Plans for weighted Daggerboard for 26M

[Carrierjason]

I am looking for plans for a weighted Mac26M, my factory one is cracked and I need to replace it, and it might be cheaper to build one that will reduce heel.

[RobertB]

When I first started sailing my new I discoverred damage to my daggerboard (how did that happen ) - really was easy to fix. Removed the loose/damaged stuff, cut some fiberglass, mixed some epoxy (and even added white tint so I did not feel the need to paint/gelcoat afterward), and rebuilt the damage. I figured, this is a repair that will happen more than once when sailing in the Chesapeake and nearby bays where shallow water is common. If you want more weight, just pour more resin inside the daggerboard - even add lead weights if you want.

As far as adding weight to reduce heel, my guess is that you would need alot of weight - that would lead to upgrading the raising tackle. Maybe better to use the reef points in the main sail.

[roril]

I believe that Mike Inmon has done several mods to this DB to include adding weight and having one made out of steel.

I have heard that adding a traveler will reduce heel also. My rotating mast is supposed to help with heeling , so they say.

[robbarnes1965]

When I first started sailing my new I discoverred damage to my daggerboard (how did that happen ) - really was easy to fix. Removed the loose/damaged stuff, cut some fiberglass, mixed some epoxy (and even added white tint so I did not feel the need to paint/gelcoat afterward), and rebuilt the damage. I figured, this is a repair that will happen more than once when sailing in the Chesapeake and nearby bays where shallow water is common. If you want more weight, just pour more resin inside the daggerboard - even add lead weights if you want.

As far as adding weight to reduce heel, my guess is that you would need alot of weight - that would lead to upgrading the raising tackle. Maybe better to use the reef points in the main sail.

I agree. It's more efficient to reef. Having destroyed 2 dagger-boards so far I actually discovered that it's like a circuit breaker. Zero damage occurred to the trunk or rest of the boat. That would not be the case with a metal dagger. A repair is as simple as pulling out the old one and ordering a new one to drop in. It cost's me about $350 shipped and you get more careful each time :)Adding a bit of lead to the lower portion might help with initial heal but The boat stabilizes quite well as is once she gets healed over enough. I goes over the first 10-15% very easily but firms up well after. I've sailed with the full dagger almost out of the water and felt very comfortable (now that I've come to know the boat).

[mdeane]

Last season we had an encounter with a rock and cracked the daggerboard. We had bumped a thing or two in the past with no serious damage, but this time we heard a cracking sound at the time of impact and knew something had broken. Pulled the board to inspect it, found a crack about 1/4" wide starting at the top front and it ran along the top centerline for about 6" and down the leading edge on the centerline about the same distance. Also found a deep gouge about 18" lower on the trailing edge. My first thought was it had to be replaced. After getting it back into my workshop and cleaning it up it looked repairable. With a few hours of hand labor, grinding, filing and sanding combined with a little resin, fiberglass cloth and some gel coat, she looks as good as new. The best part is it cost less than $25 for the repair. I would go along with the others who said they would not add weight in the daggerboard because it is easier to fix than the boat trunk.

Marc

[raycarlson]

you cant add enough lead to make a difference in heeling, and still have a functional board that pulls up and down on two dollar pulleys and 3/8 rope.its the nature of the design, you have to love it or leave it, i.e. 9000# fixed keel.

[Russ]

1) Search dagger board weight. Many have done this and it's not as easy as it would seem. The thing is very flimsy and just pouring lead into it will make it bow out.

2) The rotating mast does nothing to reduce heal IMO. I'm not sure where this comes from. It will increase performance somewhat. But for owners of Mac M/X's performance under sail is not something to expect.

[Y.B.Normal]

I checked the price of a new dagger board, it's about $475. The price went WAY UP from last year!

IMHO, I'd stay away from a weighted dagger board and use your sail controls to adjust your heeling.
Let your traveler down during the puffs, and bring it up in between. Use the mainsheet to control the shape
of the sail.
I usually put in a reef in winds above 15 mph or so.

Dale
Y.B.NORMAL

[Dnomyar]

...... IMHO, I'd stay away from a weighted dagger board and use your sail controls to adjust your heeling.
Let your traveler down during the puffs, and bring it up in between. Use the mainsheet to control the shape
of the sail.
I usually put in a reef in winds above 15 mph or so.

Dale
Y.B.NORMAL

That's the preferred way - doesn't the manual say that heeling much over 6 degrees wont make you go much faster ?

Weighting daggerboards a little was only good to make sure those pivoting boards dropped down quickly when coming off he trailer in a confined harbour - so you get instant steering while the hollow board filled with water.

[mastreb]

1. Optimal heel for an X or M is 15 degrees. That's the point at which the cross-section of hull in the water has the lowest area and therefore the least drag. Heel beyond 20 degrees is detrimental to performance (but fun!)

2. You can add lead to the stock dagger-board easily and without damaging it with lead shot and resin by doing it slowly in bands: Add a small portion of lead shot and resin, let it harden, and repeat. The incremental hardening will never weigh enough to bow out the dagger-board, and you can increase the weight to about 50 lbs--which is all you will be able to hoist safely with the existing rigging by hand. Search this board for the opinions of members who've done it as to whether or not they feel it's effective. I'm not going to do it because the math shows it's not going to reduce heeling enough to avoid reefing.

