Spoken like a man afraid of liability. We in the USA are free because we can speak freely about products. The entire world looks to the USA for this free speaking. It is why dangerous goods from China get exposed. In the UK - not so free to speak. Talk about hull construction in China and the UKer risks family wealth. US built still means something and Costa Mesa built means almost everything when selecting an ocean going sailboat.Kelly Hanson East wrote:Mike - you are one of those people who will always be first in my book - maybe not on a given trip, but at the front of the pack of the pioneers.On the MAC being an off-shore boat (and this is one of the few opinions I'm really serious about) the MAC is not an off-shore boat under any normal circumstances -- end of discussion as far as I'm concerned.
However, what it is, is a nice, inexpensive platform for experimenting with various ideas on how to adapt to various circumstances, like crossing to Hawaii, or running the Amazon, etc.
May a fair tide always be under your keel.
Moderators - would suggest that quote above me stickied somewhere as the definitive answer to that thread when it comes up - right from the guy who has done it and not just yacked about it.
Purple colour chosen by First Mate Caitlin
I love this topic and so I will give you a theory on the Mac26x. Lets suppose that after Roger made it into the sail boat hall of fame, that he figured out that he not only knew a bit about designing ocean sail boats but that others had recognized this. Hence, the bold move and introduction of the Mac26x. Then lets realize that in the history of boat building there has never been a production run of over 5.000 hulls in seven years as is the case with the Mac26x and that the boat wasn't sold as a first timer or place holder but rather as revolutionary and modern. It is that last bit that is important.
By standards of 50 years ago, prior to modern weather reporting, ocean crossing vessels could be assumed to have to withstand hurricanes at sea with minimal damage. Today, it is fair to assume that the vessel will be on the hard or in port during hurricanes and storms. So Mad Mikes concern's regarding the mast and rudder needs further discussion.
To my knowledge, the Mac26x mast has never failed. This was the claim of the manufacturer as late as 2003. The reason for this is the light hull and the fact that the hull will jump out of the water before a mast can jump off the boat - which is the definition of a dis masting. Where the dealers make their money selling masts involves trailering.
Here in Seattle the dealer reports selling about 3 replacement masts a year, all of those involving trailering the vessel or storage on the hard. The broken masts, include X's and classics.
By my way of thinking, a trailerable sailboat is designed to take hurricane force winds regularly - this owing to the trailering at 60 miles per hour. In addition, trailering, the launching and retrieving and then the road work, likely puts more stress on the vessel than weathering storm. Because Mac26x vessels have been blown off their trailers and have rolled down highway embankments with no substantial damage, there is no need to test the vessels in storms or canes. You have to be - well mad to do that. So Mike, were the aluminum masts snapped at sea, or on the hard?
On rudders... the manufacturer did upgrade those after about 2000 hulls - those and the brackets. Murrelet is a 1999 vessel. 1999 was a transition year. X Boats prior to 1999 had different ballast tanks and different top side construction. The 1999 through 2003 X vessels were made even more ocean worthy via extending the stringer parts of the tank to the transom. This was done primarily because the outboard motors were lighter and the additional tank area put weight back in the arse as the hull was engineered for. Please note that the X was highly engineered by CAD. A side benefit of the extended tank was the addition of stiffness to the hull. Hence a 10 year boat like mine still gets up and planes under sail in normal wind. For any planing vessel - that is an engineering marvel. Many of the under 24 foot planing hulls - especially those made of sandwich construction (though this is changing) can not be expected to retain stiffness for planing under sail for over a decade.
If you look at a mini transat, the first question should be why so small. Why not 26 foot like a Mac26x. The reason could be that prior to the Mac26x, the engineering for a hull that could retain stiffness that was larger than about 22 foot was n't figured out. In other words a hull that large could be expected to be a one only crosser. I think this applied to multi hulls.
So, I hope I have not scared Mad Mike off. The Mac26x has been reviewed as a coastal ocean pocket cruiser. The manufacturer stands by that. The manufacture doesn't believe the 26x has enough storage for a significant ocean crossing but I think this is given a crew of 4 - the recommended crew size for racing. Since modern weather reporting and electornics, the modern average crew size for ocean crossing boats has dropped to two. This puts the storage issue back into debate.
Eight years ago, if you loaded 4 into a Max26x with food and water, and sailed to Hawaii, you would likely be overloaded with the water ballast tanks filled - from the stand point of planing under sail. Speed is Safety. You want speed to make harbor before storm or hurricane.
To be honest, I am flabbergasted that I haven't moved to a different sailboat after a decade. That was the plan. But as long as I can beat older J-30s to the mark....
Frank L. Mighetto
Remember. Sailing 
... let's keep it sane, or we'll need to call the Anarchy police & putcha 'on report!'
Mike, if you're reading this, and there is one, or two, or three to post, please do so. I (and others) would like to see a picture of the articulating outriggers 