Steering one handed

A forum for discussing topics relating to MacGregor Powersailor Sailboats
User avatar
Russ
Admiral
Posts: 7543
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi

Re: Steering one handed

Post by Russ »

C Buchs wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 8:59 am
My boat changes course a lot! On the trailer, if I point both rudders straight back, you can see that they are out of alignment. I need to bend my connecting rod to get them into alignment.

Jeff
Doesn't the X have an adjustable tie bar? The M is fixed and needs to be manually bent to align rudders.
--Russ
User avatar
Tomfoolery
Admiral
Posts: 6135
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:42 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Rochester, NY '99X BF50 'Tomfoolery'

Re: Steering one handed

Post by Tomfoolery »

DaveC426913 wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 8:27 am Agree with all above.

1. Run all lines aft.
2. Buy EZ cleats.
3. Bungie cord on wheel.
4. Balance the sails.

I don't bungie the wheel as when the sails are balanced, I can just sit on the windward side and steer with one hand. Also do that when they're not balanced, but it's more work.
Tom
Be seeing you . . .
User avatar
dlandersson
Admiral
Posts: 4531
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:00 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Michigan City

Re: Steering one handed

Post by dlandersson »

Ditto 8)
DaveC426913 wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 8:27 am Agree with all above.

1. Run all lines aft.
2. Buy EZ cleats.
3. Bungie cord on wheel.
DaveC426913
Admiral
Posts: 1791
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:05 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Toronto Canada
Contact:

Re: Steering one handed

Post by DaveC426913 »

Tomfoolery wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:47 am 4. Balance the sails.
This only works for me in specific conditions - wind velocity, point of sail.

Even at that, I would never trust it. The motor attached to the steering means the wheel is always in danger of flopping hard-over - esp. if I'm shifting my weight around, tending lines. If the wheel went off while I were away from it, I'd end up in the soup.
MacX 2000 Honda BF50A 'SeaSaw'
User avatar
Tomfoolery
Admiral
Posts: 6135
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:42 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Rochester, NY '99X BF50 'Tomfoolery'

Re: Steering one handed

Post by Tomfoolery »

DaveC426913 wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 7:42 am
Tomfoolery wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:47 am 4. Balance the sails.
This only works for me in specific conditions - wind velocity, point of sail.

Even at that, I would never trust it. The motor attached to the steering means the wheel is always in danger of flopping hard-over - esp. if I'm shifting my weight around, tending lines. If the wheel went off while I were away from it, I'd end up in the soup.
Ah, but I have the disconnect from BWY. And if I leave the helm, it's only for a second or two to do what needs doing.
Tom
Be seeing you . . .
User avatar
opie
Captain
Posts: 871
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:40 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Wilmington, NC

Re: Steering one handed

Post by opie »

.
.
.video on YouTube
Here is my take on this topic's question
.
I realize that many of you do not have time for a ten minute video, so here is a summary.

The MacGregor (in this case a 26X) will track exactly straight on three points of the wind when only using a bungee cord to lock the wheel.

With main only or main with jib, no difference.

And that straight track is over land! My Garmin GPS was set for breadcrumbs every 50 feet. The ocean has currents that aren't always the same as the winds. I thought that a bungee-cord steered Mac would create a track that would show a curve that identified the current underneath, but the gps tracks were straight as an arrow, WHEN on proper leg into wind as shown by triangle drawn by gps on 2nd test at 2/3 of the video. If you throw the Mac into a random direction, it will find one of those pointings if bungeed.

ps - Who can forget the famous sailor, Joshua Slocum, and his sailboat the Spray, who was quoted: "But see the run the Spray made from Thursday Island to the Keeling Cocos Islands, twenty-seven hundred miles distant, in twenty-three days, with no one at the helm in that time, save for about one hour, from land to land."
ref: Sailing Alone Around the World (free book at Projectgutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6317)
Post Reply