Looking to join the Mac-club! Advice on 26x Sail Improvement

[Gazmn]

Can't we all just get a-long... Sheesh

[dlandersson]

lol - remember, the USAF used to be the "Army Air Force" - perhaps an exception can be made.

Well, thank you again for all the replies.

However, I am an ex-Captain of the Signal Corps, US Army and would never step foot on the vessel of a USAF officer and respect myself in the morning.... so...



Ed.

[RobertB]

Well, thank you again for all the replies. However, I am an ex-Captain of the Signal Corps, US Army and would never step foot on the vessel of a USAF officer and respect myself in the morning.... so... Ed.

When is the last time the Army walked across the ocean to do business?

[Tomfoolery]

I suppose if I found a boat with the rotating mast, more sail area... would the performance be similar?

In case you didn't know, the has a taller mast that rotates, and a larger main sail, than the . The mast of the does not rotate, though I believe there are a few folks out there who've modified theirs to add the lower bearing and style spreaders.

Those are a couple of reasons why the is reported to sail better than the , but not the only ones.

If you want high performance sailing, the 26 (classic), in either dagger or swing centerboard flavors, is known as a very fast sailboat, but still water ballasted for easy trailering. But it don't approach the or for interior space. Or speed under engine power, of course, which is a very big selling point for this particular type of motor-sailer. I say 'type', because there are motor-sailers out there that have displacement hulls and can't plane, but have small rigs, and are designed to motor with sail assist. Or is it sail, with motor assist?

As to improving performance, the OEM sails from MacGregor aren't that great, and aftermarket sails supposedly improve performance. Many members here have done just that. JudyB has posted much on the subject (she's a distributor of Hyde sails, and an advertiser here, and a great resource - search for threads she's posted in).

[dlandersson]

That's interesting. I did not know that the S or D have much less interior space than the X or M. I figured it was about the same.

But it don't approach the or for interior space.

[Tomfoolery]

That's interesting. I did not know that the S or D have much less interior space than the X or M. I figured it was about the same.

Well, I guess that depends on how you define 'space'. They're all 26 footers, but the power-sailers have really tall cabins for their size, and it looks like the hull is straighter towards the stern. Interior volume, including headroom. And a head with a door, in my case.

[Russ]

Isn't that why the S/D have pop tops. Headroom.

The X/M have MUCH taller freeboard. Why the wind takes them sideways so much. The S/D look like real sailboats.

[dlandersson]

That's what I understood. The horizontal space is about the same?

Isn't that why the S/D have pop tops. Headroom.

The X/M have MUCH taller freeboard. Why the wind takes them sideways so much. The S/D look like real sailboats.

[EZ]

Freeboard, freeboard, freeboard....

These boats have way more than you are probably used to. It will be evident when you try to dock at low speeds in high winds. There are many comments that you have to maintain a certain amount of speed with "fins" down to have a reasonable amount of control. It can be adjusted to. It's just not a compromise I realized I was going to make when I got the boat.

The wheel steering on these boats is "ok". It is really a small powerboat wheel/cable setup and has more play than you are probably used to. It is not like the wheel steering on a more expensive boat.

Don't get me wrong, I love my boat and have no intention of selling. Its just they are a bit harder to sail/dock than you may be used to.

[Signaleer]

Well, thank you again for all the replies. However, I am an ex-Captain of the Signal Corps, US Army and would never step foot on the vessel of a USAF officer and respect myself in the morning.... so... Ed.

When is the last time the Army walked across the ocean to do business?

As I understand it we are all flying commercial anymore... ?

[Signaleer]

Isn't that why the S/D have pop tops. Headroom.

The X/M have MUCH taller freeboard. Why the wind takes them sideways so much. The S/D look like real sailboats.

What the biggest outboard ever put on a D? hehehe mmmmmm

[Russ]

Isn't that why the S/D have pop tops. Headroom.

The X/M have MUCH taller freeboard. Why the wind takes them sideways so much. The S/D look like real sailboats.

What the biggest outboard ever put on a D? hehehe mmmmmm

Yea, I wonder. If you split the rudder into 2 and mounted a big honkin beast on there.....

[mastreb]

You can't go very far over hull speed (6.5 knots) with a non-planing hull. The form stability of a planing hull design allows it to roll into turns correctly at planing speed. A sailboat hull is unstable without that form stability provided by the chines, and will roll outboard, causing a capsize.

No point in putting more than 9.9hp on any 26 foot sailboat hull.

[dlandersson]

Why not TWO "beasts"?

Yea, I wonder. If you split the rudder into 2 and mounted a big honkin beast on there.....

[JotaErre]

Freeboard, freeboard, freeboard....

These boats have way more than you are probably used to. It will be evident when you try to dock at low speeds in high winds. There are many comments that you have to maintain a certain amount of speed with "fins" down to have a reasonable amount of control. It can be adjusted to. It's just not a compromise I realized I was going to make when I got the boat.

The wheel steering on these boats is "ok". It is really a small powerboat wheel/cable setup and has more play than you are probably used to. It is not like the wheel steering on a more expensive boat.

Don't get me wrong, I love my boat and have no intention of selling. Its just they are a bit harder to sail/dock than you may be used to.

Well, I used to have a traditional sailboat before my present , and the Mac can maneuver inside the port much better than my old boat (a Hunter Europa) did.

We have to accept that the Mac is a compromise, but it sails quite well for my taste. I have sailed with 20-knot winds and 1,5 meter waves (waves in the Mediterranean have a very short frequency, so a 1.5 Mediterranean wave can be more annoying than a 2-meter Atlantic wave), and the boat is safe.

The cannot point to the wind as well as a "pure" 26-foot sailboat, it rolls a bit more, and (with the ballast tank full) is slow with less than 6 knots of wind, but that's the price you have to pay for its motoring capabilities...