head into the access ports, I noticed a lot of styrofoam crumbs. Then I remembered reading that this boat came with styrofoam flotation built in. Welp, it's gone now, and I don't know w...