3. The rotating mast does not reduce heel, in fact the performance boost causes the boat to heel further earlier.

4. I have no problem getting to 5 knots in a 10 knot wind and nearly 7 in a 15 knot wind. The boat will generally do about half wind speed according to my GPS and wind-instrument--better if I'm really working it and worse whenever I'm not paying attention. It's not a race boat by any means, and it does require a lot more trimming and seamanship than a keel-boat, but it certainly can perform under sail. If you're sailing in gusty, highly variable winds, you will have a much more difficult time maintaining consistent speed and course than a fixed-keel boat would for sure, but in the steady air of So Cal, it's a great boat.

[Steve K]

I wouldn't want to do too much to the daggerboard, particularly the top portion of it. Mainly because the next time you hit something (and there will be a next time), with a solid daggerboard, you're likely going to damage something that is even more difficult to repair, like the trunk and/or the hull itself.

That said, If I was going to add weight to mine. I would mix lead shot with resin and pour in into the board. I don't know if one could add enough weight this way to really make a difference in heeling force (not a large one anyway). And the board also becomes more difficult to raise up. So now you're looking at a purchase system to raise the board. (easier to pull up, but twice, or three times the pulling and twice to three times the dagger board line)

I caught an underwater mountain peak with mine a few years ago. During that whole week of sailing, I wondered why I could barely stay in front of the X boats. I knew I had damaged the daggerboard, but I never pictured what actually happened to it.
When I got the boat home I pulled the daggerboard out of the trunk (which was difficult, due to the damage) to find the bottom one foot, to eighteen inches of it split down the middle in such a way that whenever the boat started moving, it had been opening up like a giant clam shell. (water brake)

The repair was simple and it works better than ever now, as I gauged and trued the foil shape at the same time I did the repair (foil shape is not always perfect on older Mac foils, likely because they are hollow).

Get a sounder, if you don't have one. Then (and here's what led to my own damage) make sure it is not in simulator mode. Yep that sucker was showing 500 feet of water under the hull, when BANG!

As far as heeling goes, sail trim can help, reefing early can help and so can buying a catamaran or a tri instead of a monohull

I know, I know, it's usually not us guys that have a big problem with it, it's usually the Admiral. But monohulls heel and water ballasted monohulls have a good deal of initial heel and will alarm, even experienced sailors until gotten used to. However, after that initial heel, they stabilize nicely. I had a hard time learning this, having prior experience with keel boats, but not much dingy sailing. The Macs just feel like they are going to go over, at first, but then they get over to 10 or 12 degrees and settle there nicely.

I'm also lucky in this way, you see my Admiral likes the heeling........... she also like turbulence in a jet liner Yep, when others are clinching the arm of their seats and tightening their seat belts, she will be giggling under her breath, with a big smile on her face

Hope this has been helpful in some way.

Best breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

[Relackson]

I'd be very careful about adding any weight to the Mac 26M.

After doing a fair amount of research into adding another axle to the trailer (which led to many issues and down many paths) I decided to weigh the boat and trailer. My main concern was being legal when the insurance company weighed the boat and trailer if I had an accident whilst on the road.

I have a Yamaha 60 hp. on board, some little extras that I don't think weigh too much e.g. furler, sail cover, a couple of radio antennas, 2nd battery, 600 watt inverter, some tools. Had about 20 litres of fuel on board. Have removed the head bi-folding door. Anchors removed from boat; spare wheel and its holder removed from trailer.

Took it to the local quarry and had it weighed: 1900 kgs pretty much on the knocker!!!!!

Am happy to transport spare wheel, anchor, etc in back of Holden Rodeo ute when travelling - much more peace of mind for me. As I stated, my main concern was insurance, just in case.

I think there are the owners of hundreds of trailer yachts and thousands of trailer stink boats who are travelling on Aussie roads completely unaware that their insurance protection - if needed - would most likely not eventuate.

Hence, I would think very seriously about increasing the weight of the boat.

[Divecoz]

1st. It appears we dont have the insurance issues up here your seeing Down Under.. If we did? 5 million jacked up trucks and at least as many Very Loud Motorcycles.. would be uninsurable hahaha..
2nd. A previous member Leon(SP) did a lot of sailing performance mods to his boat before he moved on.... and up.. He documented it all.. Some was successful , some was not.. All were costly....
Mastereb has the math and there by geometry down pretty darn good , and he explains it all in simple language, as to why a lot of things just wont help, or just not that much.. sometimes they can even hurt your overall performance.. and sometimes , at a great cost and much effort.. Highlander seems to have gotten the physical sailing things down pretty darn good as well..After discussing several mod options with both those fellows?? I have given up on a couple ideas.. I might still at some point give them a go.. but now with the understanding that I am talking about very little gain in performance..
Ahhhhh but sometimes ? The Cool Factor / Bragging Rights is enough to offset the cost and effort..